Understand the key trends shaping demand and future opportunities...
Understand the key trends shaping demand and future opportunities across industries in Eastern Europe, with the latest regional and country-level analysis and market statistics.
Retail tissue in Slovakia bucked the downward economic trend in 2023, by posting a solid increase in volume sales. Healthy growth in toilet paper supported this trend aided by brand and private label innovations. Economy toilet paper was launched by…
Sales of retail tissue in Slovenia in 2023 saw growth in both value and volume terms. This expansion was primarily propelled by heightened hygiene awareness among consumers, a growing population, and the ongoing urbanisation trend. Post-pandemic,…
Retail tissue saw modest volume growth and double-digit growth in current value terms in 2023, with inflationary pressures helping bolster the value performance. Amid rising inflation, local consumers are more price sensitive and look for…
Toilet paper performed relatively well in retail tissue in Ukraine in 2023. This can be attributed to its status as a fundamental commodity, maintaining robust demand even amidst declining revenues in the tissue market. Notably, toilet paper…
In 2023, rice, pasta and noodles continued to see retail volume growth stabilise, as consumer demand normalised in pasta and rice after the fluctuations caused by the pandemic. Nonetheless, with the help of soaring unit prices due to inflation, rice,…
The rice, pasta and noodles category in Bulgaria remained flat in 2023, with only a marginal decline in retail volume sales. Rice continues to be the most significant category, both in value and volume sales, since it has a highly versatile…
Plain noodles are key ingredients in many Asian dishes and are therefore seeing strong demand as this cuisine continues to be popular amongst Croatians. Demand also continues to be supported by noodles’ quick preparation time. In addition, given the…
Chilled pasta is the fastest growing category in 2023, in volume and value terms. Consumers are drawn by the favourable ratio of price and cooking time, as chilled pasta only needs to be heated for a few minutes. This pasta option is popular among…
Dried pasta is seeing steady volume growth in 2023, as it is an important staple food within the Georgian diet. Unit price growth has slowed after the surge witnessed in 2022, when rising costs of grain and flour were a key concern. This moderation…
As is the case across staple foods in Hungary, unit prices in rice, pasta and noodles have continued to rise dramatically in 2023 amidst persistently high inflation resulting from the devaluation of the forint and factors linked to the global…
In 2023, the rice, pasta and noodles market in Latvia is characterised by stability rather than dynamic growth. The category has faced a significant price shock in 2023, with prices rapidly increasing and impeding potential growth. Consequently, a…
Rice, pasta and noodles sales are seeing marginal volume growth in 2023 as the key categories of dried pasta and rice are well received in Lithuania as both main and side dishes. Despite increasing concern about the consumption of carbohydrates…
Rice, pasta and noodles is registering moderate retail volume growth in 2023 thanks to the stable performance of rice and pasta. Retail volume sales of noodles, meanwhile, are recording marginal decline due to reduced demand for plain noodles as…
In 2023, rice, pasta, and noodles in Poland is gravitating towards convenience and innovative formats. This shift is in response to changing consumer preferences that increasingly value quick, easy-to-prepare options alongside nutritional benefits.
The volume growth in the category in 2023 can be attributed to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, effectively putting an end to stockpiling behaviours during the pandemic. The convenience of easy cooking and the ability to store products for…
Overall, rice, pasta and noodles is expected to register moderate constant value and minimal volume growth in 2023. However, the performance is not uniform across rice, pasta and noodles. While pasta continues to account for most value sales, it is…
In 2023, rice, pasta, and noodles experienced above-average market performance, emerging as key product categories for budget-conscious consumers. The growing presence of flexitarians and vegans in the Slovak population positively impacted sales.…
Instant noodles is the fastest growing category in 2023 due to its convenience and the rising popularity of international cuisine. With increasingly busy lifestyles, consumers are looking for products that are quick and easy to prepare. They are also…
Retail volume sales of rice, pasta and noodles continued to decline in 2023. This was in the context of a high rate of inflation, which impacted the cost of living and caused consumers to rationalise their spending. While foodservice volumes saw…
Pasta registered positive retail volume growth in 2023 as sales rebounded from the double-digit declines recorded in the category over the course of 2022. However, it should be noted that demand for pasta fell at a slower rate than in most other…
The Riga in Latvia report provides comprehensive city level information benchmarked against other cities in the country and region. The report includes historic data and forecasts on city population, consumer expenditure, digital penetration, wealth…
Eastern Europe is the fourth biggest region in terms of rigid plastic in the world. It has been driven by the strong performance of PET bottles in bottled water. The health and wellness trend is the main reason behind this growth as consumers seek…
Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca stand as Romania’s most economically vibrant cities, while Timisoara is the city with the greatest promise for future economic expansion. Nevertheless, Romanian urban centres will continue to grapple with persistent…
Romania is set to experience continuing depopulation in 2021-2040 due to natural decrease and negative net migration. The population is set to age rapidly which will impact consumer trends and put further pressure on state resources. Urbanisation…
RTD coffee is expected to register the highest volume growth among soft drinks in 2023. However, RTD coffee is still an emerging product area and value sales are small and it is partly its novelty factor that has boosted volume sales. That being…
Post-COVID-19, as travel and work activities resumed, there was a rebound in off-trade impulse consumption and demand for RTD coffee, leading to strong retail volume growth in 2022, albeit from a relatively low base. Such positive growth continues in…
Value sales are still low for RTD coffee in Croatia, in what is an emerging product area. In 2023, RTD coffee is expected to register moderate volume growth, though continuing rising prices dampen volume growth to an extent, especially as many of RTD…
RTD coffee is regarded as offering a convenient alternative to energy drinks for consumers who tend to perceive coffee as a healthier option. The convenience trend in Estonia is leading to a growing number of busy local consumers looking for…
Volume sales continue to be low for RTD coffee and in 2023, volume growth is expected to be muted. One factor holding back growth is the limited range of brands on offer and distribution is mainly through modern grocery retailers, with limited…
Despite its low base and strong initial development, RTD coffee experienced a slowdown in growth, even a slight decline in 2023, due to price hikes implemented in 2022 and 2023. Financial instability prompted consumers to reduce expenses on…
Off-trade volume sales recorded double-digit growth in 2022, however, much of this is due to the product growing from a small base. As such, actual product sales and values remain low, with ongoing potential for growth.
Whilst RTD coffee sees positive off-trade volume growth, the category is mostly uninteresting for consumers in Lithuania, with overall volumes sold remaining minimal. RTD coffee faces direct and strong competition from hot brewed coffee and energy…
RTD coffee continued to rebound from the impact of the COVID-19 crisis in 2023, as consumers returned to their familiar hectic lifestyles in the absence of movement restrictions and once again demanded soft drinks for on-the-go consumption. RTD…
In 2023, RTD coffee leads as the fastest growing category in soft drinks, in volume terms. Despite the unfavourable economic conditions, RTD coffee continues to attract new consumers. The product category is widely available in the modern trade, with…
Coffee consumption has been soaring in Romania, with a strong performance both in the online and the offline. In the context of a growing coffee culture in the country, RTD coffee registered another year of strong volume growth. The performance is…
High inflation and a decline in disposable income hinder the further growth of RTD coffee in 2023. Despite this, RTD coffee maintains volume sales due to its growth potential in an unsaturated category. Key players like Nescafé face intensified…
More hectic and on-the-go lifestyles as consumers resumed work, social and travel norms, as the threat of COVID-19 and related restrictions were lifted, stimulated a demand for RTD coffee. However, demand limitation barriers arose in the form of the…
RTD coffee is growing steadily in Slovenia fuelled by the convenience trend and the rising popularity of on-the-go beverages. Slovenia’s coffee culture is also a driving force with consumers also shifting towards instant coffee and the use of coffee…
Total volume sales of RTD coffee increased strongly during 2023. This was the case for off-trade volume sales, as consumers returned to the office and purchasing RTD coffee on impulse or on the go from retailers. However, on-trade volume sales of RTD…
RTD coffee only started to gain a significant presence in Ukraine during the pandemic but after a bright start the category saw a steep decline in 2022 because of the impact of Russia’s invasion on the supply chain and import issues. Leading retailer…
RTD tea is expected to register moderate volume growth in 2023, despite continuing population decline. In particular, there has been some shift from carbonates and juice and this is expected to support volume growth. RTD tea is made up of still RTD…
RTD tea in Bulgaria faces a significant challenge due to its seasonality, with consumption predominantly occurring during the summer months. To address this, producers are introducing new flavour ranges not typically associated with summer, such as…
RTD tea is expected to register moderate volume growth in 2023, despite continuing population decline. In particular, there has been some shift from carbonates and juice and this is expected to support volume growth. RTD tea is made up of still RTD…
Reduced sugar still RTD tea continued to post the fastest off-trade volume and current value growth in 2023. This trend mirrored the changes in consumer preferences, as more individuals looked for healthier beverages as part of wider healthier…
RTD tea is expected to continue on a healthy retail volume growth trajectory in 2023. Volume growth is even higher, and in the double digits, for foodservice channels, where an influx of recently-arrived immigrants from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus,…
RTD tea sales in Hungary faced significant challenges in 2023 due to rising prices and the non-essential nature of these products. Despite the potential for growth, RTD tea remained highly reliant on player support, constant innovation, and seasonal…
RTD tea is not considered an essential item in Latvia, and as such, during economic uncertainty, RTD tea is often cut from consumers' budgets. RTD tea is mainly consumed on the go, and the outbreak of COVID-19 and lockdowns proved negative for retail…
RTD tea remains in a slump in 2023, despite seeing some upticks to the category’s performance in earlier years due to the novelty value. Overall, however, RTD tea is not a traditional or popular beverage in Lithuania, carries no clear benefit…
The health and wellness trend, which is exerting a strong influence across soft drinks, has had a particularly marked impact on the development of the RTD tea category. With increasing awareness of the rise in the prevalence of obesity and other…
In 2023, RTD tea declined in volume terms. Demand fell as consumers became more budget-conscious due to the cost of living crisis and higher average prices. RTD tea is also highly seasonal drink, with high dependency on promotional activities from…