United Kingdom

Air care was one of the top performers in home care in 2023, recording the third highest retail value growth after surface care and home insecticides. In terms of volume, the only formats experiencing volume declines were gel air fresheners and car…

Although seeing a notable slowdown, air treatment products is expected to maintain growth in retail volume terms in 2023. This is the only small appliances category that is anticipated to experience growth in 2023. There has not been universal growth…

The lifting of pandemic-related travel restrictions and all borders reopening in 2023 are contributing to an upsurge in passenger traffic, resulting in flight schedules gradually reverting to their pre-pandemic levels. With the desire to explore new…

2023 was undoubtedly a challenging year for alcoholic drinks in the UK. Overall, volume sales in both on-trade and off-trade fell when compared to 2022. On the other hand, value sales continued to rise, mainly driven by unit price increases as a…

Total alcoholic drinks packaging recorded healthy growth in 2020, despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While foodservice unit volumes plummeted, due to cafés, pubs and restaurants all being closed for extended periods in 2020,…

Analgesics is recording another strong year of current value growth in 2023, albeit at a slower rate than in 2022. Growth is particularly dynamic in the paediatric segment, especially for acetaminophen and ibuprofen, driven by the outbreak of…

The ongoing cost-of-living crisis in the UK is having a discernible impact on discretionary spending for various apparel accessories. Local consumers, facing economic uncertainties and inflationary pressures, are exhibiting more cautious purchasing…

The cost-of-living crisis in the UK has cast a shadow over discretionary spending, significantly impacting the purchase of apparel and footwear. As inflation rises and essential expenses such as housing, utilities, and groceries become more…

After a year of strong double-digit value growth in 2022 for apparel and footwear specialists in the UK, the channel maintained its positive trajectory in 2023 to outperform all other non-grocery retailers, except for leisure and personal goods…

In 2022, appliances and electronics specialists in the UK was the only non-grocery retail channel to experience a decline in sales. Due to the cost-of-living crisis and the squeeze on discretionary budgets, many consumers were forced to be…

The away-from-home channel in the UK experienced strong value growth in tissue and hygiene in 2023, with both categories growing by over 10%, albeit at marginally slower rates than the previous year. Value growth for away-from-home hygiene was partly…

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…

Baby food continues to recover from the pandemic-related disruptions observed in 2020. Retail volume growth is evident across milk formula and other baby food categories as busy local parents have less time to prepare food at home, and demand safe…

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…

Bags and luggage is set to maintain growth in both retail volume and current value terms in the UK in 2023. Although volume sales are expected to increase in most categories, it is significant to note that luggage is anticipated to see the…

The performance of baked goods has been particularly hit by the supply chain crisis, as wheat shortages are putting severe pressure on production costs. The expiration of the Black Sea corridor deal in July 2023 has fuelled further delays in the…

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,…

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…

In 2022, folding cartons took over from HDPE bottles as the main pack type in unit volume terms in UK beauty and personal packaging. This can be attributed to the fact that, in addition to being lightweight and easy to carry, folding cartons also…

Total volume sales of beer in the UK declined in 2023. However, while off-trade volume sales continued to stabilise following the boost which came as a result of the pandemic, leading to another marginal dip in 2023 via this channel, at-home…

Bleach continued to register declining retail volume sales in 2023, with overall demand falling in comparison to previous years, as UK consumers are favouring multipurpose cleaners with disinfectant properties. Due to the cost-of-living crisis,…

Reflecting the recovery in travel and rising prices, booking continues to record strong growth in 2023. Intermediary sales are outperforming direct sales. The channel is benefiting from the continual recovery of leisure cruise and leisure packages.…

Bottled water is set to continue to experience total current value growth in 2023. 2022 marked a year of dynamic growth for bottled water, due to the return of on-the go consumption and a warmer and longer summer. In 2023, growth is set to continue,…

Breakfast cereals faced severe challenges from the economic and regulatory framework in 2022. On the one hand, the supply chain crisis, including the tight global supplies of raw materials due to the war in Ukraine, forced manufacturers and retailers…

Butter and spreads continues to face substantial challenges in 2023 as the supply chain remains unstable, milk prices fluctuate, and labour remains an issue. Indeed, as feed and fertiliser prices that plateaued in September 2022 remain extremely…

2023 proved to be another challenging year for cafés/bars in the UK. While overall value growth was evident, this was predominantly due to consumers paying higher prices rather than due to a sizeable number of outlets opening or a significant…

2023 presented quite a mixed picture for the cannabis industry in the UK. While growth continued, there was also a modification regarding the future expectations of development within the local market. In CBD & other non-intoxicating cannabinoids,…

The cost of living increased sharply across the UK during 2022 and into 2023. Due to a strong increase in the overall cost of production, and rising unit prices, reaching and often surpassing 10% rises, carbonates is set to experience increases in…

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,…

Charge cards is expected to continue to see double-digit declines in 2023 in terms of cards in circulation, and volume and value transactions. Historically, charge cards were primarily associated with business use, as the majority of transactions,…

Cheese consumption suffered a substantial decline in 2022 as the impact of economic instability, supply chain issues and high inflation affected both players and consumers. Additionally, growth inflated by the pandemic and home consumption resulted…

Following the pandemic-related baby boom, birth rates in the UK are now declining, but demand for childrenswear continues to grow. However, a stronger performance in value growth terms is being driven by unit price increases. Childrenswear faces…

Following a period where inflation reached an historic 40-year high in 2023, the average unit price of chocolate confectionery in the UK increased by double digits. The heightened costs across the supply chain, including transportation, energy,…

As with many other alcoholic drinks categories, total volume sales of cider/perry in the UK marginally declined in 2023. Cider/perry in the off-trade channel is quite mature, and following a boost from pandemic-related restrictions, demand continued…

Retail volume sales of cigarettes in the UK declined by double digits in 2023, even though smoking prevalence experienced a limited drop. The main reason behind the highest decline in legal cigarette sales in the last decade was the significant unit…

Cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in the UK returned to positive value growth in 2023, after experiencing a decline the previous year. This growth was mainly driven by a significant rise in unit prices across the category, boosted by constantly…

Despite 2023 seeing a return to offices and institutional channels, at-home consumption of coffee has remained high owing to post-pandemic habits such as continued working from home. Also, having purchased a coffee machine and other relevant…

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…

Following the trend of 2022, when the category experienced a steep decline, particularly for laptops, total volume sales of computers and peripherals continue to decline in 2023. The primary cause of this can be traced back to the pandemic period…

After a year of falling off-trade volume sales in 2022, 2023 is set to see a continued decline in demand for concentrates. The decrease in off-trade volume terms is expected to be especially marked by the decline in powder concentrates, which is set…

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…

Overall, there is set to be a decline in consumer appliances in retail volume terms at the top level in 2023. This comes as a result of declines in both major and small appliances. Major appliances is, however, expected to experience a much stronger…

Numerous consumers have increased their reliance on credit to enable them to afford higher retail prices in 2023, as the UK economy has continued to be impacted by high inflation and the rising cost of living. As a result, card lending is set to…

After an upturn in demand during the pandemic followed by a notable decline in 2022, retail volume sales of consumer electronics in the UK are starting to stabilise in 2023. Significant investments were made in 2020-2021, with many consumer…

The waning impact of the pandemic and greater mobility outside of the home have positively impacted consumer spending in travel and leisure locations. According to Euromonitor International, inbound arrivals in the UK rose by 20% in 2023 to 37…

With the impact of the pandemic waning in the UK, it was hoped that 2023 would be a year where the consumer foodservice industry made significant steps to recover to pre-pandemic levels. However, in terms of transactions and outlet numbers, this did…

Consumer health continues to experience high retail current value growth in 2023, albeit at a slower rate than 2022. Higher costs of materials, ingredients and services are naturally leading to strong price increases in 2023, thereby driving up value…

In comparison with Eurozone countries, the UK economy has continued to be impacted by high inflation and the soaring cost of living in 2023. While rising electricity and gas prices drove inflation in 2022, they have been gradually decreasing in 2023,…

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,…

Despite price increases as a result of inflation that continued to drive the local population to adopt more conscious spending patterns in 2023, convenience retailers in the UK maintained a positive trajectory during the year as proximity and…