Spain

Spain, traditionally a country of bars and pubs, was challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent high inflation. Despite this, and a significant shift in consumer preferences towards delivery services – which are still dominated by…

The lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in May 2022 and the consequent surge in consumption had a positive effect on consumer foodservice sales across all locations in 2023. Consumer foodservice outlets in standalone locations were amongst the least…

In 2023, consumer foodservice in Spain saw growth across all metrics, albeit at lower rates than that seen in the previous year of the review period. However, persistently high inflation rates drove up average prices, limiting growth in…

Full-service restaurants recovery in 2023 was largely driven by Spaniards continuing to return to dining outside of the home, post-pandemic. This led to a decline in the share of delivery in 2023 compared to 2022. Meanwhile, the trend of working from…

In 2023, chicken, fish, and Asian cuisines performed particularly well in limited-service restaurants, thanks to the strong performance of KFC and the rapid expansion of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen in Spain. The chain saw its network expand from 13…

The self-service cafeterias model in Spain is closely linked to high transit locations, such as airports, railway stations and bus stations. In this regard, both inbound and domestic tourism play an important role in the growth of the category, and…

In a bid to increase brand awareness, several chained players in other categories with consumer foodservice in Spain, including Papa John’s Pizzerias in limited service restaurants and Foster’s Hollywood in full-service restaurants, have begun…

The combined impact of the pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 created widespread instability in the local economy with high inflation and a sharp rise in prices continuing to be seen in 2023. This limited the recovery of apparel and…

Appliances and electronics specialists saw only modest growth in current value terms in 2023, with the challenging economic environment impacting spending on non-essential items. Although inflation was lower than in 2022 it still remained higher than…

Convenience retailers benefited from the lifting of the remaining COVID-19 restrictions and the opening of new outlets across Spain. There was also increased foot traffic in urban areas driven by the rise in tourism which supported the growth of…

According to the Spanish Association of Direct Selling, only around 30% of Spaniards purchase products via direct selling. The regions where direct selling has the highest penetration rate are Andalusia, Madrid, and Catalonia. The limited penetration…

Even though inflation rates declined in 2023 as compared to the record highs registered in 2022, they remained higher compared to pre-pandemic levels. As a result, price remained the main driving factor behind where many people chose to shop for…

Department stores benefited from the increase in inbound tourists seen in Spain in 2023 as foreign tourists love to go to places such as El Corte Inglés to do their shopping and to partake in the uniquely Spanish experience found in its outlets.…

The Dia supermarket chain reached an agreement to sell 1,000 Clarel stores to Colombian group Trinity in 2023. The deal, which it is estimated will reach EUR42.2 million, will see payments spread over six years and will include three distribution…

Russia's invasion of Ukraine had a huge impact on global energy prices, with the impact continuing to be felt in Spain in 2023. High energy prices coupled with high inflation and a sharp rise in the cost of living pushed more Spaniards to look into…

Despite the Spanish government reducing VAT rates and even placing a 0% VAT rate on foods like fruit and vegetables and bread, food prices continued to grow in 2023, with Spain continuing to experience elevated inflation. While some consumer…

After seeing dynamic double-digit growth year-on-year throughout the review period retail e-commerce saw a slowdown in 2023 in current value terms, with consumer electronics e-commerce even posting a decline in sales. Elevated inflation, rising…

Retail in Spain continued to be impacted by high inflation in 2023, with high energy and fuel prices putting pressure on operators and leading to rising prices for the consumer. The Spanish government tried to mitigate the increase in prices by…

Small local grocers saw only modest growth in current value terms in 2023 while the number of outlets continued to decline, following the pattern seen throughout the review period. During the first year of the pandemic, small local grocers benefited…

Maradona confirmed its position as the leading chain of Spanish supermarkets in value terms in 2023 despite ranking second in terms of the number of outlets. The company strengthened its brand equity through intensified promotional campaigns,…

Sales were hard-hit by COVID-19 in 2020, as most vending machines are located in consumer foodservice establishments, at public transport hubs, and in petrol stations, and movement restrictions and closures limited foot traffic to such venues. As…

Away-from-home tissue, being a B2B (business-to-business) category, faced challenges associated with the fluctuating costs of cellulose in the market. Many contracts in this category are made well in advance, often a year or more, and are based on…

In 2022, the Spanish government took a step to address menstrual poverty by announcing a general tax reduction from 10% to 4% on all menstrual care products, which came into effect in 2023. However, despite these efforts, the category faced…

Sales of nappies/diapers/pants in Spain have been influenced by the country's low birth rate since 2017. Spain has reported one of the lowest birth rates in the European region, ranking below the European average and only above Italy. In fact,…

Retail adult incontinence remained one of the more resilient categories in tissue and hygiene in 2023 with it recording growth both in current value terms but also retail volume terms. This was in large part due to the essential nature of these…

Despite challenging economic conditions, limited purchasing power, and elevated inflation, retail tissue showed resilience with it recording double-digit growth in current value terms for the second consecutive year in 2023. However, it is important…

For nearly 40 years. the Spanish Public Health system has included adult incontinence protection in the list of Rx/reimbursement medical products. These products can be purchased through e-commerce and in health and beauty specialists with the…

2023 was marked by considerable challenges with regard to the raw materials required for tissue and hygiene products. Dramatic fluctuations in cellulose prices alongside general inflation led to rising costs for most players which they were forced to…

The challenges faced by the wipes category were similar to those affecting other tissue and hygiene products, with the inflation crisis causing a shift in consumer behaviour and priorities. The drop in demand for wipes was associated with the…

Sales in baby and child-specific products in Spain saw sluggish volume growth in 2023, while value is being more strongly supported by the high unit prices triggered by ongoing inflationary pressures. This overall poor performance is attributed to…

Bath and shower sales remained in a slump in Spain in 2023, in both value and volume terms. That said, this still-negative performance is still an improvement on the previous year and there are signs of gradual recovery noted for over the coming…

Sales in beauty and personal care in Spain returned to normal patterns in 2023, following the disruptions seen during the era of the pandemic. Notably, overall volume sales returned to small positive growth, while value sales continue to be supported…

Sales in colour cosmetics in Spain saw good growth in 2023, in both value and volume terms. Much of this is supported by the return of social activities and out-of-home lifestyles following the era of the pandemic when, conversely, the associated…

Deodorants continued to perform well in Spain in 2023, in both value and volume terms. While value is supported by high unit prices due to inflationary pressures, volume is also robust thanks to baseline demand. That said, we should note that…

Sales in depilatories in Spain were supported by the “home spa” trend in 2023, resulting in positive value and volume growth. Indeed, volume sales were stronger when compared to 2022, having bounced back into positive figures following a slump.…

Premium fragrances outperformed mass fragrances in Spain in 2023, as consumers seek to treat themselves to “affordable indulgences”. Interestingly, despite the depressed economic climate, with the cost-of-living crisis and inflationary pressures,…

Sales in hair care in Spain in 2023 were supported by “home salon” trends inspired by a time of economic uncertainty. While volume sales only just managed to achieve a positive trend, growth is improving compared to previous negative-volume figures;…

Sales in mass beauty and personal care in Spain were supported by the economic environment in 2023. Specifically, inflationary pressures have led to high unit prices against a backdrop of lower consumer spending power, in turn resulting in consumers…

Men’s grooming continued to recover in volume terms in Spain in 2023, albeit remaining in a negative slump, while value is more strongly supported by price hikes driven by inflationary pressures. The economic landscape and consumers’ lower spending…

Sales in oral care in Spain were improved in 2023, compared to the performance in 2022. However, the performance of the category is far from robust as we note oral care as one of the categories seeing consumers trading down, thus, to manage their…

Sales in premium beauty and personal care in Spain were somewhat hampered by the economic environment in 2023. Inflationary pressures have led to high unit prices against a backdrop of lower consumer spending power, in turn resulting in consumers…

Sales of skin care in Spain recorded healthy value and volume growth in 2023, despite the depressed economic climate leading to consumer price-sensitivity. Conversely, many people see investing in skin care as a form of “affordable indulgence”,…

Sun care in Spain performed well in both value and volume terms in 2023, thanks to the post-pandemic landscape enabling consumers to re-embrace out-of-home lifestyles. This includes the resumption of travel and tourism, with consumers prepared to…

Nestle's 3-in-1 coffee mixes, packaged in flexible plastic sachets and multipacks within large bags made of flexible plastic or aluminium pouches, offer a blend of convenience, affordability and product protection that used to mostly come in folding…

Leading Spanish juice brand Don Simon recently introduced an innovation in sustainable packaging with the launch of the world's first Pure-Pak eSense aluminium-free aseptic carton for its plant-based range. In collaboration with packaging supplier…

Cat food continues to see confident growth in Spain in 2024, in both value and volume terms, with sales outperforming those seen in dog food. This is supported by the rising number of cat-owning households in Spain, along with consumers owning more…

Dog food in Spain is just about managing to achieve positive volume growth in 2024, with value more strongly supported by still-high prices. Whilst inflationary pressures are lessening, consumers’ spending power has still been negatively affected,…

Other pet food in Spain is being affected by a decline in the population of small pets, albeit still managing to achieve sub-decimal positive volume growth overall, and decent value growth which is supported by still-high unit prices. One of the…

Pet care sales in Spain continue to see positive sales in 2024, in both value and volume terms. Value is supported by premiumisation trends and still-high unit prices in some instances, while baseline demand supports volume – which is showing…

Sales in pet products in Spain achieve positive value sales in 2024, although potential is suppressed by a few factors. Firstly, we note the unclear interpretation of the new Law 7/2023 on the Protection of Rights and Welfare of Animals – during 2022…