Understand the key trends shaping demand and future opportunities...
Understand the key trends shaping demand and future opportunities across industries in Eastern Europe, with the latest regional and country-level analysis and market statistics.
After a spike in current value growth in 2022, home products specialists in the Czech Republic saw a noticeable drop in demand for homewares and furniture in 2023. Demand weakened organically following the significant increases seen in 2022, when the…
Home products specialists in Bulgaria registered current value growth in 2023, though constant value sales fell. Inflation was still an issue and impacted profitability. That being said, it was homewares and home furnishing stores that dragged down…
In 2023, health and beauty specialists in the Czech Republic experienced a decline in retail volume sales as price hikes dampened consumption. The largest contributor to category growth were beauty specialists, which continued to see a recovery from…
Despite continuing high inflation, performance for health and beauty specialists in Bulgaria was stable, with constant value sales rising slightly. There was also further opening of outlets. Value sales through pharmacies continued to account for…
General merchandise stores in the Czech Republic, which comprises department stores and variety stores, experienced weaker value growth in 2023. Department stores in Czech Republic continue to lose appeal among locals. As it stands, there are…
Muted performance for general merchandise in 2023
High inflation has led to a much weaker economy in 2023, with the increased costs of living benefiting discounters in the Czech Republic. As household spending tightened, price became the overriding factor when purchasing most household goods. Czechs…
Discounters in Bulgaria were the best performing grocery retailers in 2023. With inflation still being high, consumers were price sensitive and prioritised value for money. As such, discounters registered a moderate increase in constant value sales.…
Direct selling in the Czech Republic experienced a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic when physical outlets were closed. With online retailers still underdeveloped, direct sellers were able to absorb some of the retail needs of Czechs.…
Direct selling registered a fall in current value sales in Bulgaria in 2023. Both high inflation and a shift away from direct selling to e-commerce led to a drop in sales, as e-commerce also provides the convenience of direct delivery. In fact,…
Convenience retailers in the Czech Republic are suffering amid retail price increases as locals are searching for the best value and price when shopping. When it comes to price, convenience retailers are unable to compete with larger retailers and so…
2023 was not a good year for convenience retailers in Bulgaria. With inflation still being high, consumers cut back on spending in convenience retailers, as prices tend to be higher than in other grocery retailers. In addition, there is a degree of…
HP Tronic Zlin spol sro has consolidated its lead among appliance and electronics specialists in the Czech Republic, after Datart acquired Euronics in 2023. Some Euronics locations have been closed, whilst some have been transferred to Datart, thus…
Performance was muted in 2023 for appliances and electronic specialists in Bulgaria, with minimal current value growth, and constant value sales falling. Continuing rising prices cut into profit margins and reduced consumers’ purchasing power. As…
Apparel and footwear in the Czech Republic witnessed steady volume and current value growth in 2023 as shopping patterns started returning to normality post-pandemic. Price increases were also a factor underpinning current value growth, with this…
With inflation still being an issue, though apparel and footwear specialists in Bulgaria registered an increase in current value sales, constant value sales fell, as continuing rising costs cut into profit margins. There was also a slight decline in…
The war in Ukraine had a negative impact, with the resultant energy crisis leading to high inflation and dampening volume sales somewhat. As a result, while overall retail registered a healthy increase in current value sales in 2022, constant value…
Croatians were impacted by rising inflation in 2022 and faced a cost of living crisis similar to many shoppers across Europe. As the economy started to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and rising costs of energy and raw materials…
E-commerce registered double-digit current value growth in 2022, as well as healthy constant value growth, in spite of high inflation. The high inflation was due to the war in Ukraine, which led to soaring energy prices, which in turn led to higher…
E-commerce continued to gain significant value share in 2022 as part of the ongoing development of this category. Many consumers sought out cheaper prices online as the cost of living crisis hit many Croatian households. On balance, Croatia is seeing…