Eastern Europe

Analgesics continues to witness strong current value growth in 2023 as consumers return to normal lifestyles and are exposed to regular seasonal common colds and viruses. A high proportion of analgesics are used to tackle everyday colds and flu…

Analgesics is failing to record a strong performance in Lithuania in 2023; following the pandemic years, sales are stagnating, reflecting the saturated market and consumer base. In addition, a growing scepticism and concern about the overreliance on…

Analgesics continues to achieve strong value growth in North Macedonia in 2023 as a result of strong consumer demand for systemic analgesics, especially adult ibuprofen, adult acetaminophen and adult aspirin. Topical analgesics are outperforming…

Demand for both adult and paediatric analgesics continued to grow in retail volume terms in 2023. Such products are widely used in Poland, particularly in the case of pain which is fleeting or immediate. With the rapid pace of modern life, consumers…

Despite general economic instability and a rise in prices, the analgesics category in 2023 looks set to achieve a positive performance. However, the current value growth rate is likely to be slower than in the previous year. This can be attributed to…

In 2023, analgesics is set to see strong growth supported by rising prices in the context of generally high rates of inflation. After strong growth in 2020 due to stockpiling and decline in 2021, the category returned to growth in 2022 and has…

Diclofenac and naproxen are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics used to relieve mild pain. Both categories saw retail current value sales surge in 2022. Retail current value sales are set to continue to grow over 2023 in both categories,…

Analgesics in Slovenia are projected to experience significant growth in current retail value throughout 2023. Both adult and paediatric analgesics are performing well. During the latter part of the review period, the sector benefited from the…

The market witnessed the shortage of some paediatric analgesics towards the end of the review period, causing alarm among parents in the Czech Republic. For example, the shortage of children's fever suppositories (Paralen Sup), which was most…

2023 saw dips in demand for scarves, hats, gloves and similar items of winter apparel as several factors undermined the willingness of consumers to spend money on such items. The most important influence on waning demand for warm scarves, hats and…

Recent fashion aesthetics like 'Old Money' and 'Quiet Luxury' have spurred a surge in demand for classic accessories such as hats/berets, belts, and silk scarves. In 2023, these categories exhibited substantial growth rates, reflecting the evolving…

Apparel accessories registered another year of growth in 2023, as Romanians continued to go out more often than before and, therefore, showed a higher level of preoccupation with their personal image. The difficult economic context meant that apparel…

The obligation to wear a face mask or respirator was completely lifted, even from places like hospitals and retirement homes, in the Czech Republic in early 2022. Since then, the demand for washable face masks has continued to shrink. Despite the new…

The wave of inflation that swept across Europe in the wake of the Russian Federation’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine continued into 2023, with Hungary witnessing the highest core inflation of all European countries during the year after…

The prevailing inflationary pressures in Poland have wielded a substantial influence over apparel and footwear in 2023. Escalating living costs have prompted a gradual shift among Polish consumers towards more affordable brands and private label. As…

Apparel and footwear continued to grow in both value and volume terms in 2023 despite a difficult economic context. Romanians are notably preoccupied with their personal image, and they display a high level of brand loyalty and are attracted to big…

A recovery in consumer demand in 2022 enabled the fashion industry to rebound, although high inflation, geopolitical challenges and the energy crisis affected the cost of living and consumer behaviour in Q4. Although overall business results were…

With inflation still being an issue, though apparel and footwear specialists in Bulgaria registered an increase in current value sales, constant value sales fell, as continuing rising costs cut into profit margins. There was also a slight decline in…

Apparel and footwear specialists is another channel which was seeing strong value growth in Hungary in 2023. Indeed, this trend continues from 2022, which also saw double-digit value growth, as the channel bounced back from the pandemic restrictions…

Apparel and footwear specialists recorded moderate value sales growth in 2023. A positive impact on the channel is the rapidly changing fashion that drives the sale of fast fashion, and even the visible trend of ultra-fast fashion, where consumers…

Apparel and footwear specialists in Romania recorded strong, double-digit retail value growth in 2023. This positive performance is partly driven by consumers returning to physical stores, after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in March 2022. The…

Apparel and footwear specialists registered a fall in current value sales in Slovakia in 2023. With inflation still being high, consumers were price sensitive and cut back on spending on non-essentials. Also, when consumers did purchase, they traded…

Apparel and footwear in the Czech Republic witnessed steady volume and current value growth in 2023 as shopping patterns started returning to normality post-pandemic. Price increases were also a factor underpinning current value growth, with this…

Following a sharp contraction in 2022, apparel and footwear specialists in Ukraine saw current value sales rebound strongly in 2023. However, its recovery was skewed by price hikes imposed to offset inflationary pressures, with trade remaining…

Performance was muted in 2023 for appliances and electronic specialists in Bulgaria, with minimal current value growth, and constant value sales falling. Continuing rising prices cut into profit margins and reduced consumers’ purchasing power. As…

Inflationary pressures supported value sales for appliances and electronics specialists in Hungary in 2023, due to the resulting increases in unit prices. Indeed, retailers and manufacturers alike have been facing increased operational costs, rising…

Appliances and electronics specialists saw current value sales decline slightly in 2023. Trade was depressed as rapidly rising inflation caused unit prices to increase sharply and weakened consumer confidence and purchasing power. These conditions…

Following strong growth during COVID-19, in 2023, appliances and electronics specialists in Romania registered a downward trend. For larger appliances, sales were sustained in 2023 as consumers applied for vouchers through a scrappage scheme, driving…

It was a poor trading year for appliances and electronics specialists in Slovakia in 2023. With inflation still high, consumers prioritised essentials and postponed purchases, if at all possible. As such, there was a significant fall in both current…

HP Tronic Zlin spol sro has consolidated its lead among appliance and electronics specialists in the Czech Republic, after Datart acquired Euronics in 2023. Some Euronics locations have been closed, whilst some have been transferred to Datart, thus…

While appliances and electronics specialists in Ukraine showed a much improved performance in current value sales terms in 2023, it remained one of the retail channels worst affected by the Russian invasion. Because the types of goods such outlets…

With minimal additional public investments and moderate business spending on away-from-home tissue and hygiene products in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the category witnessed marginal volume growth in 2023. Significant price increases were also an issue…

AFH tissue and hygiene in Bulgaria continued to steadily recover from the harsh impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions in hotels and restaurants, which is the biggest AFH channel, hindered sales in 2020 as many establishments were…

Despite strong rising prices, all away-from-home tissue categories in Croatia recorded growth in 2023 due to a remarkable tourist season. Despite inflation and general economic insecurities, inbound tourists have bounced back in the post-pandemic era…

Away-from-home tissue and hygiene in Estonia recorded double-digit growth in 2023. This strong value increase was largely due to price increases as inflationary pressures continued to be felt in the country. Away-from-home toilet paper experienced…

The surge in sales of away-from-home tissue and hygiene products in 2023 was primarily fuelled by the revival of tourism in Georgia. As international travel resumed, the demand for tissue products in hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality…

In 2023, away-from-home (AFH) tissue and hygiene recorded double-digit retail value growth in Hungary, boosted by rising price points. However, while retail volume growth was slower than the previous year, it remained positive in most areas, with…

Throughout 2023, the growing population precipitated a notable uptick in the demand for away-from-home toilet paper. Various establishments, spanning restaurants, hotels, offices, and public facilities, experienced a resurgence in operations, thereby…

Throughout 2023, away-from-home adult incontinence in Lithuania maintained a stable trajectory, despite encountering challenges in competing with the robust sales observed in the prescription (Rx) sector. Hospitals, serving as pivotal entities within…

In North Macedonia, public and private sector investments in away-from-home tissue and hygiene products remained stable in 2023, resulting in moderate volume growth. In combination with the significant price increases and the impact of inflation,…

In 2023, the away-from-home (AFH) tissue and hygiene landscape in Poland saw positive double-digit value growth as the landscape continued to recover from the impact of COVID-19. A strong recovery was particularly noted from the HORECA (Hotel,…

Despite persistent inflationary pressures impacting the budgets of many Romanians in 2023, there was a notable uptick in social activities such as dining out and traveling compared to the previous year, benefiting sales of away-from-home tissue and…

Away-from-home tissue and hygiene in Serbia has been supported by the return to pre-pandemic lifestyles, which has boosted tissue sales. Horeca is the most important channel for away-from-home tissue in Serbia and the recovery of this channel in 2023…

Sales of away-from-home tissue are heavily linked to the performance of the Slovakian economy in 2023. Although the economy remained robust, there were some signs of weakness and companies remained cautious in the face of high inflation. Only a very…

In 2023, away-from-home toilet paper emerged as the largest subcategory in away-from-home tissue and hygiene in Slovenia, serving as an indispensable product in public facilities and private accommodations alike. Its widespread use across various…

In 2023, a full return to pre-pandemic levels of activity outside the home and rising inflation saw away-from-home tissue record double-digit growth in current value terms.

In 2023, away-from-home (AFH) hygiene led in the AFH segment in volume terms, thanks to AFH adult incontinence registering positive dynamics, in contrast to AFH tissue, in which all categories were noted for negative growth rates. Hospitals began to…

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…

Rising consumer awareness of the importance of proper skin care for babies and children, especially in rural areas, has led to an increase in demand for baby and child-specific skin care products in Bulgaria. Overall, this was the best performing…

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…