Eastern Europe

Freestanding microwaves continued to dominate retail volume sales during 2023, with consumers tending to switch to built-in models when they remodel the kitchen or buy a new home. However, the housing market's slowdown has hampered demand for…

Sales in microwaves remain in a slump which is expected to deepen further over the coming years. This is largely due to a widely held perception that food prepared in a microwave is unhealthy due to the loss of nutrients. On the other hand, the more…

Microwaves is enjoying steady volume growth as household penetration steadily rises. The category received a boost in 2022 following the surge of migrants from Ukraine. This was due to the huge numbers of people crossing the border into eastern…

Microwaves gained positive retail volume sales in 2023, driven by several factors. Firstly, these appliances were offered at significantly lower prices when compared to other major appliances, not impacted as significantly by price hikes during the…

The cost of living crisis towards the end of the review period, following on from the economic impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, had a significant effect on retail volume and current value sales of menswear in the Czech Republic. High…

Romanian men are putting more importance on their personal image and are willing to invest more in good quality apparel. This trend was reflected in a healthy growth rate in menswear in both value and volume terms in 2023. Nonetheless, inflation was…

In 2023, outbound tourism from Poland expanded significantly, while domestic tourism witnessed double-digit growth, significantly contributing to the increased demand for men's swimwear. The rise in international and domestic travel has spurred a…

As with womenswear, trends in menswear towards the end of the review period continued to reflect changes in consumer attitudes and behaviours stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the shift towards hybrid working due to the enduring…

In 2023, menstrual care experienced a decline in volume sales in Ukraine, primarily stemming from the departure of the female population from the country amid the ongoing war. While sales rose slightly in current value terms, this was primarily the…

With women spending more time on activities such as visiting fitness centres and travelling in the wake of the pandemic, there was greater demand for a range of menstrual care products, especially higher-value products, in 2023, which led to an…

In 2023, menstrual care saw growth in both volume and value terms in Slovenia, despite facing challenges from an uncertain economic environment and inflationary pressures. The impact of rising prices, particularly due to geopolitical factors such as…

Menstrual care in Slovakia was affected by rising prices across all types of products in 2023, however retail volume growth witnessed steady progress. Consumers are widely accustomed to buying their favourite brands and switching to cheaper brands is…

Serbian women are generally quite conservative with regards to menstrual care. Sanitary towels remain the most popular product, whilst menstrual cups and reusable pads are available but remain a niche. Moreover, some consumers consider re-washable…

Despite the challenging economic climate, the demand for menstrual care products in Romania saw a steady increase in both value and volume sales throughout 2023. This growth can be attributed to a more educated and informed consumer base, which is…

In 2023, the menstrual care landscape in Poland recorded double-digit retail value growth and positive retail volume sales. The rising demand for menstrual care is linked to positive demographic trends, which have expanded the consumer base. The…

Menstrual care in North Macedonia saw volume sales decline in 2023 as consumers made cutbacks in the face of higher costs of living. Consumers chose to economise and prioritise only essential purchases of menstrual care due to pressure on disposable…

In 2023, menstrual care in Lithuania demonstrated resilience, maintaining a stable performance despite challenges. Retail volumes remained consistent, reflecting the essential nature of sanitary protection products and their steady demand throughout…

The year 2023 witnessed a remarkable surge in the demand for tampons among Latvian women, primarily attributed to the increasing adoption of active lifestyles. This trend, echoing the patterns observed in the previous year, reflects a notable shift…

In 2023, retail value sales of menstrual care products saw significant growth in Hungary, driven by rising inflation an ongoing price hikes. In response to these price changes, women looked for deals and discounts on the landscape, checking the…

In 2023, retail sales of menstrual care products in Georgia recorded substantial value growth. This value increase was largely driven by price increases, however, as volume growth was more muted. Inflationary pressures continued to be felt in the…

In 2023, retail sales of menstrual care products in Estonia recorded double-digit growth, though this strong value increase was largely driven by price increases as inflationary pressures continued to be felt in the country. Slim/thin/ultra-thin…

In 2023, the increase in value in menstrual care in Croatia can be primarily attributed to increased prices for raw materials and escalating production expenses. Manufacturers and distributors in Croatia, who were already experiencing margin…

In 2023, menstrual care in Bulgaria witnessed steady retail volume growth despite the continued unit price increases in the category. Price inflation was most notable at the beginning of the year when inflation was still at its peak from 2022.…

Menstrual care in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a mature category that witnessed volume decline in 2023, due to a shrinking consumer base and declining population. Nonetheless, with the help of rising prices caused by inflation, menstrual care continues…

Men’s grooming continued to see stagnating sales in 2019, with the Russian market struggling due to pressure on disposable incomes in the region’s biggest market. In addition, the fashion for facial hair continues to put pressure on men’s shaving,…

Men's grooming immediately returned to recording positive growth in 2023 after the decline seen a year earlier when war broke out in Ukraine. Although men themselves were sometimes unable to buy men’s grooming products, women often bought these…

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…

Men’s grooming in Slovenia was hampered by the weak performance of men’s shaving due to the enduring popularity of beards, especially among men in their 30s and 40s. While the beard trend has undoubtedly peaked, there are still significant numbers of…

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…

Men's grooming in Serbia exhibited a stable performance in 2023, with middle-aged consumers primarily gravitating towards basic products like shampoo and body wash. However, the influence of social media is prompting younger Serbians to adopt…

Although overall volume sales in men’s grooming continued to see a slight decline in 2023, the category experienced stable solid growth in current value terms in Romania, driven by rising prices. There was a surge in the number of companies…

After declines were seen for men’s grooming in Poland during the pandemic, value sales returned to the 2019 level in 2022, while 2023 witnessed continued robust retail volume recovery, and sales finally returned to the pre-pandemic level. Despite…

Though there was double-digit growth in current value sales in men’s grooming in North Macedonia in 2023, volume growth was minimal and constant value sales fell slightly. Continuing high inflation, as well as a declining population, dampened value…

In 2023, men's grooming recorded double-digit retail value growth and positive retail volume growth in all areas, excluding premium skin care and men's mass fragrances. A high level of retail volume growth was noted in men's premium fragrances, with…

The year 2023 was a strong year for men’s grooming in Latvia and the Baltic region overall. Men have fully returned to socialising with daily regimes resumed outside the home. Consequently, frequent grooming has once again become a daily habit among…

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…

Men’s grooming in Georgia registered positive value and volume growth in 2023, as inflation fell significantly. In addition, the continued expansion of modern retailing and in particular beauty specialists also expanded the range of brands and…

In 2023, men's grooming in Estonia showcased a positive performance, with double-digit retail value growth and standout volume performances from men's fragrances and bath and shower products. While men's grooming suffered from COVID-19 lockdowns,…

2023 saw men’s razors and blades return to positive growth as more local men chose the cleanshaven look, a sign that the decade-long trend towards wearing beards may have already peaked. While men’s pre-shave and men’s post-shave each continued to…

Men’s grooming in Bulgaria is evolving due to changing attitudes towards self-care with men investing in their personal appearance. In 2023, men’s grooming witnessed robust growth in current value terms driven mainly by unit price increases, while…

Men’s grooming products remained in high demand in Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite the ongoing demographic crisis and economic woes in 2023. Inflation continued to be an issue forcing manufacturers to increase product prices. Growing consumer…

This Megatrends report highlights long-term trends resulting from shifts in consumer values and behaviour. It provides a summary of each of Euromonitor International’s eight focus megatrends and insights as to how each trend has manifested in…

While other leading pack types, such as flexible aluminium/plastic and flexible aluminium/paper, continued to lose ground within meals and soups packaging in 2022, thin wall plastic containers witnessed an increase in pack type share. This was…

Flexible plastic remained the dominant pack type in soup in 2022, helped by its strong usage in dry soup, the biggest category, although folding cartons are also widely used in dry soup. Flexible plastic packaging comes in a variety of shapes and…

Meals and soups recorded a relatively robust sales performance during 2023 as retail volume sales increased across all categories. This can be partly seen as the natural response to the dramatic decline seen in demand for meals and soups in the…

As a result of inflation, many low- to middle-income Czech consumers have been discouraged from dining at foodservice establishments, leading to a concomitant increase in home cooking. This benefits chilled ready meals and soups, which offer busy…

Meals and soups is rising in both volume and value terms in Slovenia in 2023. Increasingly busy lifestyles, work-from-home trends, a booming tourist season and persistent urbanisation are all contributing to overall growth for meals and soups thanks…

Demand for ready meals in 2023 is significantly impacted by the weakening purchasing power of Slovak households, which is causing consumers to cut back on spending. All category members are seeing volume sales declines. However, economy-priced ready…

In the post-pandemic era, many Serbians have resumed their busy lifestyles and this has stimulated demand for meals and soups. Frozen ready meals is witnessing the fastest retail volume growth thanks to its convenience and the diverse choice of…

Projected retail volume growth for some categories of meals and soups in 2023 is boosted by the total lifting of Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions since 2022. This has led to a return to the office for employees for whom many of these products…