Eastern Europe

Energy drinks benefits from constant innovation and improved distribution. Producers are challenging traditional perceptions of energy drinks by introducing sugar-free variants and incorporating healthier ingredients like fruit juice, green tea or…

In 2023, powder concentrates registered a significant price growth of 30%. Players had done all they could to prevent prices rising in 2021 and 2022. In addition, concentrates escaped the impact of the sugar tax, due to a loophole, and this meant…

Liquid concentrates demonstrated remarkable resilience amidst the inflationary pressures that affected other soft drinks. This can be attributed to their perceived affordability during the economically challenging period, leading consumers to shift…

In Bulgaria, liquid concentrates have emerged as a cost-effective option for soft drink preparation amid tightened household budgets. This shift towards more affordable alternatives has temporarily slowed the category's decline. However, concentrates…

High inflation continues to exert a strong impact on the coffee category in 2023, putting pressure on all parts of the industry, from production to consumption. Coffee production is labour intensive, but also incurs costs in terms of fertilizers,…

Instant coffee in Bulgaria is experiencing a phase of stagnation, primarily due to the outdated perception of instant coffee compared to more modern alternatives like capsule coffee and bean-grinding machines. The demographic of instant coffee users…

While coffee is expected to register double-digit current value growth, volume sales are expected to fall marginally. A couple of factors are expected to lead to the slight volume decline. Continuing price rises dampen volume sales, as does…

In 2023, retail volume sales of carbonates fell back into decline. Carbonates was still recovering from the sharp price increases caused by Poland’s sugar tax in 2021, when high inflation caused further price shocks for consumers. Although unit price…

Regular cola carbonates, as a product area, experienced a more moderate decline in sales volume than non-cola carbonates in 2023, despite significant price increases. This can be attributed to the enduring popularity of cola flavour among consumers…

Carbonates in Bulgaria is witnessing notable shifts in 2023 due to persistent inflationary pressures impacting consumer spending habits. The rising cost of living has led consumers to curtail expenditure on non-essential goods, fostering a heightened…

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…

2023 was another turbulent year for bottled water in Poland. Rising inflation and the increasing cost of materials had a strong impact on bottled water unit prices. As prices rose, the demand for bottled water declined in comparison to the last year.…

The sales volume of both carbonated and still bottled water experienced a significant decline in 2023. This trend can be attributed to two primary factors. Firstly, notable price increases for bottled water forced consumers to re-evaluate their…

Bottled water overall benefits from strong health and wellness trends, with consumers increasingly opting for bottled water's simple hydration and refreshment, particularly in restaurants. The category is rising steadily among health-conscious…

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…

Tea continued to experience significant price increases in 2023, mirroring the trend observed across other hot beverage categories. While coffee remains a staple in Hungarian households, tea is often perceived as a seasonal beverage primarily…

Other hot drinks, often considered treats given to children by their parents, faced challenges in Hungary in 2023. The volume sales of other hot drinks declined, primarily due to the stability or even decline in the demographic profile of…

Hot drinks in Hungary experienced stagnant volume growth in 2023 due to unfavourable economic conditions and significant price increases. Consumers responded to these challenges by reducing their consumption of hot drinks or switching to lower-priced…

The Hungarian coffee industry faced headwinds in 2023 due to deteriorating economic conditions and rising prices. Consumers became more price-sensitive, opting for cheaper private label coffee products or even reducing their overall coffee…

The high inflation that swept through Europe during 2022 and 2023 led to significant price increases across all categories of womenswear. Initially, the steep price increases that flowed from high inflation put downward pressure on demand for…

The rate of inflation in the Czech republic remained high in 2023. This resulted in a worsened economic situation for Czech households amid cost of living increases. Czech consumers responded by reducing their expenditure on perceived unnecessary…

During 2023, substantial growth was witnessed in demand for football-related sportswear among the population of Hungary. More extensive media coverage of the national team's performances and the expansion of football stadiums across the country have…

Sports drinks’ performance was not affected significantly by the high inflation rate and worsening economic situation in 2022 and 2023. This was because the factor with the highest influence on demand towards the end of the review period was the…

Soft drinks continued to be affected by high inflation, which started in 2022 and continued in 2023, leading to cost of living increases. The worsened economic situation saw demand fall in established categories, especially juice and carbonates,…

The off-trade consumption of RTD tea continued to increase during 2023. While foodservice volume sales fell, this was following strong rebounds from the 2020 slump caused by Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions on on-trade operations. As a result,…

Total volume sales of RTD coffee increased strongly during 2023. This was the case for off-trade volume sales, as consumers returned to the office and purchasing RTD coffee on impulse or on the go from retailers. However, on-trade volume sales of RTD…

A deterioration of the economic situation in 2023, caused by still high inflation and steep increases in prices, hit the demand for other hot drinks in the Czech Republic. As consumers faced higher cost of living pressures, they looked to reduce…

As with womenswear, trends in menswear towards the end of the review period continued to reflect changes in consumer attitudes and behaviours stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the shift towards hybrid working due to the enduring…

Juice was the category within soft drinks most affected by the high inflation of 2022 and 2023 and subsequent price increases of products. Juice products tend to be quite expensive for consumers in the Czech Republic. The worsening of the economic…

The high inflation that was seen in Hungary during 2022 and 2023 had a major impact on demand for jeans. The most notable trend in the category during the year was the surge seen in demand for economy men's jeans, while in women’s jeans, the…

Following on from the economic fallout of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the Czech Republic experienced very high inflation in 2022 and 2023. This worsened the economic situation and caused surges in prices, which hindered demand amid the higher…

The popularity of sheer hosiery is decreasing in Hungary and this is a reflection of contemporary fashion trends. Sheer hosiery is generally worn in combination with women’s skirts and women’s dresses, especially shorter dresses and skirts that leave…

The remarkable sneaker/trainer boom that Hungary is currently witnessing showed no signs of slowing down in 2023 as the huge numbers of sports footwear enthusiasts among the local population continued to prefer sneakers and trainers, especially…

The demand for energy drinks continued to increase strongly even at a time of high inflation and a rising cost of living towards the end of the review period. This performance was influenced by people returning to offices and other jobs where they…

The demand for both liquid and powder concentrates was in decline prior to the review period. The downward trajectory continued through the review period, including 2023. With price increases in a highly inflationary climate, consumers reduced their…

High inflation from 2022 in the wake of the war in Ukraine and subsequent increases in prices of goods and energy continued in 2023. The overall economic situation in the country worsened and increased the cost of living for Czech households.…

The high inflation that prevailed in Hungary during 2022 and during 2023 led many consumers to make changes to their consumer habits in an effort to save money. This contributed to the significant shift towards more budget-friendly options that was…

Substantial inflation experienced in 2022 and 2023 resulted in Czech households facing a tough economic situation, exacerbated by the rising cost of living. Rising prices of products caused Czech consumers to be wary of their expenditure and reduce…

The demand for bottled water has remained stable, with moderate-to-minor changes in the review period. For example, in 2022 and during 2023 there have been slight increases in consumption. Even with high inflation and increases in prices in the last…

The wave of inflation that swept across Europe in the wake of the Russian Federation’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine continued into 2023, with Hungary witnessing the highest core inflation of all European countries during the year after…

2023 saw dips in demand for scarves, hats, gloves and similar items of winter apparel as several factors undermined the willingness of consumers to spend money on such items. The most important influence on waning demand for warm scarves, hats and…

Inflation continues to be high in 2023 and as such though staple foods 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…

Staple foods in North Macedonia is recording moderate volume growth in 2023 as consumer demand stagnates due to a shrinking consumer base as a result of negative demographic trends in the country. Value sales, meanwhile, are seeing strong…

Staple foods in Lithuania has been less impacted by the economic uncertainty than other packaged food categories in 2023. The price inflation of 2022 due to the rising cost of logistics, raw materials and packaging, slowed significantly in 2023,…

Staple foods in Latvia in 2023 is enjoying a period of modest recovery, following the significant price inflation of 2022. Although some growth has been observed, it is primarily a rebound from the previous year's downturn. The industry overall…

Overall, rice, pasta and noodles is expected to register moderate constant value and minimal volume growth in 2023. However, the performance is not uniform across rice, pasta and noodles. While pasta continues to account for most value sales, it is…

Rice, pasta and noodles is registering moderate retail volume growth in 2023 thanks to the stable performance of rice and pasta. Retail volume sales of noodles, meanwhile, are recording marginal decline due to reduced demand for plain noodles as…

Rice, pasta and noodles sales are seeing marginal volume growth in 2023 as the key categories of dried pasta and rice are well received in Lithuania as both main and side dishes. Despite increasing concern about the consumption of carbohydrates…

In 2023, the rice, pasta and noodles market in Latvia is characterised by stability rather than dynamic growth. The category has faced a significant price shock in 2023, with prices rapidly increasing and impeding potential growth. Consequently, a…

In 2023, processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat in Latvia is recording a rise in volume sales, despite economic uncertainties and health concerns, particularly regarding smoked meat products. Nonetheless, after a phase of post-pandemic…