Eastern Europe

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,…

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…

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…

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…

Bread continues to hold a central role in baked goods in Romania, acting as a traditional and indispensable component of meals. The performance of baked goods in 2023 closely mirrored the trends observed in the bread product area. Despite the…

In 2023, baked goods in Poland has witnessed significant innovations, reshaping traditional baking practices. Notable player Dan Cake Polonia introduced an array of novel hamburger buns, including a bistro variant infused with natural sourdough and a…

With inflation in Hungary remaining the highest in the EU, unit prices for packaged and unpackaged leavened bread have continued to rise at double-digit rates in 2023 despite a reduction in grain prices on international commodity markets.…

Baked goods is a key staple in Georgia due to the strong popularity of unpackaged leavened bread, which continues to post solid volume growth in 2023, despite rising prices. Demand for this product is supported by the fact that it is an essential…

In 2023, frozen cakes, sweet pies and tarts demonstrated the fastest current value growth in baked goods. Demand for these types of frozen baked goods is growing alongside the faster pace of life in Estonian society, although it remains a niche at…

Retail volume sales of staple foods in the Czech republic suffered a decline in sales in constant value terms in 2023, in the face of the rising cost of living, which curbed consumer spending. The country’s post-pandemic recovery was also derailed by…

The sharp price growth in staple foods seen in 2022 has moderated in 2023. Retailers are trying to reduce further oscillations by introducing heavy discounts and gradual price changes. Whilst Croatian consumers remain extremely price sensitive due to…

Staple foods continues to witness positive growth in 2023, in current value terms, due to high inflation and elevated retail prices. The consumption of staple foods has slowed, resulting in a slight decrease in retail volume sales for the full year.…

In 2023, staple foods witnessed a slightly better performance in volume terms, even though consumer demand is beginning to stagnate in response to the country’s population decline, which is reducing the potential consumer base. Most staple food…

Retail volume sales of rice, pasta and noodles continued to decline in 2023. This was in the context of a high rate of inflation, which impacted the cost of living and caused consumers to rationalise their spending. While foodservice volumes saw…

Plain noodles are key ingredients in many Asian dishes and are therefore seeing strong demand as this cuisine continues to be popular amongst Croatians. Demand also continues to be supported by noodles’ quick preparation time. In addition, given the…

The rice, pasta and noodles category in Bulgaria remained flat in 2023, with only a marginal decline in retail volume sales. Rice continues to be the most significant category, both in value and volume sales, since it has a highly versatile…

In 2023, rice, pasta and noodles continued to see retail volume growth stabilise, as consumer demand normalised in pasta and rice after the fluctuations caused by the pandemic. Nonetheless, with the help of soaring unit prices due to inflation, rice,…

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat achieved minimal retail volume in 2023, although current value growth remains robust. Consumer demand has slowed down due in part to the country’s negative population growth. Rampant inflation has…

While current retail value sales of processed meat see double-digit growth in 2023, volume decline is attributable to higher unit prices, with the increasing cost of raw meat, animal food, energy and transportation being passed on to the consumer.…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Following steep price growth in baked goods in 2022, wheat and flour prices stabilised in 2023. This is particularly important for bread as it is heavily dependent on flour prices. Croatians are strong bread consumers, and it was expected that volume…

The consumption of baked goods declined in 2023 as bread sales continue to follow the negative trend seen in the review period. Per capita growth in bread is limited due to Bulgaria’s declining population, which is falling well ahead of other…

In 2023, baked goods achieved moderate volume growth due to the strong performance of leavened bread, which is gaining popularity and shaping the development of the baked goods category. Despite rising prices, overall consumption of baked goods has…

Retail volume sales of honey remained well below 2021 levels in 2023 despite positive growth over the course of the year and this is due to the dramatic declines previously seen in demand for honey as armed conflict gripped Ukraine during 2022. With…

Thanks to its natural and healthy product image, honey has benefitted from consumer concerns about wellbeing and immunity. Many local households purchase honey from local beekeepers, trusting the quality of local honey more than that which is sold in…

Rising health awareness among Slovenia consumers is directing the development of new products in sweet spreads. Towards the end of the review period Natureta, one of the most popular brands in jams, launched a new jam with low-sugar content. K-NORMA,…

Rising unit prices has led to value sales growth for sweet spreads, while volume sales remain under pressure as consumers focus their dwindling budgets on paying for essential foodstuffs and services. Sweet spreads sales have also been limited by a…

Sweet spreads is facing a slowdown in retail volume sales in 2023, with Serbians returning to their pre-pandemic lifestyles and spending less time at home. Consumers are opting to eat fewer meals and snacks at home and are visiting foodservice…

The higher costs of raw ingredients, glass packaging, energy and logistics weighed significantly on the high increases in prices of products on retailers’ shelves. As a result, there is expected to be only a very marginal rise in overall retail…

In the first half of 2023, sweet spreads in Poland witnessed a surge in innovative flavour profiles, highlighting a trend towards experimental taste combinations. Bartnik Mazowiecki, notably, introduced Kokosowy Orzeszek, a unique blend of hazelnut…

Sweet spreads is expected to register moderate current value and volume growth in 2023, despite high inflation. While home-made jams and preserves are still popular in Lithuania, with the price of sugar and fruit increasing, it can be more economical…

Inflation continues to have an impact on sweet spreads in 2023. While there is expected to be double-digit current value growth, constant value growth is expected to be minimal, with inflation cutting into profit margins. Volume growth is also…

Retail sales of sweet spreads continued to see positive growth in volume terms in 2023, with chocolate spreads leading the way. Here, Nutella (Ferrero) was by far the dominant player, with smaller contributions from a host of private label…

In 2023, sweet spreads in Georgis is enjoying robust growth. The trend towards indulgent snacking plays a pivotal role in this upsurge. International brands, spearheaded by Ferrero’s iconic Nutella, followed by Krüger’s Nussa, have been at the…

Nut and seed based spreads demonstrated the fastest volume growth in 2023 thanks to the growing number of vegetarians who rely on nuts and seeds as a key source of protein and nutrition. In addition, the category is still in its early stages of…

Chocolate spreads and jams and preserves are set to post negative results in retail volume terms for a third consecutive year in 2023. This is partly due to rising health-consciousness in Croatia, as these product types are typically high in sugar.…

Sweet spreads in Bulgaria saw an increase in both volume and value, driven by the gradual process of inflation stabilisation and further price hikes in the first quarter of the year. However, the category that continued to experience a decline was…