Greece

In 2023, the tissue and hygiene landscape in Greece recorded double-digit retail value growth, driven by rising price points. However, the decline in disposable incomes influenced and shaped consumer behaviour in the tissue and hygiene market. While…

In 2023, retail adult incontinence in Greece recorded positive retail value and volume growth, with value sales boosted by rising price points. Unlike other hygiene product categories where the share of private labels is low, this is not the case…

General merchandise stores saw continued current value growth in Greece in 2023. Many brands continue to invest heavily in traditional advertising, such as through television, since it still manages to target consumers aged above 40 years old who…

In 2023, growth in the largest subcategory in beauty and personal care in Greece, body wash/shower gel, was driven by price increases and tourism. Private label registered brand share growth owing to the tightening of household budgets.

The home products specialists channel registered current value growth in Greece in 2023. During the year, Leroy Merlin, the third largest brand in home products specialists overall, inaugurated its first Naterial store, a showroom that offers the…

Retail e-commerce saw more modest current value growth in Greece in 2023, following three consecutive years of double-digit expansion. The fact that the penetration rate of e-commerce in many categories was relatively low by Western European…

Cylinder vacuum cleaners remained the largest category in terms of retail volume and value in 2023, regardless of the strong growth in more innovative areas. Penetration is not decreasing as many consumers are not replacing cylinder models with other…

A mild winter in 2023 led to only modest volume growth for product areas such as jackets and coats and jumpers. However, temperatures were unusually low in late spring, with the summer season starting later than usual. This impacted sales of summer…

Discounting activities have been gathering pace in footwear as players deploy this strategy to clear out accumulated stock gathered during the pandemic, and to mitigate declines in volume sales as a result of inflationary pressures which are…

During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021, commercial charge cards experienced a significant downturn in sales. The lockdowns, decline in tourism (a key driver of the Greek economy), general reduction in business activities, and restrictions on…

Upon the lifting of all COVID-19 related regulations, including the compulsory use of face masks, social distancing rules and compulsory self-isolation, there has been a surge in illness which has been a major contributor to sales growth for…

There is expected to be a decrease in volume sales of smartphones, which is by far the most popular mobile phone, in 2023. Continuing inflation and rising price sensitivity is persuading many consumers to put off upgrading their smartphone. That…

Imaging devices are expected to register further volume decline in 2023. Continuing advances in smartphones cameras leading are leading to continual decline in imaging devices, to the extent that some smartphones can meet the imaging device needs of…

Home video is expected to register minimal volume decline in 2023. Several factors are expected to cause the negative performance. Continuing inflation is resulting in lowering purchasing power. Also, there was a surge in sales of big-ticket items…

Headphones is expected to register double-digit volume growth in 2023 and is expected to be the best performing consumer electronic in 2023. This growth is solely driven by increased volume sales for TWS earbuds, with volume sales expected to fall…

Premium skin care performed very strongly in Greece in 2023 in current value terms, with premium dermocosmetic brands sold in pharmacies spearheading growth and registering significantly better performance compared to their mass counterparts. While…

High inflation and its subsequent impact on local consumers’ disposable income significantly impacted purchasing habits and brand developments across beauty and personal care in Greece in 2023.

Health and beauty specialists saw current value growth in Greece in 2023. Players in the channel are working hard to differentiate their offers and adapt to evolving market trends. The Body Shop launched a store in Athens that is sustainably designed…

The penetration of RTD Tea sales in supermarkets remains low, and the bulk of the retail volume is derived from the impulse channel. As impulse purchases drive consumption, RTD tea is less impacted by the cut in consumer spending that is challenging…

A post-COVID-19 return to business travel and events such as christenings and weddings benefited apparel accessories in 2023, with a notable increase in volume sales of ties. Belts, too, are benefiting from a return to office work and socialising and…

The growth of gross lending in consumer lending for 2023 is moderate and slower than what was anticipated a year ago. Factors such as surging inflation, an escalating energy crisis exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine (with its effects…

Although state finances are improving and political stability has returned, Greece continues to have an issue with corruption. Economic development is set to slow further, but inflation has also fallen markedly, but high unemployment remains a…

The wound care category has been subject to price hikes in 2022 and 2023 in the context of high rates of inflation and hikes in production and transport costs. Wound care is not subject to the same regulatory framework as other OTC products and,…

Dermatologicals has seen demand weaken in the post-pandemic period. While certain COVID-19 related habits, such as the use of hand sanitisers, remain relevant and people in Greece continue to use them much more than they did in the past, this is a…

The cessation of the pandemic and the subsequent transition back to normality have played a significant role in accelerating snack consumption in Greece. As people are spending more time outside their homes, they are leaning on the convenience of…

RTD coffee has a very low penetration in Greece, largely due to strong competition from fresh coffee. The strong coffee culture in the country, and the wide availability of specialist coffee shops means that takeaway coffee prices are very…

Largely driven by the health trend, chilled Juice has been favoured over the review period, with consumers appreciating the higher nutritional value compared to ambient Juice. However, moving into 2023, ambient Juice had a better performance; the…

Tea is yet to be a mature landscape in Greece, and as such, it has been attracting investment, with new players and launches seen during the review period. However, in 2023, the cost of living crisis resulted in a slowdown in development. The decline…

Although inflation is beginning to ease in 2023, average unit prices remain high, and local consumers have been forced to reduce spending on non-essential items, including apparel and footwear. Many consumers are trading down to cheaper brands of…

The impact of hikes in production and transport costs is leading to price increases across menswear in Greece, which was visible in mid-2022 and continues to influence category performance in 2023. Amid the cost of living crisis, which is taking its…

Alongside the re-opening of gyms and the increase in the number of people engaging in sporting activities since the pandemic being growth drivers for sports nutrition, the category also appears to be appealing to a different consumer group. Consumers…

Tourism flows are showing a strong increase in 2023 on both a domestic and international level. Despite the impact of inflation on disposable incomes and travel prices increases, consumers are not willing to cut down on their spending as they seek to…

Retail value sales of lodging (destination) continued to post strong retail value growth in Greece, driven by luxury and upscale hotels, which have already recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Alongside the growth of luxury and upscale hotels, there has…

Wireless speakers are the only growth area in portable players and also account for most volume sales. Low-cost Bluetooth-enabled speakers are especially popular among younger consumers and are mainly used to stream music via smartphones and…

Oats have emerged as an increasingly popular ingredient in chocolate confectionery among Greek consumers. Violanta, a player active in both sweet biscuits and chocolate confectionery, has capitalised on this trend by diversifying its product range…

Apparel and footwear specialists saw current value growth in 2023. Inflation and continued price increases have been driving more and more consumers into the second-hand market, which is gradually gaining ground in Greece. Recently, the Bulgarian…

2022 saw strong growth in inbound tourist flows for Greece, driven by lifted pandemic-related restrictions and the recovery of recreational travel. However, in 2023 there was a decline in inbound tourism, thanks partly to cost hikes in flights and…

Rising inflation and the decline in disposable incomes negatively impacted hot drinks' performance in 2023. Significant increases in price across hot drinks and high inflation led consumers to be increasingly price-sensitive, with sales driven by…

Extremely high inflation levels, resulting in price increases across most consumer goods, have directly impacted household purchasing power and led to changes in consumer behaviour. Within hosiery, consumers have become more price-sensitive,…

The low birth rate in Greece is a challenge for retail volume sales of baby food. While the price hikes in 2022 and 2023 meant that baby food is set to record a positive current retail value growth, parents are finding it difficult to afford. As…

Digestive health has recovered its status as a key growth driver in dietary supplements, with probiotics amongst the best performers in the Greek market. Demand was growing rapidly prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, but the pandemic led to growth…

Halva, a traditional Greek product rich in nutrients, is witnessing a rapid rise in popularity in 2023. Traditionally associated with fasting periods, halva has transcended this limited role to become a staple in the Greek diet. This shift can be…

There was a lack of developments and investment in the concentrates landscape in 2023, which negatively impacted performance. As a result, sales have continued to decline for another consecutive year. Concentrates is challenged by being viewed as a…

Compared to the European average, sugar free products have a very high share of Carbonates in Greece, and penetration is still growing. Sugar free is strong in Cola, while other soft drink options have strong room for growth, and both domestic and…

There is a very high penetration of private label within bottled water. As such, leading companies are focusing on their brands and forming strategic partnerships with key retailers to produce private label water. This offers opportunities for…

In 2023, gross lending in the primary category of other personal lending is experiencing a slowdown in growth due to inflation and reduced disposable incomes. Rising prices, coupled with stagnant salaries, have instilled a sense of insecurity in…

Vitamin C and vitamin D have posted dramatic increases in sales since the onset of the pandemic. Consequently, in 2022, sales already started to show signs of decline due to maturity. Vitamin D, which is the largest category, witnessed losses in 2022…

Given the strong increase in tourism flows, lodging, travel modes and foodservice had almost fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels by 2022, although this was not the case for intermediaries. Even though value sales in intermediaries posted a strong…

The picture is expected to be bleak for consumer electronics in 2023, with overall volume sales expected to fall. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the significant rise in inflation and tightening monetary…

AgriFarm has recently unveiled its latest product line: vegan snack bars crafted from legumes. These come in three novel flavours, namely, roasted vegetables with thyme, Greek herbs with oregano, and Mediterranean with tomato, olive, and basil. The…