Eastern Europe

Carbonates is expected to register only marginal volume growth in 2023. Carbonates are a mature product area, with little room for further growth, and added to this, the population continues to decline. Some consumers are also switching to other…

Reduced sugar cola carbonates demonstrated the fastest retail volume growth in 2023. As more consumers become health-conscious and aware of the potential negative effects of excessive sugar consumption, there is a growing demand for healthier…

Carbonates is expected to register healthy retail volume growth and even higher volume growth through foodservice channels. Foodservice in particular is buoyed by an increasing number of tourists, as well an influx of immigrants from Ukraine, Russia…

Regular cola carbonates, as a product area, experienced a more moderate decline in sales volume than non-cola carbonates in 2023, despite significant price increases. This can be attributed to the enduring popularity of cola flavour among consumers…

Off-trade volume sales stagnated in carbonates in Latvia in 2023, with a slight decline noted in retail volume as sales were challenged by rising inflation and increased price points. This led many consumers to reduce their spending on…

Carbonates continues to face challenges, due to the majority of drinks in the category deemed to be unhealthy due to their high sugar content. Added to which, the current economic conditions mean consumers are prioritising essentials over…

In 2023, carbonates achieved minimal off-trade volume growth as consumer demand was significantly impacted by the negative image that carbonates has gained amongst increasingly health conscious consumers, largely, though not entirely, due to the…

In 2023, retail volume sales of carbonates fell back into decline. Carbonates was still recovering from the sharp price increases caused by Poland’s sugar tax in 2021, when high inflation caused further price shocks for consumers. Although unit price…

Carrying the stigma of being unhealthy, off-trade sales of carbonates continued to decline in 2023. However, the on-trade channel has continued to record a positive performance, recovering from the impact of COVID-19, with consumers enjoying their…

As prices rise and disposable incomes decline, Serbians are reassessing their daily purchases, notably reducing consumption of non-essential items like carbonated beverages. Health-conscious consumers are shifting towards healthier alternatives and…

The demand for carbonates was negatively impacted by a cool early summer and cold weather in spring 2023. A further decrease in off-trade volume sales can partly be attributed from the recovery of the on-trade channel, which caused a shift in the…

Carbonates is growing steadily in volume terms and is the best performing category, as reduced-sugar products gain ground due to healthier lifestyles. Consumers are now more aware of the negative health effects of sugar and are seeking to lower their…

Substantial inflation experienced in 2022 and 2023 resulted in Czech households facing a tough economic situation, exacerbated by the rising cost of living. Rising prices of products caused Czech consumers to be wary of their expenditure and reduce…

Sales of carbonates suffered heavy losses in 2022, although there were several factors that prevented heavier losses and which have helped to support a return to growth in 2023. First, sales were supported by the presence of the core target audience…

Cat food in Bulgaria is expected to continue increasing in both volume and value sales in 2024. This is partly due to growth in Bulgaria’s pet cat population, though the primary drivers of volume sales remain pet humanisation, rising awareness of the…

The trend in cat food in Hungary of offering variations for picky cats is becoming more prominent, especially with the increasing ownership of cats, which has reached over one third of Hungarian households. As the cat population is growing…

Similar to their canine counterparts, cat food in Poland is expected to register a surge in premiumisation in 2024. An improving economic picture, with inflation easing significantly, and real wages rising, is expected to enable this transition. As…

Cat food in Romania is expected to see a return to positive growth in retail volume terms in 2024 as easing inflationary pressures render such products more affordable to the cat-owning population. In addition, the number of cats in the country will…

The cat food category in Slovakia is feeling the pressure from a slowdown in household cat ownership in 2024. Pet abandonment is on the rise with some Slovaks postponing their decision to get a new cat altogether due to rising costs. Retail volume…

The influx of cats that migrated with Ukrainian refugees helped cat food in the Czech Republic to continue to see healthy retail volume and current value growth in 2022 and 2023, despite the worsening economic situation caused by the war in Ukraine…