United Kingdom

The global supply chain crisis has heavily affected savoury snacks in the UK, as the category has experienced consecutive years of strong price increases. Adding to the inflationary environment in 2022, savoury snacks recorded even stronger…

Overall sauces, dressings and condiments packaging recorded a surge in its unit volume growth in 2020. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers across the country shifted to working and studying remotely, with extensive lockdown periods…

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…

Trends that emerged in 2022, such as rising unit prices, have continued to impact sauces, dips and condiments in 2023. The escalating input costs faced by companies, coupled with the soaring prices of key ingredients, have led to substantial…

Rx/reimbursement adult incontinence in the UK continued to record volume declines in 2023. The category has been in decline for many years in the local market, with consumers shifting towards retail adult incontinence as the availability and…

In stark contrast to many other alcoholic drinks categories, RTDs in the UK recorded a positive performance in 2023. Growth was seen in both off-trade and on-trade channels, with the latter experiencing a more dynamic performance than the dominant…

Following strong positive performances in 2021 and 2022, ready to drink (RTD) tea is set to continue to experience double-digit growth in current value sales both off-trade and on-trade in 2023. Due to a longer and warmer summer in 2022, RTD tea…

In 2023, RTD coffee is set to experience strong double-digit growth in off-trade current value and volume terms. For several years now, RTD coffee has benefited from growing popularity and a surge in demand. This is due to several factors, including…

In 2022, rice, pasta and noodles was one of the categories that faced strong price increases due to the supply chain crisis, with wheat and rice shortages putting particular pressure on production costs. Further high single-digit price increases are…

Inflationary pressures in 2023 marginally eased when compared to the previous year, but continued to exert strong influence on demand for retail tissue in the UK. Sales mostly rebounded in the second half of 2023, although not sufficiently to avoid…

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…

Retail adult incontinence in the UK continued to record a dynamic performance in 2023. Overall demand for these products was based on several different factors, such as an ageing consumer base, increasing awareness, and greater availability in terms…

Refrigeration appliances is set to see a significant overall volume decline in 2023. This comes as a result of the poor performance of freezers, fridge-freezers, and fridges. Reasons for the continued volume decline in refrigeration appliances…

While dinner mixes was already the most dynamic category in ready meals packaging prior to the pandemic, it received a major spike in its demand in 2020, as the COVID-19 restrictions boosted demand for these products. With consumers in home seclusion…

In 2023, retail demand for pulses in the UK continues to grow. As meat, fish and other animal proteins are increasing in price due to inflation and the rising cost of living, local consumers are looking for cheaper sources of protein, and one of…

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat recorded severe losses in retail volume sales in 2022, and decline is set to continue in 2023, although at a slower rate, with demand being heavily affected by the cost-of-living crisis. As consumers…

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 2022, retail volume sales of processed fruit and vegetables were challenged by inflationary pressures. The category, which recorded strong growth in 2020 when COVID-19 lockdown restrictions turned consumers towards convenient food solutions, has…

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…

Value sales of premium and luxury cars rose by 4% to total GBP25.7 billion in 2023, due to demand from high-income consumers, who proved to be steadfast despite macroeconomic headwinds. Demand for premium and luxury cars is contingent on wealth, and…

Pre-paid cards is set to see a solid performance in 2023, while other card payment methods, such as charge cards and store cards, are set to decrease significantly, and others are set to see slower growth, such as debit cards. One of the factors…

In 2023, overall demand for portable players in the UK remains flat, despite significant declines for e-readers and portable media players. The falling demand for e-readers is being driven by local consumers switching to physical books, with the…

Demand for polishes in the UK continued to decline in 2023, in line with the category’s general pre-pandemic trend. The ongoing decline continues to be exacerbated by greater mobility outside of the home, as consumers spend more time in the office or…

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…

Plant-based dairy is marginally benefiting from the severe pressures that are impacting the local dairy industry. As Brexit continues to hinder stability and the ongoing war in Ukraine impacts supply chains, high production costs of dairy farming…

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…

The United Kingdom’s (UK) political landscape has been volatile, whilst Brexit continues to weigh on economic freedom. Owing to high inflation that has eroded consumer purchasing power and business investment, economic output is set to slow markedly,…

Personal luxury retail value sales rose by 9% in 2023 to total GBP18.6 billion, supported by growth recorded by leading brand providers, such as Louis Vuitton UK Ltd and Chanel Ltd. 2023 value sales growth was boosted by consumers investing in luxury…

Personal care appliances is expected to see a marginal overall decline in retail volume terms in 2023. Body shavers, electric facial cleansers, and hair care appliances are all anticipated to experience sales declines in 2023. Body shavers intended…

Personal accessories is anticipated to keep expanding in retail volume terms in the UK in 2023, due to continued indulgence amongst consumers in the country, as well as the resurgence and growth of inbound tourism. While sales are also anticipated to…

Paediatric consumer health in the UK is witnessing another strong year of current value growth in 2023, albeit at a slower pace than 2022. The positive performance across both years has predominantly been driven by high growth for paediatric cough,…

The UK’s packaging industry is currently influenced by two prominent trends. Firstly, the widespread use of flexible plastic packaging, especially in areas like cheese packaging, which is being driven by its cost-effectiveness, convenience and…

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…

Chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks is set to see declining sales in both retail volume and current value terms in 2023, owing to an increasing number of consumers favouring products which are healthy. There is an overall sense that shoppers have…

The local dairy industry has been characterised by severe price increases, with products featuring milk as their primary ingredient suffering the highest hikes. Indeed, as input costs have become increasingly expensive, profit margins have been…

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…

Most fresh food categories were negatively impacted by extreme weather conditions in the UK and other countries over 2022 and 2023, which fluctuated between extreme heat and droughts and very wet climates. However, this was not the case for nuts, as…

Demand for NRT smoking cessation aids is declining in 2023, despite a further drop in smoking prevalence among the adult population as consumers continue to focus on their health post-pandemic. A marginal decline in retail volume sales is likely to…

Nappies/diapers/pants in the UK experienced positive retail volume growth in 2023 across the category. These products are deemed essential, ensuring stable demand, despite prices soaring. However, with birth rates in the UK gradually falling, growth…

The UK regained its position as Western Europe's second largest new car market in 2022 despite being significantly impacted by supply shortages, slowdowns, and the war in Ukraine. The country is working to reduce CO2 emissions by encouraging the…

Retail volume sales of mobile phones continue to decline in 2023, although the fall in demand for smartphones is much lower in the first half of the year compared to 2022’s double-digit drop. The main factors behind the decline are ongoing…

An overall decline is expected in volume sales of microwaves in 2023. This is the result of expected declines for both built-in and freestanding microwaves. Of the two, built-in microwaves is set to see the stronger volume decline in 2023, given that…

Menswear in the UK is experiencing the repercussions of lower levels of discretionary spending among consumers in the wake of the cost-of-living crisis. As economic pressures, inflation, and rising living costs take their toll, individuals are…

Menstrual care in the UK experienced growth in both volume and value terms in 2023. Continuing on from its strong performance in 2022, the category’s current value growth in high single digits was only marginally below the previous year. As inflation…

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,…

Meat in the UK continues to see persistent inflationary pressures stemming from higher production costs, particularly in the areas of animal feed and energy. This has spilled down to consumers in the form of increased unit prices, combined with a…

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…