Egypt

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 represents the most dynamic category of the snacks market in retail volume terms in Egypt, with this trend set continue in 2024. This is due to the fact that the prices of such products are generally more affordable in comparison to…

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…

The market for snacks in Egypt is expected to witness modest growth in retail volume terms in 2024, continuing the trend of the previous year. This will be accompanied by high double-digit current value growth, driven by significant increases in…

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,…

Sportswear saw a strong decline in current value sales in 2023, due to the substantial price increases seen in this category. Rising inflation has been exacerbated by the depreciation of the Egyptian pound leaving many consumers stretched…

Staple foods in Egypt is projected to see good growth in retail and foodservice volume sales and dynamic growth in retail current value sales over 2023. The steep rise in retail current value sales during 2023 owed much to the increase in prices. The…

Street stalls/kiosks registered the highest growth in value sales and also in terms of new locations in 2022. Difficult economic fundamentals benefitted street stalls/kiosks. High inflation caused by in particular increased energy prices due to the…

The market for sugar confectionery in Egypt is expected to witness a slight decline in sales in retail volume terms in 2024. This is due to significant hikes in the prices of imported raw materials, such as sugar, thanks to multiple currency…

Sun care saw significant current value growth in Egypt in 2023, having recently seen a notable shift in its volume and value dynamics. While the volumes of sun care products witnessed a decline in the final year of the review period, there was a…

The performance of supermarkets in Egypt is positively impacted by the government’s “We Are All One” initiative. Introduced and monitored through the Egyptian government, the initiative aims to push retailers and suppliers to offer consumers extra…

Surface care witnessed an increase in prices by an average of 26% in 2023, but maintained positive sales in volume and value terms with respective growth rates of 2% and 28%. The higher prices were driven by currency devaluation, a high inflation…

Retail volume sales of sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks in Egypt are set to continue to expand during 2024, with the rate of growth expected to be similar to the previous year. This is in spite of rising prices, driven by rising raw…

Sweet spreads is facing the same cross-category challenges which create huge value spikes due to skyrocketing unit prices in the inflationary context, along with low consumer spending power meaning a crash in volume sales. In the case of sweet…

Over the review period, there have been significant fluctuations in the supply of tea in Egypt. Imports have come under pressure due to currency devaluations and a deficit in foreign currency, making it hard for importers to bring raw materials into…

Despite facing complex economic challenges, tissue and hygiene in Egypt demonstrated resilience during 2023, maintaining growth and expansion. Consumers exhibited heightened price sensitivity, with the cost playing a significant role in their…

The market for tobacco in Egypt was shaped by economic uncertainty in 2023, with consumer price inflation rising to a historic high, in the context of multiple devaluations of the local currency, the Egyptian pound. With the central bank placing…

Unlike many other home care categories, toilet care only experienced a marginal rise in demand during the first year of the pandemic, as consumers relied on bleach and surface care, both carrying lower average unit prices, for their enhanced hygiene…

The ongoing Russia invasion of Ukraine has had a global impact, including a direct effect on Egyptian tourism due to a decline in Ukrainian tourist arrivals. Despite this challenge, Egypt's tourism industry has strategically expanded its reach to new…