Eastern Europe

Conditions markedly improve for the consumer in terms of edible oils in 2023. In 2022, the war in Ukraine caused edible oil prices to skyrocket in Lithuania, due to Ukraine being one of the main suppliers of sunflower oil globally. In 2023, the…

In 2023, edible oils witnessed stagnant retail volume growth, primarily due to static consumer demand and the saturation of leading categories, notably sunflower oil. Despite this, inflation significantly impacted unit prices, resulting in robust…

In the first half of 2023, concerns and misconceptions arose regarding the importation of sunflower oil into Poland, primarily due to geopolitical issues and trade restrictions. The Minister of Agriculture clarified that sunflower oil was not,…

The projected drop in retail volume sales of edible oils over 2023 is due to price hikes. The prices of sunflower seeds hiked due to the war in Ukraine and a prolonged dry season, alongside higher manufacturing and retailing costs driven by fuel and…

Sunflower oil prices continued to rise in 2023 boosting current value sales, although consumption has fallen, with retail volume sales registering a second year of decline. Sunflower oil has been losing share in terms of retail volume sales, as olive…

In 2023 edible oils is suffering from high unit prices and rising production costs as a result of the ongoing war in neighbouring Ukraine, driving up value sales. Volume sales growth, meanwhile, is undermined thanks to dwindling purchasing power. The…

Growing health awareness among consumers is supporting the growth of edible oils in Slovenia in 2023. With social media influence getting greater, consumers are now more informed about all the befits edible oils boast and often use such oils for…

The global supply chain for edible oils has been heavily disrupted by the ongoing war in Ukraine. This has led to a significant increase in production, packaging, transport, energy, and labour costs, which in turn has led to soaring retail prices for…

After the onset of armed conflict in 2022 led to plummeting retail volume sales of sunflower oil over the course of the year, 2023 saw a return to positive retail volume growth in the category. One key factor to consider here is that there is now a…

Energy drinks is expected to register healthy volume growth in 2023. Energy drinks have a loyal fan base. Consumers lead increasingly busy lives and in particular younger people appreciate the boost from energy drinks, both for physical activities…

Energy drinks benefits from constant innovation and improved distribution. Producers are challenging traditional perceptions of energy drinks by introducing sugar-free variants and incorporating healthier ingredients like fruit juice, green tea or…

Energy drinks is expected to be the best performing soft drink in terms of volume growth in 2023. Energy drinks are particularly popular among the under 25 age group and are widely consumed at festivals and parties. It is also popular as a cocktail…

In 2023, energy drinks saw strong increases in on- and off-trade volume and current value growth. In the retail channel, double-digit volume growth was tied to the robustness of remote work set-ups, which could blur the line between work and personal…

Energy drinks are increasingly popular in Georgia and in 2023 energy drinks are expected to register the highest volume growth of all soft drinks. The range of energy drinks on offer in also growing and this is supporting volume growth. Consumers…

The previously robust growth of energy drinks in Hungary experienced a slowdown in 2023. This slowdown is primarily attributed to the significant increase in prices for food and beverages, which prompted consumers to reduce their purchases of…

Energy drinks continued recording positive off-trade volume growth in 2023, with double-digit growth for the second year. Energy drinks registered strong growth over the review period and survived the onset of COVID-19 unscathed, with healthy retail…

Energy drinks is the other robustly performing category, along with sports drinks. Whilst energy drinks took a hit during the pandemic lockdowns, off-trade volume growth has followed a most positive trajectory over the review period and this…

In 2023, energy drinks saw off-trade volume sales rise as demand was driven by the younger generation of consumers, mostly Millennials and Gen Z, whose demand increased as they resumed partying and socialising after the disruption resulting from the…

For a significant period, energy drinks seemed to be resistant to all negative factors influencing the soft drinks category. It registered solid volume growth in 2021, when many categories declined due to the rising prices caused by the newly…

As interest in more active lifestyle grows, and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions has increased movement, energy drinks has seen a positive performance in 2023. Aggressive promotion, both offline and online, is also contributing positively to the…

Energy drinks in Serbia have experienced notable volume sales growth, primarily driven by the return to pre-pandemic lifestyles. The busier pace of life further encourages the consumption of energy drinks. Leading players in this market retain their…

Unfavourable weather in spring and summer 2023 restricted the growth potential of energy drinks in both the retail and foodservice channels. In addition, weak purchasing power continued to limit local consumers’ ability to spend on relatively…

Energy drinks continues to witness solid volume growth in 2023, fuelled by hectic lifestyles and consumers looking for beverages that provide a quick and effective energy boost. Rising health awareness and participation in sports activities is also…

The demand for energy drinks continued to increase strongly even at a time of high inflation and a rising cost of living towards the end of the review period. This performance was influenced by people returning to offices and other jobs where they…

Energy drinks was the only soft drinks category in Ukraine to see retail volume growth both in 2022 and 2023. This dynamic growth related to the strong increase in demand from volunteers, doctors, armed forces, and other people looking for an energy…

Tourist visitor levels in Poland recovered in 2023, despite global macroeconomic pressures such as high inflation and the rapid escalation of living costs. This was an improvement on previous years when the pandemic prevented people from travelling.…

Tourist visitor levels in Romania recovered in 2023, despite global macroeconomic pressures like high inflation and the rapid escalation of living costs. International tourism increased by 40% January-July compared with the corresponding period in…

The maturity of the market in Bulgaria implies that most potential customers are already using or have easy access to eye care products, reaching a saturation point in terms of penetration. This situation can lead to intensified competition among…

With high inflation continuing to drive up unit prices and weaken purchasing power among Hungarians, eye care is set to see total volume sales contract for a second consecutive year in 2023. However, the rate of decline should be slower than that…

Polish consumers are increasingly suffering from diagnosed vision problems, particularly myopia. This can be largely attributed to lifestyle issues, in particular, the extended number of hours spent in front of computer screens. This trend was…

In Romania, the eye care industry has not seen much change and is mostly controlled by a few big companies. These top brands are well-known and trusted by consumers, thanks to their strong distribution and advertising efforts. There is, therefore, an…

As the incidence of allergies is rising in Slovakia, consumers continue to purchase allergy eye care products. Over 2023, allergy eye care is expected to follow strong double-digit retail volume growth in 2022 with a good, if much slower, increment.…

A growing number of consumers are developing allergic reactions to outside elements, including pollen and spores, which can cause irritation and discomfort to the eyes. Due to the effects of climate change on the living environment, the Czech…

In 2024, eyewear in Poland continued its upward trajectory, particularly in areas such as daily disposable and frequent replacement lenses. Daily disposable lenses, driven by a growing number of individuals with vision impairments, emerged as the…

Although eyewear in Romania is set to expand in total volume and current value sales terms in 2024, growth rates are expected to be weaker than those recorded in 2023. The downturn is mainly explained by stubbornly high inflation, which continues to…

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced payment habits in Hungary, leading to an increased reliance on cards, online payments and smartphone applications. This trend continued as pandemic-related restrictions were gradually lifted…

Financial cards and payments in Poland is undergoing substantial change with the continued increase in non-cash transactions in 2023. Card operators are focused on providing access to a variety of payment methods so that the consumer and merchant can…

Romania lags behind in financial inclusion compared to other nations, showcasing a lower uptake of basic financial services, primarily due to a trifecta of factors: low financial literacy levels, a significant grey economy, and a widespread…

Cash remains an important mode of payment in the Czech Republic, especially in rural areas, although modernisation is driving growth in financial cards and payments. The expansion of POS terminals in retail stores is driving financial card…

Value sales of fine wines/champagne and spirits grew by 20% to total PLN1.7 billion in 2023, boosted by consumers’ desire to enjoy themselves after the pandemic. Enjoying a drink with friends remains a priority leisure activity, following on from the…

Retail current value sales of fine wines/champagne and spirits grew by 15% in 2023 to total RON505 million. This was the result of the consumer desire to indulge themselves after the pandemic. Socialising over a drink with friends remains a priority…

The high and rising energy prices led some consumers to cook less in 2023 to save costs, with others focusing on shorter cooking times. In addition, many postponed the replacement of food preparation appliances to save money and spend on necessary…

Food preparation appliances continue to see robust volume growth in 2023, underpinned by the strong emphasis on home cooking. There has been a growing interest in healthy eating among Polish consumers, leading to a stronger emphasis on home-made…

Food preparation appliances are maintaining positive volume sales in 2023, supported by consumers’ focus on healthy diets and lifestyles. Many households remain interested in upgrading their food preparation appliances due to the focus on preparing…

Cordless mixers and blenders are yet to be popular in the Czech Republic, with many consumers preferring traditional models; not only because they are more affordable, but out of habit. Manufacturers will continue to offer cordless models, set to be…

The remarkable sneaker/trainer boom that Hungary is currently witnessing showed no signs of slowing down in 2023 as the huge numbers of sports footwear enthusiasts among the local population continued to prefer sneakers and trainers, especially…

The ongoing fluctuations in global temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns have instigated notable shifts in consumer behaviour. With the occurrence of an unusually cold spring and warm autumn in 2023, Polish consumers have adjusted their…

After the 2021 rebound, volume sales of footwear continued to increase in both 2022 and 2023. As Romanians are going out more often than before for work, leisure or travelling, their demand for footwear is also on the rise. This rise in demand is…

Across footwear, sneakers (trainers) and children’s footwear are projected to see the steepest increases in unit prices over 2023, although the demand for sneakers continued to gain traction. Heeled shoes and boots have seen significant increases in…

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…