Eastern Europe

Although Slovenia has been beset by political instability and corruption remains an issue, its economic freedom is one of the best in Eastern Europe. However, the economy is slowing, as inflation is elevated, whilst its highly open nature exposes its…

Although corruption is a problem, the Czech Republic has strong adherence to economic freedom and solid government finances. Economic growth is set to slow amidst persistent inflation, but the foreign investment landscape is vibrant. Whilst…

Sales of pet care in Bulgaria continued to grow based on the potential of prepared food due to its current low share. Dog and cat food remained the main growth driver of the pet care market as dogs and cats continued to be the main pet population in…

Pet care in Hungary recorded strong double-digit retail current value growth in 2022 and 2023, with a high single-digit increase projected over 2024. Such growth is rooted in high inflation, as retail volume sales are expected to continue to drop at…

It is expected to be a positive picture for pet care in Poland in 2024, with both healthy double-digit current and constant value growth. An improving economic picture is also expected to support this growth, as inflation eases significantly and real…

Pet Care in Romania is expected to see a return to positive volume growth in 2024, following the decline of the previous year. This will be due in a large part to waning inflationary pressures, which will have a positive impact on real household…

The performance of pet care in Slovakia is being hampered by unit price growth and marginal fluctuations in pet populations during 2024, with retail volume sales rising only slightly. In current value terms, pet care posted healthy growth thanks to…

In pet care in the Czech Republic, 2024 is expected to be a cooling year. There was a surge in pet care demand in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, although the effects of the war in Ukraine and high inflation increased the…

Pet care is set to see continued growth in Ukraine in 2024. Having seen volumes fall following the Russian invasion of the country in 2022, the market returned to growth in the following year. The positive sales performance in wartime is related to…

The Bulgarian pet products category is expected to grow in 2024 in value terms. Growth will mainly be based on the growing interest and knowledge in caring about pet health, hygiene, wellness and entertainment. Pet humanisation is also ongoing while…

Pet products in Hungary is experiencing a surge in demand for pet clothing and beds, fuelled by the growing cat and dog populations, which are larger than the 0-14-year-old human population in the country. Households are increasingly treating their…

Pet products in Poland is expected to register value growth, though not as high as for pet food. However, one segment that is expected to register significant growth is pet clothing. This growth reflects a global movement towards pet humanisation,…

Pet products in Romania are set to see double-digit growth in current value terms in 2024, continuing the trend of the previous year. Despite the high cost of living, consumers will remain willing to lavish their pets with care and attention, in…

In 2024, cat litter sales remain stable supporting the positive development of pet products in Slovakia. Consumers typically buy cat litter on price discounts and will compare prices using online tools from Heureka.sk and other retailers to identify…

Within pet products in the Czech Republic, the demand for the cat litter has grown steadily. As this product type is tied to cat ownership, the rising cat population in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis is helping the category to develop…

Pet products is expected to see current value growth in Ukraine in 2024. Manufacturers of cat litter are experimenting with different raw materials to provide high functionality and manage the increased costs they are facing. Besides the popular…

Consumer demand for plant-based dairy picked up in 2023, resulting in strong double-digit current value growth and a better performance in retail volume sales compared to the previous year. There is a growing appetite for dairy alternatives and…

In 2023, plant-based dairy continues to enjoy healthy growth in Bulgaria, both in retail volume and current value terms. Plant-based products were less affected by the previous year’s inflation than the dairy category, as they are generally consumed…

Plant-based milk is gaining popularity in Croatia, as evidenced by the growing percentage of the population now purchasing them. Plant-based milk products are most commonly purchased by higher-income groups living in urban areas. Even though the…

While sales are still relatively low, there is an appetite for plant-based dairy and it is expected to register very healthy current value and volume growth in 2023. Value sales are largely driven by younger consumers, who consider plant-based…

As in many countries, Hungary is seeing a notable rise in interest in plant-based diets, with many consumers looking to cut down their consumption of meat and dairy products, even if they are not fully committing to vegetarian or vegan diets.…

Plant-based dairy has grown rapidly from a low base in Latvia; however, growth is slowing due to the high prices of plant-based products as the purchasing power of the population is declining due to economic uncertainty in the country. Consuming…

Plant-based dairy recorded a positive sales performance towards the end of the review period, although growth rates during 2022 and 2023 were considerably slower than what was registered earlier in the review period. While demand for plant-based…

In recent years, there has been a marked shift in the range of products available on store shelves in Poland, with plant-based milks now available in almost every shop, offering a wide selection. Similarly, once hard to find, plant-based yoghurts and…

Plant-based dairy is the winner in 2023, enjoying healthy volume growth and strong value sales alike. This positive dynamic is supported by the fact that plant-based dairy in Romania is growing from a relatively small base. While plant-based dairy…

Plant-based milk is expected to register healthy current value and volume growth in 2022. As yet, plant-based cheese and yoghurt do not register any discernible value sales, The growth is supported by increased allergies, such as lactose intolerance,…

Plant-based dairy products continued to gain popularity in Slovakia in 2023, although the rate of growth in retail volume terms was much slower than that seen during the first half of the review period. Demand is being driven by a growing number of…

Plant-based dairy is growing in both volume and value sales. An increased number of vegans in the population and growing numbers of people who suffer from allergies or food intolerance are forcing consumers towards dairy-free diets. This in turn is…

With the increased popularity of plant-based products, many people are making these products at home. This trend was mostly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people spent more time in the household; however, the worsening economic situation…

Local brand Bob Snail is already known in Ukraine, especially by parents, due to its range of healthy sweets\snacks that are made from fruit-based ingredients. However, the brand has now branched out into offering plant-based yoghurt made from…

In recent years, there has been a marked shift in the range of products available on store shelves in Poland, with plant-based milks now available in almost every shop, offering a wide selection. Similarly, once hard to find, plant-based yoghurts and…

Plant-based dairy continued on its dynamic growth trajectory towards the end of the review period, albeit from a low base. While plant-based dairy has been available in Romania for some years, the pandemic and associated health trends accelerated…

In 2023, polishes registered a marginal uplift in retail volume growth compared to the previous year. However, most consumers focused on buying essential home care products, with polishes being seen as less important. In a difficult economic climate…

Polishes in Bulgaria continued to lose retail volume sales in 2023. As rising prices impacted consumers' budgets, many adjusted their spending, focusing on essentials. Many consumers do not consider polishes essential, with consumers removing the…

The economic impact of measures introduced to limit the spread of COVID-19, along with soaring inflation in 2023, have undermined consumer confidence and purchasing power. As a result, many consumers remain focused on spending on essential items. At…

Overall, polishes registered marginal volume growth in 2023, as well as a fall in constant value sales, as continuing rising costs hit profit margins. Furniture polish was the strongest performer in terms of value and volume growth, with metal polish…

Stable volume growth was registered by polishes, with the growth of modern retailing playing a key factor in its development. Georgians remain quite conservative and tend to purchase more generic home care products. Thus, polishes are not very…

Despite rising retail value sales in 2023, polishes lost consumer attention, with significant price increases hindering sales, leading to a retail volume decline in all areas, apart from shoe polish. In addition to rising price points, manufacturers…

Shoe polish experienced the most rapid growth in volume terms in 2023. This market expansion can be attributed to the rising population, primarily driven by the influx of Ukrainian refugees, contributing to Latvia's population growth. However,…

Polishes continue to see retail volume sales stagnate in 2023, as this category draws very limited consumer attention in Lithuania. In the main, locals prefer to use basic household products to clean the house. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers…

Overall polishes remained on its downward trajectory in 2023 in terms of volume sales growth, with Macedonian consumers reprioritising their purchases and eliminating those products deemed to be unnecessary, which included polishes for the most part.…

Double-digit retail value growth was registered in 2023, boosted by rising price points, while retail volume growth remained positive in all areas, bar shoe and metal polish. Furniture polish saw the largest growth, with the purpose of furniture…

The demand for polishes continued on a downward trajectory in 2023. These products were considered non-essential or obsolete by a large share of the consumer base, especially younger people. Furthermore, substitution and cannibalisation continued to…

While retail value sales were positively impacted by price increases, leading to double-digit growth, retail volume sales of polishes in Serbia were challenged. Price growth and the decline in disposable incomes led consumers to forgo the purchases…

Polishes is seeing a negative volume slump, while value sales are supported by price hikes affecting categories across home care as a whole. Indeed, polishes represents a category which consumers can easily substitute – especially with the growing…

Inflationary pressures are propelling the growth of polishes sales in Slovenia, primarily driven by increased unit prices. With consumers becoming more cautious about their spending, they are opting for cheaper alternatives, such as ordinary cleaning…

While polishes recorded strong retail growth in 2023, retail volume sales struggled, declining in all areas, bar metal polish, which saw stagnate growth. The economic impact of the rising cost of living has undermined consumer confidence and…

Shoe polish recorded the slowest decline in volume sales within polishes overall in 2023. Despite changing consumer preferences and a trend towards sport and casual footwear that may require less frequent polishing, certain market segments still…

Portable players were hard to find in retail channels in 2023 and their sales were negligible as technology advances are leading to portable player devices becoming obsolete. In particular smartphone and tablets are replacing the need for portable…

Portable players recorded further growth in 2023, with wireless speakers driving this sales increase, as these products continue to attract consumer interest. Consumers are keen on the high quality of the sound they offer, we well as their advanced…