Eastern Europe

2023 saw sweet spreads register a static sales performance in retail volume terms and this stagnant growth trend was mainly the result of declining consumer demand for chocolate spreads, a category that has fallen foul of the mounting consumer…

2023 saw sauces, dips and condiments subject to a complex matrix of different trends, some of which derived from the ongoing war in Ukraine, while others were simply a reflection of the general consumer trends that were in effect before the onset of…

As a result of inflation, many low- to middle-income Czech consumers have been discouraged from dining at foodservice establishments, leading to a concomitant increase in home cooking. This is positively impacting demand for, and therefore sales of,…

The growing popularity of international cuisine is contributing to the growth of sauces, dips, and condiments in 2023. Mexican and Asian culinary trends are gaining ground rapidly, and consumers are seeking out a widening variety of products from a…

Products inspired by oriental cuisine continue to attract consumer attention in 2023, supported by expanding specialised shelf space at retail stores. Product innovation is also a significant factor, with K-Asia product line extensions from Kaufland…

Volume growth of sauces, dips and condiments has slowed slightly in 2023, but remains healthy as consumers look for more affordable options. Serbians are spending less time at home as they visit foodservice outlets more frequently, and are keen to…

The decreases in retail volume sales of sauces, dips and condiments in 2022 and 2023 owed much to the lifting of Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in March 2022. This was underpinned by the return to eating out and out-of-home social, leisure and…

In the first half of 2023, sauces, dips, and condiments witnessed significant growth. A key factor contributing to this trend was the introduction of numerous innovative products that redefined traditional offerings, appealing to the increasingly…

Inflation continues to have an impact on sauces, dips and condiments in 2023, with both constant value and volume sales expected to fall. With consumers being increasingly price sensitive, there is a degree of trading down. For instance, the high…

Inflation continues to have an impact on sauces, dips and condiments 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…

The ongoing war in Ukraine created a number of challenges in 2023. In particular, there was a shortage of critical packaging materials, such as glass and aluminium. Extreme weather conditions placed further pressure on supply chains, with scarcities…

In 2023, sauces, dips and condiments in Georgia is enjoying positive retail growth in terms of volume sales. This uptick is a direct result of the tourism industry's rebound and the tempering of price inflations. However, despite renewed vigour, the…

Soy sauces recorded the fastest growth in both volume and value terms in 2023 thanks to the rising popularity of Japanese cuisine and Estonians cooking Asian dishes at home with soy sauce. In addition, soy sauces are increasingly being used to…

Chili sauces and barbecue sauces look set to be the most dynamic categories within sauces, dips and condiments in retail volume growth terms in 2023. While growth rates for both will be skewed somewhat by the ongoing emergence of sales from a…

Sauces, dips, and condiments in Bulgaria witnessed a slight decline in volume due to an increase in people's out-of-home activities. Furthermore, the consumption of non-essential foods like sauces decreased as a result of the sustained high prices…

Sauces, dips and condiments registered a moderate but positive sales performance in 2023 as retail volume sales increased and buoyant value growth was supported by high inflation and subsequent unit price increases. Demand increased across all…

Meals and soups recorded a relatively robust sales performance during 2023 as retail volume sales increased across all categories. This can be partly seen as the natural response to the dramatic decline seen in demand for meals and soups in the…

As a result of inflation, many low- to middle-income Czech consumers have been discouraged from dining at foodservice establishments, leading to a concomitant increase in home cooking. This benefits chilled ready meals and soups, which offer busy…

Meals and soups is rising in both volume and value terms in Slovenia in 2023. Increasingly busy lifestyles, work-from-home trends, a booming tourist season and persistent urbanisation are all contributing to overall growth for meals and soups thanks…

Demand for ready meals in 2023 is significantly impacted by the weakening purchasing power of Slovak households, which is causing consumers to cut back on spending. All category members are seeing volume sales declines. However, economy-priced ready…

In the post-pandemic era, many Serbians have resumed their busy lifestyles and this has stimulated demand for meals and soups. Frozen ready meals is witnessing the fastest retail volume growth thanks to its convenience and the diverse choice of…

Projected retail volume growth for some categories of meals and soups in 2023 is boosted by the total lifting of Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions since 2022. This has led to a return to the office for employees for whom many of these products…

Recent years have witnessed a surge in sales in ready meals and soups in Poland, thanks to innovative product launches. Dobrowolscy, renowned for high-quality delicatessen products, introduced a line of ready meals, Dobrowolscy od Kuchni, featuring…

Meals and soups is expected to register both current value and volume growth in 2023. With society fully opened up post pandemic, and consumers leading busy lives, they appreciate the convenience of meals and soups. Ready meals account for most value…

Meals and soup is expected to register double-digit current value growth, though constant value growth will be muted, as continuing high inflation eats into profit margins. All the same, there will be some volume growth. Growth is not expected to be…

Retail volume sales of meals and soups registered continued growth in 2023. With consumers leading increasingly busy lifestyles, there was a growing interest in convenient meal solutions, which boosted demand for products such as ready meals and…

Meals and soups in Georgia in 2023 is seeing the frozen ready meals segment maintaining its dynamic and robust presence, holding a substantial volume share of over 60%. This segment's dominance is a significant propellant for the broad spectrum of…

Chilled ready meals demonstrated the highest volume and value growth in 2023. These products became popular in Estonia following the lifting of pandemic quarantine restrictions and the return to work, with consumers opting for chilled ready meals as…

Growth in retail volume sales of ready meals in Croatia in 2023 looks set to be up substantially on 2022, with all categories expected to post improved results in this respect. This is mainly explained by the return to pre-pandemic routines, in that…

The Bulgarian market for meals and soups in 2023 remained nearly stagnant, with a slight negative trend, primarily driven by the increased frequency of dining out. The categories most affected by this shift were shelf-stable ready meals and dried…

Meals and soups recorded a moderately positive sales performance in retail volume terms over the course of 2023 as the category benefited from the rising demand for products that represent convenience for the local population. In particular, the…

After the onset of armed conflict in 2022 led to plummeting retail volume sales of sunflower oil over the course of the year, 2023 saw a return to positive retail volume growth in the category. One key factor to consider here is that there is now a…

The global supply chain for edible oils has been heavily disrupted by the ongoing war in Ukraine. This has led to a significant increase in production, packaging, transport, energy, and labour costs, which in turn has led to soaring retail prices for…

Growing health awareness among consumers is supporting the growth of edible oils in Slovenia in 2023. With social media influence getting greater, consumers are now more informed about all the befits edible oils boast and often use such oils for…

In 2023 edible oils is suffering from high unit prices and rising production costs as a result of the ongoing war in neighbouring Ukraine, driving up value sales. Volume sales growth, meanwhile, is undermined thanks to dwindling purchasing power. The…

Sunflower oil prices continued to rise in 2023 boosting current value sales, although consumption has fallen, with retail volume sales registering a second year of decline. Sunflower oil has been losing share in terms of retail volume sales, as olive…

The projected drop in retail volume sales of edible oils over 2023 is due to price hikes. The prices of sunflower seeds hiked due to the war in Ukraine and a prolonged dry season, alongside higher manufacturing and retailing costs driven by fuel and…

In the first half of 2023, concerns and misconceptions arose regarding the importation of sunflower oil into Poland, primarily due to geopolitical issues and trade restrictions. The Minister of Agriculture clarified that sunflower oil was not,…

Conditions markedly improve for the consumer in terms of edible oils in 2023. In 2022, the war in Ukraine caused edible oil prices to skyrocket in Lithuania, due to Ukraine being one of the main suppliers of sunflower oil globally. In 2023, the…

Conditions markedly improve for the consumer in terms of edible oils in 2023. In 2022, the war in Ukraine caused edible oil prices to skyrocket in Lithuania, due to Ukraine being one of the main suppliers of sunflower oil globally. In 2023, the…

The market for edible oils continues to be dominated by sunflower oil, global prices of which skyrocketed in 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the world’s leading producer. While Hungary produces enough sunflower oil to satisfy its…

Sunflower oil steadfastly maintains its pre-eminence within edible oil in Georgia, not only in volume but also in the value terms, substantially surpassing olive and corn oil's market shares in 2023. The overall category is driven sunflower oil.

Olive oil recorded the fastest value and volume growth in 2023 as more Estonians adopt a healthy diet. Consumers have become more mindful of the food and ingredients they consume, leading many to opt for healthier edible oils such as olive oil.…

Following a sharp contraction in 2022, overall retail volume sales of edible oils in Croatia have rebounded strongly in 2023. The return to growth has been underpinned by the stabilisation of unit prices, which had risen dramatically the previous…

The consumption of edible oils in Bulgaria is experiencing a decline in 2023, primarily attributable to a significant drop in olive oil sales. This decline is a consequence of turbulent climate conditions in Spain and Italy, which have had a profound…

Sales of edible oils declined in retail volume terms over the course of 2023 amidst downwards pressure on consumer demand for all categories of cooking ingredients and meals. Despite the essential status of edible oils, especially sunflower oil,…

Debit cards are generally preferred to credit cards in the Czech Republic. In 2023, debit card transaction growth is being driven by the decline in cash transactions and the growing number of point-of-sale (POS) terminals in retail stores. In 2023,…

After demand plummeted across all categories of cooking ingredients and meals over the course of 2022 as the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine interrupted supply chains, caused widespread financial hardship and motivated huge numbers of local…

Two major forces are shaping the cooking ingredients category in the Czech Republic in 2023: high inflation and population increase due to the arrival of Ukrainian refugees. Within foodservice, prices are increasing, and many Czechs are instead…

Increasingly busy consumer lifestyles are contributing to rising demand for convenience products that aim to reduce time spent cooking. Ready meals, spice mixes and sauces are thus all gaining in popularity. Ready meals are a great substitute for…