Eastern Europe

In 2023, processed meat, as a product area, faced heightened competition from a gradually recovering foodservice industry, despite the weak purchasing power of Slovak households. This shift is driven by the convenience factor and the emergence of…

Czechs continued to reduce their meat consumption in 2023, with a growing number of consumers identifying as flexitarian, vegetarian or vegan. This was tied to the high price of meat, due to the elevated rate of inflation, as well as environmental…

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat reported slightly negative volume growth in 2023, due to the decline in demand for chilled processed red meat and frozen processed red meat and seafood, which are mainly sold in bulk over the counter.…

Processed meat and seafood is witnessing slower volume growth in 2023, compared to previous years, with momentum driven by the recovery of tourism and some stabilization of price hikes. Nonetheless, price increases have had a negative impact on…

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat has continued to record positive growth during the pandemic in Eastern Europe, with these products seen as staples in home-cooking by many households. While processed meat, and chilled processed red…

2023 witnessed a robust recovery for sales of shelf stable fruit and vegetables in Ukraine after the category fared better than most other categories of packaged food during 2022. Retail volume sales of shelf stable fruit and vegetables declined over…

Retail volume sales of processed fruit and vegetables continued to decline in 2023. This was due in a large part to the still-elevated rate of inflation, which impacted the cost of living and caused consumers to rationalise their spending. Consumers…

Processed fruit and vegetables are recording further growth in 2023. The main factor underpinning this positive performance is the rising demand for products that offer convenience as many consumers have less time to go shopping for fresh food on…

In 2023, processed food, in general, experienced a slight boost due to a challenging year in agricultural production. A cold spring adversely affected or significantly delayed plant growth in gardens, compelling consumers who traditionally relied on…

Processed fruit and vegetables is expected to be one of the better performing food staples in 2023, registering moderate volume growth. Consumers’ busy lifestyles supports volume growth. While growing fresh produce is a long-established tradition in…

The volume decline experienced by the category in 2023 can be primarily attributed to the surge in the average unit price at the shelf, driven by persistently high inflation and an overall rise in food prices that outpaced inflation. The enduring…

In 2023, Poland is seeing a significant expansion in processed fruit and vegetable offerings as players cater to growing consumer demand for convenience, health-conscious options, and varied flavour profiles.

Consumer demand for processed fruit and vegetables remains stable in North Macedonia in 2023 due to the influence of the burgeoning health and wellness trend in the country. Younger consumers, in particular, are increasingly opting for processed…

Processed fruit and vegetables are not popular as Lithuanians prefer to consume fresh and home-made products rather than processed alternatives. Some preserved vegetables such as pickled products are very well received during the cold season, which…

The year 2023 marks a period of stagnation for the processed fruit and vegetables category in Latvia, with volume growth dropping to minimal. While the market is gradually recovering from the severe price inflation experienced in 2022, new economic…

Shelf stable vegetables in Hungary has continued to witness steep unit price hikes in 2023 due to inflationary pressures fuelled by the global recovery from the pandemic, the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the devaluation of the forint.…

In 2023, shelf stable fruits and vegetables retained their position as the leading category within processed fruits and vegetables, in volume terms. Positive growth was also witnessed in shelf stable fruits and vegetables, primarily due to strong…

Shelf stable fruit and vegetables is enjoying strong growth volume growth in 2023, as Estonians spend less time canning fruit and vegetables at home. Shelf stable tomatoes is witnessing the highest demand, since these are more frequently used in…

Within processed fruit and vegetables, frozen variants are expected to see the strongest current retail value sales growth in Croatia in 2023. The popularity of these products can be attributed to many factors, including their long shelf life, which…

The consumption of processed fruit and vegetables in Bulgaria increased slightly in 2023, mainly due to the growing need for convenience amid busier lifestyles and rising urbanization. Furthermore, the growing number of people living alone is driving…

Consumer demand for processed fruit and vegetables remains stable in 2023, with robust levels of consumption across all categories. While consumer demand for shelf stable fruit is stalling, sales of frozen fruit and frozen processed vegetables…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered the most severe global recession since World War II. In Q4 2020, the end of the pandemic started as countries began administering effective vaccines among the population; however, vaccine distribution…

The report provides a global overview of production, consumption and prices of soybeans. Soaring input costs and supply disruptions put pressure on soybean producers and add more volatility to the market. Meanwhile, dry weather in South America has…

This briefing examines how the chicken commodity performs globally and in the largest countries in terms of supply and consumption. The report also provides data and analysis on chicken price dynamics, key meat-consuming industries, and exports and…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is reaching a peak, although geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market remain key risks. The impact varies between countries, with…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. In 2023, global inflation is expected to ease from its peak in 2022, but remaining significantly above-trend. Geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market are…

In the upcoming years, consumers and businesses face an array of challenges, with rising income inequality being among the key ones. Nevertheless, addressing the income inequality through catering to the Bottom of the Pyramid and the Middle Class…

The report examines key factors in supply chain risks in metals, energy and agricultural commodities. Production, market supply concentration and political risks analysis can help to better identify potential risks and prepare for potential…

The briefing introduces the Cities Households Necessities Spending Index. The index ranks 1,075 cities by household expenditure on non-discretionary items, namely food, housing, and clothing and footwear. This analysis focuses on 160 major cities.…

Breakfast cereals recorded a positive sales performance in retail volume terms during 2023 after the category registered significant declines in retail volume sales over the course of 2022. One of the main reasons for the substantial declines seen in…

Breakfast cereals recorded a decline in retail volume terms in 2023, as the cost of living crisis continued to impact consumer demand. Moreover, with wages decreasing in real terms, many consumers were forced to trade down to cheaper alternatives to…

Children’s breakfast cereals remains the largest category in value terms in 2023 and it continues to benefit from the rising demand for convenience among busy urban professionals with children despite price increases. Manufacturers of children’s…

With the lifting of pandemic restrictions and the restoration of consumer mobility, Slovaks are now leading more hectic lifestyles, spending less time at home and opting for breakfast at home less frequently than in 2021 or 2022. This, coupled with…

In spite of continuing high inflation, breakfast cereal is expected to register healthy constant value and volume growth. With consumers leading increasingly busy lives, they appreciate the convenience of breakfast cereal. Breakfast cereal is also a…

The growth in the volume sales of breakfast cereals in 2023, despite significant price increases, can be attributed to reduced price sensitivity among mostly higher-income urban professionals. This demographic group, committed to a healthy lifestyle,…

In 2023, breakfast cereals in Poland is experiencing substantial growth, primarily fuelled by an increased consumer focus on health and wellness, the appeal of ready-to-eat products, and rising disposable incomes. As health consciousness rises,…

Muesli and granola and hot cereals are the two largest breakfast cereals categories whose performance tends to influence the overall performance of breakfast cereals in North Macedonia. Due to the moderate volume growth of these two cereal types,…

The main consumers of breakfast cereal in Lithuania remain children; however, RTE cereals do not have a good reputation among parents in the country and they are not perceived as a healthy option for breakfast due to their high sugar content. Brand…

In 2023, breakfast cereals in Latvia is experiencing stagnation, primarily due to health concerns among parents regarding sugar intake for children. In addition, the static number of children in Latvia limits the potential for market growth. The…

Like other companies across packaged food in Hungary, breakfast cereals manufacturers have adjusted their packaging strategies in 2023 in an effort to better navigate soaring inflation and the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. Most notably,…

In 2023, breakfast cereals has maintained steady volume growth, aided by some moderation in unit prices. The category's enduring strength continues to stem from the prevailing convenience trend, as modern consumers place a premium on the ease and…

Hot cereals witnessed the fastest growth in retail volume and current value terms in 2023. Consumers consider hot cereals to be healthier and more nourishing than RTE cereals, as they contain beneficial vitamins. With the adoption of healthier eating…

Whilst the rising production and logistics costs of 2022 have eased, breakfast cereals prices continue their upward trajectory in 2023 as retailers seek to maintain high margins, with no government system to keep them in check. The category still…

Although a relatively small category in Bulgaria, breakfast cereals is reporting solid growth in retail volume and current value terms in 2023, due to the rising importance of health. Players are keen to develop healthier options, as with Dr Oetker's…

Consumer demand for breakfast cereals remains stable in 2023, despite the challenges posed by population decline in the country, which is limiting the potential consumer base. The shift towards healthier eating is driving volume growth, as…

During 2023, demand for bread continued to increase in Ukraine as government efforts to regulate the price of bread ensured that many of the products in the category remained affordable for the majority of Ukrainians. Indeed, the low average unit…

Retail sales of baked goods continued to decline in 2023 in the face of the still-elevated rate of inflation, which impacted the cost of living and caused consumers to rationalise their spending. This translated into a movement away from packaged…

Steep unit price increases of bread and the rising demand for convenience have driven growth in frozen baked products in 2023. Consumers are increasingly opting for frozen baked goods which have a longer shelf life and allow them to have fresh bread…

In 2023, commodity prices of wheat experienced a significant decrease from the heights of 2022. However, this reduction did not translate into lower unit prices in retail stores. The main contributing factor was the persistent increase in other…

Inflation continues to be high in 2023 and as such though baked goods is expected to register current value growth, both constant value and volume sales are expected to fall marginally. This fall in volume sales is also due to a declining population.…