Eastern Europe

Home insecticides in Bulgaria declined in retail volume sales in 2023, impacted by the fall in the property market. Moreover, people in the cities increasingly use the services of insect control companies, which provide an easy, quick, effective and…

Despite rising price points in 2023, leading to double-digit retail value growth, retail volume sales remained positive in home insecticides, with all areas, bar insectile coils, recording volume growth. Spray/aerosol and electric home insecticides…

While retail value sales were positive in 2023, these results were heavily driven by increased unit prices. As such, retail volume sales struggled, negatively impacted by rising inflation and reduced consumer spending power. This led to a retail…

Retail value sales recorded double-digit growth in 2023, driven by rising price points in line with inflation. However, while value sales were strong, retail volume sales struggled, leading to an overall volume decline in laundry care. Declines were…

Polishes in Bulgaria continued to lose retail volume sales in 2023. As rising prices impacted consumers' budgets, many adjusted their spending, focusing on essentials. Many consumers do not consider polishes essential, with consumers removing the…

While polishes recorded strong retail growth in 2023, retail volume sales struggled, declining in all areas, bar metal polish, which saw stagnate growth. The economic impact of the rising cost of living has undermined consumer confidence and…

Surface care in Bulgaria continued to decline in retail volume in 2023, much of which is the consequence of the category's unusual growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, sales are declining in comparison as usage returns to pre-pandemic…

In 2023, kitchen cleaners were the clear leader in retail volume growth within surface care. The increased use of these products resulted from ongoing innovation and product development focused on higher effectiveness and natural composition. For…

Toilet care in Bulgaria saw positive development in 2023, with double-digit retail value growth and a retail volume rise in areas such as rim block and toilet liquids/foams. In addition, all product areas recorded positive retail value growth, driven…

Toilet care saw an uplift in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the crisis, sales were boosted by people being at home more often, with a higher emphasis on hygiene and increasing cleaning activities in many Czech households. With…

Apart from electric air fresheners, all other air care products witnessed a decline in retail volume terms in 2023. In the face of rising costs of living, consumers are choosing to economise and cut down on unnecessary purchases, which includes most…

Air care was one of the few categories that did not suffer from sharp price growth in 2022, but prices caught up in 2023, impacting demand in the year. However, air care overall still managed to achieve positive volume growth due to tourism as sales…

Overall, air care performed well in terms of volume growth. However, the standout performer in 2023 was liquid air fresheners, which in spite of significant price rises, also registered double-digit percentage volume growth. The strong performance…

Air care in Georgia faces moderate volume growth in 2023, with current value growth stimulated by rising retail prices. As in other categories, modern retail is the main catalyst for rising consumption of air care products in Georgia. Indeed, air…

While retail value sales were double-digit, retail volume sales declined in areas such as gel air freshers, car air fresheners and spray/aerosol air fresheners. Sales were negatively impacted by rising inflation and reduced consumer spending power.…

In 2023, gel air fresheners saw strong growth rates in both retail value and volume. These fresheners are crafted with formulations designed to impart a longer-lasting fragrance, distinguishing them from other formats and appealing to consumers…

Price inflation has softened in 2023, providing a welcome relief for consumers. Air care registered double-digit current value growth and steady volume growth reflecting the significance of this product area. Spray/aerosols is the main category in…

Air care overall recorded a decline in volume sales growth in 2023 as current value sales rose in response to rising unit prices. Inflationary pressures and diminished disposable personal incomes prompted many consumers tend to trade down to…

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, many consumers are spending more time at home, with hybrid working becoming increasingly common. The rise in home offices has increased the demand for air care products, including scented candles, liquid air…

Romanian consumers remained very attached to their homes, and there was still a large part of the population that worked from home (or in a hybrid work system). In general, consumers are placing a higher importance on having a pleasant environment at…

Bleach continues to decline in retail volume terms, amid falling consumer demand and cannibalisation from other surface care categories. Bleach is among the few surface care categories witnessing steady decline due to health concerns. Indeed, there…

Bleach was heavily used during the initial stage of the pandemic as consumers prioritised the effectiveness of bleach as they sought to removal any possible COVID-19 infection on surfaces. The pandemic was officially declared over in Croatia on 11…

Bleach was the only home care product that registered a fall in volume sales in 2023. The increasing array of other effective cleaning products dampened volume sales of bleach. In addition, consumers are increasingly concerned about the chemical…

Bleach is a traditional home care product in Georgia, that is widely known and used by locals. Price sensitivity has encouraged consumption of bleach in 2023 due to its low price per unit. Thus, bleach remains an attractive product among consumers…

While retail value sales were double-digit in 2023, bleach recorded a retail volume decline for the third consecutive year. Sales increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, with consumers having a heightened interest in hygiene. Bleach was recommended…

In 2023, while rising prices drove retail value sales, bleach recorded a retail volume decline. This decline can be attributed to consumers using home care detergents that feature disinfectant components with safer formulations. Consumers…

Bleach is a mature category with limited activity in Lithuania. It faces strong competition from colour safe laundry bleach and various surface cleaning options, which are widely available at different price points and constantly innovating. Bleach…

Bleach continued to see substantial volume sales falls in 2023, posting the deepest decline recorded across all of home care. Bleach suffers from drastically reduced population among local consumers, undermining demand. However, the category managed…

Retail value growth was double-digit in 2023, with sales driven by inflation and rising prices. However, following trends noted across the review period, retail volume sales declined. Rising awareness of the potential negative health effects…

Following the hike in demand in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when consumers embraced bleach as an effective tool against germs and the virus, there has been a readjustment in demand in the category. Thus, bleach resumed its pre-pandemic…

Retail volume sales stagnated in 2023, as demand weakened amid rising unit prices caused by high inflation. Automatic dishwashing continues to grow moderately whilst the much larger hand dishwashing category saw a decline in retail volume terms.…

After a boosted performance during the pandemic due to the cocooning and home-cooking trends, volume sales of dishwashing products declined in 2023. This is mostly attributable to the steep double-digit unit price growth registered in the year. In…

About four-tenth of Estonian households own a dishwasher and despite reduced purchasing power, consumers were still reluctant to forego the convenience of automatic dishwashing. Instead, they traded down and for instance opted for powder instead of…

Dishwashing in 2023 faces steady retail volume growth, despite the high costs of living confronted by locals. Demand for hand dishwashing remains stable, with little change in the competitive landscape and product development somewhat limited. By…

Automatic dishwashing tablets saw the strongest retail volume sales in 2023, as household penetration of dishwashers continued to rise in Hungary. Promotional activities and higher levels of product development based on delivering more effective…

In 2023, automatic dishwashing tablets experienced the most rapid growth in value terms, aligned with rising price points and increasing sales of dishwashers. Consumers are choosing automatic dishwashing tablets as they offer precise detergent…

Dishwashing continues to enjoy a solid performance in Lithuania, mainly due to strong growth in automatic dishwashing where volume sales increased sharply in 2023. Dishwasher penetration has increased steadily over the review period fuelling demand…

Overall volume sales in dishwashing stagnated in 2023, with consumer demand waning in response to high inflation and rising unit prices. Automatic dishwashing continued to see strong and steady rises as one of the better-performing product areas,…

The automatic dishwashing landscape in Poland continued to have low market penetration in 2023, which created solid room for growth and expansion in sales and market share. Consumers in Poland are increasingly becoming more time-conscious, seeking…

The positive performance of dishwashing in Romania in 2023 was the result of Romanian consumers often cooking at home, as high inflation and strong pressure on purchasing power discouraged visits to foodservice establishments. However, hand…

Home care witnessed moderate retail volume growth in 2023 as consumer demand stalled amidst significant unit price increases and inflationary pressure. Consumers are facing financial challenges with household budgets limited due to lower disposable…

Strong current retail value sales growth in 2023 as a result of inflation had a negative impact on volume sales in the year. The two major categories of dishwashing and laundry care were particularly affected by price hikes. In addition, rising…

With continuing economic uncertainty, as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, home care registered muted volume growth, in spite of an increased population, due to the arrival of a significant number of immigrants from Ukraine. Also, while…

Georgia's economy and local currency witnessed stability in 2023, with positive effects on the performance of home care in 2023. The recovery of tourism had a strong impact on Georgia in general and improved employment levels, which has raised…

Home care in Hungary recorded a retail volume decline in 2023, negatively impacted by rising inflation and living costs, reducing consumer spending power. With lower disposable incomes, consumer purchasing habits changed, with many focusing on…

In 2023, home care experienced notable growth in retail value and volume terms. Rising inflation and higher price points boosted retail value, in addition to added-value properties and eco-friendly positionings. Retail volume growth benefited from an…

Following the soaring prices seen in home care during 2022, unit price growth has stabilised in 2023 and current value sales are slowing. Nevertheless, Lithuanians still face financial challenges in 2023, such as rising interest rates, which is…

Overall home care recorded robust current value growth in North Macedonia in 2023, mainly as result of the impact of inflation and substantial unit price rises. In terms of volume sales growth, however, most home care categories saw stagnation or…

In 2023, results on the home care landscape were impacted by rising inflation and the increased cost of living in Poland. For players on the landscape, the rising costs of resources posed a significant challenge, with cost increases seen across raw…

High inflation continued to exert strong pressure on the demand for home care in Romania in 2023, with retail current unit prices rising across all categories. Increases in the costs of raw materials and utilities put pressure on manufacturers,…