Egypt

The impact of high inflation on the average unit price of laundry care, with the latter recording a second consecutive year of double-digit growth, led to slower retail volume sales growth in 2023, in particular for automatic detergents, which drives…

Limited-service restaurants registered healthy growth in value sales and also in terms of the opening of new establishments in 2023. It also remained the largest category within consumer foodservice. This was in spite of difficult economic…

Egypt's hotel industry has been experiencing dynamic growth, with numerous hotels opening and many more expected to launch in the near future. From IHG Hotels and Resorts' Crown Plaza Hotel in West Cairo's Arkan Sheikh Zayed in February 2022 to…

Mass beauty and personal care saw double-digit current value growth in Egypt in 2023 driven by the hard economic situation and the high rate of inflation, which reached more than 35%. The marked rise in prices, and lack of governmental control over…

In a cross-category trend, meals and soups is seeing falling volumes in light of the skyrocketing unit prices which are supporting high value growth. Contributing factors include the rising costs of raw materials, ingredients, and energy, alongside…

This Megatrends report highlights long-term trends resulting from shifts in consumer values and behaviour. It provides a summary of each of Euromonitor International’s eight focus megatrends and insights as to how each trend has manifested in Egypt.

Men’s grooming saw strong current value growth in Egypt in 2023, while volume sales fell slightly during the year. Growth was driven primarily by the fact that the prices of men's grooming products significantly increased. Reasons for these price…

Retail sales of menstrual care products in Egypt recorded extraordinary growth in 2023. This value increase was largely driven by price increases, however, with volume growth being more muted. Inflationary pressures continued to be felt in the…

Menswear sales are decreasing in volume terms in 2023, as substantial price increases of more than 30% curb demand. The rising cost of raw materials, such as cotton, has made menswear more expensive to produce. In addition, the devaluation of the…

Although the price of microwaves increased by 65% during 2022, retail volume sales witnessed strong double-digit growth as consumers were eager to make purchases before currency devaluations took place. Import restrictions on components and the…

Smartphones witnessed further volume decline in 2023, although the drop was far less severe than the dramatic downturn seen in 2022. The average unit price of smartphones more than doubled during 2022, with a further 25% increase expected during…

Despite the notable impact of high pricing on the overall demand for nappies/diapers/pants in Egypt, positive sales volume persisted during 2023. The sales volume of nappies/diapers/pants witnessed a modest decline, primarily driven by a sharp…

Oral care witnessed a decline in volumes and a considerable increase in value sales in Egypt in 2023, due to the significant increase in its prices. Prices rose for several reasons, including currency fluctuations, with the Egyptian pound weakening,…

Other Dairy retail volume sales are suffering in 2023 following the huge price increase, up by more than 60%. These increases were due to the rise in prices of raw materials, such as powder milk and sugar, as its mostly imported. In addition, the…

Dominated by chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks, the other hot drinks category remains small in Egypt, with slow growth recorded in 2023, despite the arrival of new brands, including Abu Auf’s hot chocolate product. Egyptians are focusing on…

The other pet food category as a whole was affected by soaring inflation in Egypt in 2023/24, leading to a surge in current value sales, with far more moderate retail volume sales. The ownership of birds, fish, and other small mammals/reptiles is not…

Developing and marketing products specifically for paediatric use involves adherence to strict regulatory requirements in Egypt. These regulations are in place to ensure the safety, efficacy, and appropriate dosing of products for children. The…

As body shavers are mainly imported as complete products, the category witnessed a sharp increase in retail prices during 2022, followed by a further 40% increase in 2023. With the high cost of living affecting consumers, many shifted away from…

Authoritarianism is leading to ‘repressed’ economic freedom in Egypt, whilst corruption remains an issue. Although energy exports have fuelled strong economic growth, output is set to slow down in the short term, as extremely high inflation…

Despite enormous economic changes, pet care in Egypt had a successful year in 2023/24, with robust volume growth and even stronger growth in current value terms. Limitations in imports due to foreign currency deficiency and inflation make it more…

As with other categories of pet care in Egypt, current value growth in 2023/2024 was significantly boosted by increased unit prices.

Plant-based dairy is witnessing a decline in retail volumes in 2023, while there is a substantial increase in current retail value terms, price increases of more than 70%. These increases are due to the high inflation in Egypt and the increased cost…

Except for shoe polish, retail volume sales of polishes continued to decline in 2023, due to high inflation and pressure on disposable incomes. Perceived as discretionary products, floor, metal and furniture polishes suffered significant declines in…

Egypt resumed acceptance of import collection documents in 2023, opening the door for imports after they were halted in February 2022. Import issues have prevailed in line with foreign currency shortages and three devaluations of the Egyptian pound…

Amid a concerted government focus on financial inclusion and extensive banking initiatives tailored to citizens of all age groups, the category of pre-paid cards remains on a robust growth trajectory within the Egyptian financial market. The…

Premium beauty and personal care segment saw double-digit current value growth in Egypt in 2023 but significant decline in volumes during the year. Two main factors impeded the performance of premium beauty and personal care during the year. Firstly,…

The demand for processed fruit and vegetables in Egypt continued to increase at the end of the review period. Over 2023, processed fruit and vegetables is projected to see a small increase in retail volume sales, with divergences in category terms,…

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat in Egypt is projected to see declines in retail volume sales across categories, but dynamic increases in retail current value sales over 2023. The decreases in retail volume sales followed big…

Since February 2023, there have been repeated currency devaluations in Egypt alongside high inflation rates. This has led to a sharp increase in unit prices of refrigeration appliances, rising by 70% in 2022 and another 45% in 2023. The short-term…

Retail sales of adult incontinence products in Egypt recorded double-digit growth in 2023. This value increase was largely driven by price increases, however, as inflationary pressures continued to be felt in the country throughout the year. During…

Retail e-commerce in Egypt continued to develop fast at the end of the review period. As a result, it was set to improve its ranking among the largest markets in the channel, moving ahead of South Africa, by the end of the review period. All…

Retail in Egypt witnessed numerous challenges throughout 2023 amid a tough economic situation. The ongoing devaluation of the local currency, the rate of inflation reaching new highs, the effects of the ongoing war in Ukraine, joined by the security…

Despite price pressures stemming from high inflation and currency devaluation, the sales volume of facial tissues experienced positive growth in 2023. Boxed facial tissues particularly saw an increase in sales volume, accompanied by a double-digit…

The consumption of rice, pasta and noodles in Egypt continued to grow during 2023, while big increases in prices fostered dynamic retail current value growth. Despite hikes in prices, amid a highly inflationary climate, the demand rose for affordable…

Egypt is witnessing a growing coffee culture, which is having a knock-on impact on the appeal of RTD coffee. In 2023, RTD coffee sales have been buoyed by rising interest in these products among more affluent Egyptians, particularly younger urban…

While RTD tea has performed reasonably well in 2023, it remains very much a niche area in Egypt, with only sports drinks generating lower off-trade volume sales among the main categories in the local soft drinks market. Even with the emergence of…

RTDs represented the fastest growing area of alcoholic drinks in Egypt in volume terms in 2023, and as such, was a key driver of growth in the market as a whole. The category was subject to a particularly high level of innovation during the review…

Sauces, dips, and condiments is facing the same cross-category challenges of skyrocketing costs creating increased unit prices, set against a gloomy economic climate creating high consumer price-sensitivity and lower demand for non-essentials.…

Savoury snacks in Egypt is set to register an increase in both volume and value terms in 2023 as its prices witnessed a lower increase in comparison to other categories in snacks. As such, these products remained affordable for consumers.…

Self-service cafeterias remained the smallest channel within consumer foodservice in Egypt in 2023 in terms of foodservice value sales and number of outlets. The “do it yourself” trend has yet to penetrate Egyptian culture, with consumers still…

Skin care saw strong current value growth in Egypt in 2023, while volumes fell slightly as a result of significant price increases. Prices were affected by the significant devaluation of the Egyptian pound, which made imported raw materials and…

Sleeping pills are in high demand in Egypt, leading to double-digit retail value growth in 2023. Sleep problems are very common in the country, with many people struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep, impacting their daily lives. Sleeping pills can…

Egyptian consumers continue to prefer meeting for coffee at home rather than cafés in 2023, which is driving sales of standard coffee makers. The higher price of standard coffee makers has forced consumers to shift away from espresso and pod coffee…

Small local grocers in Egypt continued to dominate grocery retailers in outlet and value sales terms in 2023. The US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has confirmed the dominance of traditional grocery retailers in Egypt towards the end of the…

2023 saw a continued rise in demand for smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Egypt. Heated tobacco products saw a particularly dynamic performance, thanks to their sustained availability across all retail channels, from markets…

Snacks in Egypt is expected to witness a slight increase in volume sales in 2023 and large increase in value terms due to the instability in the market driven from significant increases in prices caused by global inflation and strong increases in the…

In 2023, soft drinks witnessed moderate retail volume growth and double-digit current value growth, supported by the continuous rise in prices across most categories. Economic uncertainty has been a key challenge for soft drinks manufacturers and…

Compared to other alcoholic drinks categories, the market for spirits in Egypt registered only modest volume growth in 2023. This was due largely to its relatively high price point compared to other products, such as beer and wine, which made it…

Sports drinks are not popular in Egypt, with their penetration in the country having historically been inhibited by a combination of relatively high prices, limited availability and low awareness of their specific benefits. In 2023, retail prices of…

The health and wellness trend encourages a holistic approach to health, considering the lifestyle and habits of a person rather than focusing solely on physical symptoms. It recognises that various aspects of life, including nutrition, exercise,…