Eastern Europe

Colour cosmetics saw current value growth in the Czech Republic in 2023 as the category saw a continued rise in sales having exceeded the pre-pandemic level in the previous year. Value growth was driven by the inflationary context, while the increase…

Hungary played host to the world’s first deodorant refilling stations in 2023. These new refill stations are designed to offer a more sustainable solution in the deodorants market. These stations work with Rossmann’s Isana private label line of…

Deodorants in Slovakia recorded only modest current value growth in 2023 as consumers frequently traded down to cheaper brands and private label. Retail volume sales remained negative with the exception of deodorant creams, which saw only marginal…

Deodorants saw current value growth in the Czech Republic in 2023. This modest value growth achieved in 2023 can be mostly attributed to rising prices rather than increasing demand. Deodorant sticks is amongst the most mature categories in…

In an effort to present better value and attract sales some manufacturers increased their pack sizes, as seen with 10+4 Gilette Blue and 10+5 Wilkinson Sword. However, these large packs do not always present the best value with smaller packs of four…

Permanent and semi-permanent hair removal continues to be popular among Slovak consumers, providing strong limitations to the sale of traditional depilatories. In 2023, the category recorded only modest current value growth, mostly driven by rising…

Depilatories registered current value growth in the Czech Republic in 2023. High inflation and the rising prices of services in beauty salons, as well as laser hair removal, temporarily supported the growing retail value of the category. Sales…

Mass fragrances experienced double-digit growth in current value terms in 2023 due to significant price hikes, although growth remained lower compared to premium fragrances due to the price sensitivity of the target customer group for these products.…

Premium fragrances recorded high single-digit current value growth in 2023, with retail volume sales being notably slower and impacted by stubbornly high inflation. Mass fragrances declined in in both retail value and volume terms, with economic…

Fragrances saw further current value growth in the Czech Republic in 2023, with volume sales falling as consumers paid higher prices but left with fewer items in their shopping baskets. The overall positive performance was driven by premium…

The hair care market experienced a significant shift towards home treatments and wellness routines towards the end of the review period. This was driven by a combination of factors including the lingering impact of COVID-19 and rising inflation,…

Despite the decrease in retail volume sales, hair care recorded positive growth in current value sales, primarily due to price increases. Lower purchasing power led consumers to limit their spending, with more consumers choosing to dye their hair at…

Hair care saw current value growth in the Czech Republic in 2023. The skinification of hair was a notable shift in focus in the hair care category, as consumers looked to repair existing damage and/or to prevent damage. The scalp is an extension of…

Mass beauty and personal care registered dynamic double-digit growth in current value terms in 2023, albeit this was largely due to soaring inflation, with volume sales seeing more modest growth. High inflation and declining purchasing power resulted…

Mass beauty and personal care in Slovakia recorded healthy growth in current value terms, albeit boosted by high inflation. In 2023, energy, transport and production costs remained high, which forced manufacturers to increase unit prices. Although…

Mass beauty and personal care saw current value growth in the Czech Republic in 2023. Brands and companies focused on adding extra value to boost sales, with some blurring the lines between the mass and premium segments. This was particularly visible…

As current fashion trends lean towards styled facial hair, a significant number of male customers are opting for grooming techniques that focus on shaping their beard contours rather than achieving a smooth shave. This has led to a surge in demand…

In 2023, men’s grooming in Slovakia witnessed robust current value growth, fuelled mostly by men’s skin care, which outperformed the entire category in current value and retail volume terms. Facial hair and beards are popular in Slovakia, which has…

In 2023, the men’s grooming category recorded current value growth in the Czech Republic. The category’s expansion can be attributed largely to men’s skin care, which rose in both retail value and volume terms during the year. Mass men’s skin care…

Oral care in Hungary is witnessing a surge in demand for therapeutic toothpaste, particularly in the realm of implant-friendly, gum-protecting and sensitivity-relieving variants. This increase in demand can be attributed to the ageing population and…

Tooth whiteners outpaced growth in Slovakia’s oral care category, in both retail volume and current value terms. Despite the rising prices seen in 2023, consumers did not lose interest in home whitening kits and whitening strips. The reason behind…

Oral care saw current value growth in the Czech Republic in 2023. Toothpaste was amongst the few personal care categories that did not see a strong shift towards the cheaper alternatives provided by private labels at the end of the review period. The…

Premium beauty and personal care saw dynamic growth in current value terms in 2023 despite the challenging economic environment and soaring inflation. Consumers of premium beauty personal care products were more accepting of price increases due to a…

Premium skin and sun care in Slovakia recorded strong growth in 2023 despite challenging inflation. Over the review period, premium skin care has established a solid position among Slovak consumers. There has been a gradual increase in premium brands…

Premium beauty and personal care continued to see strong current value growth in the Czech Republic in 2023, moving even further beyond pre-pandemic levels. Rising average unit prices were key to growth during the year, driven by the high rate of…

Skin care in Hungary is witnessing a notable transition from age-related specifications to problem-focused solutions, addressing issues like acne, redness, hyperpigmentation, dark spots, uneven skin tone, and atopy. With an increasing number of…

Skin care in Slovakia recorded healthy retail value growth in 2023, partly driven by price increases linked to rising costs and stronger consumer demand. Facial care registered very positive results with strong influence over category growth since it…

Skin care registered significant current value growth in the Czech Republic in 2023. Demand for SPF creams is a dominant trend in skin care. The demand for day creams with SPF continued to rise strongly at the end of the review period. Czech…

Sun care products have traditionally been viewed as seasonal items, primarily associated with summer. However, in recent years, the season for sun protection usage has expanded significantly. Springtime now presents substantial UV exposure risks,…

In 2023, the post-pandemic recovery in sun care continued, although retail volume sales remained below pre-pandemic levels in Slovakia. Despite the growing pressure on purchasing power and rising prices, exceptionally good weather in Slovakia boosted…

Sun care sales rose in current value terms in the Czech Republic in 2023. After a slump during the COVID-19 crisis, when travel – and therefore exposure to the sun – was significantly restricted, the sun care category recorded a strong rebound coming…

Baby and child-specific products in Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing growing interest among local parents who are seeking beauty and personal care brands developed specifically for babies and children. Leading category players are focused on ensuring…

Baby and child-specific sun care was among the top performing categories across baby and child-specific products in Croatia during 2023, with volume sales rising strongly despite steep unit price increases over the course of the year. The main reason…

In 2023, rising inflation continued to negatively impact consumer demand and curbed retail volume sales of bath and shower products in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The volume sales decline seen in body wash/shower gel dented the performance of the entire…

Demand for hand sanitisers continues to decline significantly over the course of 2023 as the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer behaviour continued to decline. As the sanitary situation has improved and the pandemic has officially come to…

In 2023, beauty and personal care in Bosnia and Herzegovina achieved strong current value growth primarily as a result of rising unit prices. Inflation remained high even though it had slowed relative to 2022. Consumer demand was relatively unchanged…

The ongoing effects of the War in Ukraine continued to have a negative effect on the Croatian economy throughout 2023. Exports to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine were on hold throughout the year, while consumer spending remained under pressure across…

Despite the inflationary pressure and significant price increases in 2023, consumer demand for colour cosmetics remained stable in Bosnia and Herzegovina. All categories with the exception of eye shadow posted volume growth and moderate current value…

Demand for facial make-up increased significantly over the course of 2023, with strong growth registered in both the premium and mass segments over the course of the year. Much of this growth was spurred by the very dynamic performance registered in…

In 2023, amid significant inflation and rising prices deodorants in Bosnia and Herzegovina faced weaker consumer demand. Retail volume growth declined in all categories with the exception of deodorant sticks and deodorant wipes. In the face of higher…

Deodorant sprays remained the overwhelmingly dominant category of deodorants in Croatia during 2023 and this is a reflection of the status that deodorant spray shave as the default format of deodorants for local consumers. Put simply, deodorant…

In 2023, retail volume sales of depilatories declined in Bosnia and Herzegovina, amid lower consumer confidence caused by high inflation and the rising cost of living. Women’s razors and blades is the largest category within depilatories, but it was…

While Croatian consumers are showing increased interest in depilatories generally, 2023 saw a particularly strong increase in demand for depilatories made using natural ingredients such as argan oil and aloe vera. Each of these ingredients is…

Consumers have returned to wearing fragrances with social contact largely back to normal levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After a solid recovery from the pandemic in 2021, retail volume growth declined in 2022 and 2023 as consumers were confronted…

Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were few differences between sales growth trends across premium fragrances and mass fragrances. However, since volume sales of premium fragrances dropped sharply in 2020 during the early stages of…

Consumer demand for hair care in Bosnia and Herzegovina remained stable in 2023 despite the inflationary climate and limitations on consumer expenditure. The resumption of hectic lifestyles and greater social contact following the pandemic has…

Towards the end of the review period, local consumers adopted a more personalised, customised approach to their hair care needs. This trend first emerged during the peak months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people took the opportunity to…

Coffee is the most popular hot drink in Romania, with coffee packaging thus dominating overall sales in the hot drinks industry. This results in the dominance of flexible aluminium/plastic, due to the popularity of vacuum-packed coffee bricks. Most…

Since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, mass beauty and personal care has steadily recovered in current value terms. In 2022, price increases were the primary driver of current value growth as inflation soared in Bosnia and Herzegovina.…

Mass beauty and personal care registered a positive performance in 2023, outperforming premium beauty and personal care as the uncertain economic situation, high inflation and ongoing energy crisis forced many Croatian consumers to look for cheaper…