Market research on consumer products, commercial industries, demo...
Market research on consumer products, commercial industries, demographics trends and consumer lifestyles in the United Kingdom. Includes comprehensive data and analysis, tables and charts, with five-year forecasts.
After a strong performance in 2023, when sunglasses in the UK recorded high single-digit volume growth and double-digit value growth, 2024 is expected to be more of a cautious year for the category as a whole. The dynamic growth witnessed in 2023 was…
Spectacles in the UK continued to witness positive growth in 2023 offset by the ramifications of the pandemic. At the same time, value growth was driven by average unit price increases in line with inflated energy prices. While both value and volume…
Eyewear in the UK is expected to continue to record single-digit retail volume and current value growth in 2024, albeit at marginally slower rates than the previous year. Eyewear in the UK witnessed a relatively quick recovery after the decline seen…
Contact lenses in the UK are set to deliver solid single-digit volume and current value growth over 2024, which will make it the most dynamic performer in eyewear (in terms of volume growth). After the decline that resulted from the pandemic in 2020,…
In 2023, the UK’s GDP growth slowed considerably, to 0.1%, with the last two quarters of 2023 seeing a contraction in GDP. Despite receding inflationary pressures, inflation remains above the Bank of England’s target, while households are pressured…
2023 presented various challenges for the global retail landscape in the UK. The lingering effects of the pandemic, combined with economic and geopolitical instabilities, created a climate of uncertainty for local consumers, resulting by an undynamic…
In 2023, the UK housing market was faced with a combination of economic pressures and a desire for personalisation. Homeowners increasingly opted to upgrade their current homes rather than embark on the often-costly endeavour of relocation. A growing…
For decades, barbecues have been a cornerstone of summertime in the UK, offering a convivial and flavourful way to enjoy meals outdoors. However, recent years have witnessed a significant surge in their popularity, driven by several factors. Firstly,…
Home and garden in the UK experienced a marginal increase in current value sales in 2023 following a decline in 2022, which was due to a confluence of economic headwinds that significantly impacted consumer spending. The increasing inflation rate,…
Despite continuing headwinds, including erratic weather patterns and economic fluctuations, value sales of gardening in the UK recorded a substantial increase in 2023 following a decline the previous year, prompted by consumers prioritising home…
Video games in the UK returned to value growth in 2023, following a marginal decline the previous year. The category experienced a surge in growth during the pandemic as many local consumers turned to video games as a form of entertainment when they…
Traditional toys and games in the UK recorded significant value growth in 2023, outperforming the previous year as the category stabilised post-pandemic. Unit prices remained elevated in 2023 following an increase in the prices of raw materials and…
Toy and games in the UK recorded solid current value growth in 2023. Value growth for traditional toys and games was higher than the previous year, while video games returned to its positive trajectory following a marginal downturn in 2022 as demand…
This briefing assesses global B2B market trends in 2024 and beyond. It is geared towards consumer goods companies that are selling into the B2B market, and provides insights into how B2B markets are developing, which countries and channels to target,…
Sun care in the UK continued to record a solid performance in 2023, with volume sales fully recovering to surpass 2019 figures. While sun care recorded an increase of 7% in volume terms and 12% in value terms, it is noteworthy that most of this…
Skin care in the UK experienced solid growth in both value and volume terms in 2023, as unit price rises were accompanied by a growing consumer appetite for skin care products. This was a shift away from 2022 when the category experienced a marginal…
As already evident the previous year, even in times of restricted disposable incomes, consumers continued to purchase premium products in the UK over 2023. However, they remained discerning in terms of the specific products they used and the brands…
Oral care in the UK continued to expand in both volume and value growth terms in 2023. The rising number of local consumers taking care of their oral health at home was one of the main drivers of this growth. Another contributing factor to this trend…
Men’s grooming in the UK recorded a second consecutive year of positive volume growth in 2023 due to greater mobility outside of the home and local consumers becoming increasingly open to experimenting with their grooming habits. On the other hand,…
Mass brands play a crucial role in shaping beauty and personal care in the UK, accounting for 51% share of value sales in 2023. Mass beauty and personal care sales increased by 7% in 2023, driven by both high volume demand for categories such as…
Hair care recorded another year of solid current value growth in 2023, but this was predominantly driven by unit price increases, as established products such as standard shampoos and 2-in-1 products contracted in volume terms. Diminishing interest…
Following strong growth and value recovery in 2022 from the pandemic’s impact, fragrances in the UK recorded another solid performance in 2023. Key growth drivers include the ongoing premiumisation trend along with inflationary price hikes, thereby…
Depilatories in the UK recorded a rise in value sales for a second consecutive year in 2023. Women's razors and blades, which recorded 3% value growth, was the main driver behind this performance, although this was mostly driven by inflation and…
Volume sales of deodorants in the UK rose for a second consecutive year in 2023. According to Euromonitor International’s Voice of the Consumer: Beauty Survey (fielded June to July 2022), 34.5% of UK participants indicated that hygiene and…
Overall demand for colour cosmetics in the UK stagnated in 2023, while value sales continued to grow. In 2022, inflation in the UK surged to 9.1%, due to the aftermath of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. While this rate slowed in 2023, further…
Inflationary pressures caused by the war in Ukraine and supply issues continued to be among the strongest influences on the performance by beauty and personal care in the UK in 2023. However, despite further increases in the price of goods and…
Following two years of consecutive declines in value terms, bath and shower in the UK returned to growth in 2023. However, this was driven by the impact of inflation on unit prices and higher production costs, as overall demand continued to drop,…
In 2023, baby and child-specific products in the UK experienced 8% growth. One of the factors contributing to this growth was the UK's economic situation, which continued to see high inflation. This forced players to raise unit prices due to higher…
PET jars, which have long since become the main pack type in this category, continued to gain share in nut- and seed-based spreads in 2023. PET jars are valued for their shatterproof and non-reactive properties, ensuring the safety of the contents.…
Ketchup is a staple fixture in British households and, despite the advantages offered by glass bottles, such as premium look and feel, product safety, impermeability and eco-friendliness, other packaging solutions, and particularly PET bottles, have…
In July 2023, Sainsbury's, one of the UK's largest supermarket chains and also one of the leading players in processed meat and fish, launched a sustainability programme to reduce plastic waste for its chilled processed meat. It replaced plastic…
Metal food cans account for the greatest pack type share in processed fruit and vegetables packaging in the UK. Metal food cans are used to package the largest category in unit volume terms, shelf stable fruit and vegetables, due to their excellent…
In the UK, the 1,000ml pack remains the most popular size in the packaging of plant-based milk, and therefore also plant-based dairy as a whole, given milk’s dominance of the overall category. Consumers in the UK are now familiar with plant-based…
Plastic pouches are seeing strong growth in dried ready meals and are therefore gaining share in this category. Major brands are using plastic pouches for their dried ready meal products due to their lightweight nature and compact size, which make…
The UK’s dairy packaging market is dominated in unit volume terms by HDPE bottles and thin wall plastic containers. HDPE bottles dominate milk packaging, and are also gaining share in yoghurt, due to their robust barrier credentials. Milk is a…
Although it remains a much smaller pack type in unit volume terms, flexible paper continues to take share from the dominant packaging format of flexible plastic in countlines, as consumers increasingly opt for sustainable packaging options. This…
Flexible plastic accounts for the greatest pack type share in baby food packaging in the UK. This low-cost, compact pack type is ideal for small, convenient baby food packages, particularly in categories such as “other baby food”. This category…
Pet products in the UK continues to be challenged, experiencing slow positive value growth driven by inflation. Pet owners remain reluctant to invest in discretionary pet products, caused by the enduring impact of inflationary pressures. This is…
Persistent challenges of inflation and ongoing supply chain disruptions that characterised 2023 are still being observed in pet care in the UK, although unit price growth is starting to slow. Multinational pet food companies face ongoing obstacles…
In 2024, against the current economic challenges and an observable decline in the dog and cat populations in 2023, a distinctive 6% surge has been witnessed in the small mammal/reptile population in the UK. This rise can be attributed to the…
Despite a slowdown in the unit price growth of dog food in the UK, influenced by a reduction in energy and electricity costs, manufacturers and suppliers are still passing on some costs to end consumers. Challenges resulting from key commodities such…
In 2023, the UK experienced a marginal decline in the cat population, whereby the rate of abandonment surpassed the rate of adoption, resulting in an overall retail volume decline for cat food. Despite the increasing popularity of cats as companions,…
PET bottles are the leading pack type in the UK soft drinks packaging market due to their durability and affordability, with PET bottles also expected to continue being the most widely used packaging format over the forecast period. PET bottles are…
Fresh coffee beans was one of the best performers among the various hot drinks categories in 2023, benefiting from premiumisation. In particular, it has been benefiting from single-origin and speciality coffee, as consumers become more concerned…
Vending in the UK was significantly disrupted by the pandemic as vending machines predominantly target closed sites such as academic institutions, hospitals and businesses, which also experienced a substantial decrease in footfall. The channel fully…
Supermarkets in the UK was the only grocery retail channel in 2022 to witness value sales decline, in a year characterised by soaring food prices, skyrocketing cost of utilities, high inflation, and a cost-of-living crisis, which all contributed to a…
Unlike larger store formats within grocery retailers, such as warehouse clubs, discounters, and hypermarkets, which have a strong focus on lower-priced products as well as the ability to limit the transfer of increased costs on to consumers, small…
In 2023, soaring inflation rates, an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, low consumer confidence and limited spending subdued the retail industry in the UK. Consumers continued to downgrade product purchases to mitigate the negative effects of the…
After a challenging 2022 due to high inflation, the emergence of the cost-of-living crisis, and additional pressure on operators due to a surge in utility prices, all of which affected the disposable incomes of local consumers and subsequently led to…
Despite increased competition from discounters and warehouse clubs, which offer low-cost products appealing to the elevated number of price-sensitive consumers in 2023, hypermarkets in the UK maintained positive sales growth. Amid the cost-of-living…