Eastern Europe

As COVID-19 fears subsided and restrictions were eased some non-grocery retailers saw a boost to sales, but especially those channels related to activities outside the home. For example, with consumers starting to travel home and abroad again there…

New store openings within the modern grocery retailers channel helped fuel growth in current value terms in 2022, albeit the number small local grocers and food/drink/tobacco specialists declined. For example, Delhaize Serbia, the second largest…

This report provides a global overview of commodity market trends from 2017 through to 2022, including price forecasts up to 2024 for the key commodities in the Agriculture, Energy and Metals sectors. Insights analyse long-term global trends that can…

Although direct selling saw dynamic growth in current value terms in 2022 this was actually barely above inflation levels. In 2021 direct selling in Serbia started on the path to recovery from the hit it took during the first year of the COVID-19…

This report assesses the business environment in Estonia, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT adoption and…

Continuing depopulation in Hungary in 2021-2040 will be driven by natural decrease. Ageing will accelerate, affecting consumer trends and putting pressure on state finances. Urbanisation will quicken and Budapest will continue to be the most populous…

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, many Polish consumers have adopted more thorough and more regular cleaning routines, boosting sales of surface care products. PET and HDPE bottles are the leading pack types in surface care as they are able to offer a…

This report assesses the business environment in Georgia, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT adoption and…

Increased economic uncertainty, digitisation of business activities, the need to improve operational efficiency, and stricter regulations encourage companies to review their supply networks and fortify them against the potential risks in the future.…

This report assesses the business environment in Slovenia, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT adoption and…

This report assesses the business environment in Slovakia, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT adoption and…

This report assesses the business environment in Croatia, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT adoption and…

This report assesses the business environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT…

High investment and financial freedoms, a low tax burden, a good geographical location, and increasing potential for innovations have contributed to a favourable business environment in Hungary. However, the country’s government spending and fiscal…

Bulgaria continues to rank among the top third countries globally in the Index of Economic Freedom, supported by a low tax burden and good fiscal health. Bulgaria remains an attractive investment destination, recording a considerably increasing…

This report assesses the business environment in Serbia, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT adoption and…

This report assesses the business environment in Lithuania, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT adoption and…

This report assesses the business environment in Latvia, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT adoption and…

Poland’s strategic geographical position makes logistics and trade of key importance and a strength for the country, with exports accounting for a half of its GDP. Innovation is also a strength, with the budget for research and development as a…

This report assesses the business environment in North Macedonia, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT adoption and…

The world is rapidly evolving due economic, political, geographic and climate changes. This is contributing to a change in consumer’s habit and behaviour as they try to keep pace with these newer developments. Deeper understanding of these changes…

Retail in Slovenia is being supported by the return to out-of-home lifestyles in 2022, following the pandemic restrictions which stretched into 2021. Retail e-commerce is the big winner, as this channel was notably enhanced by the era of the pandemic…

Performance was muted for retailers in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2022. Though there was double-digit growth in current value sales, there was only a minimal increase in constant value sales, as inflation dampened volume sales significantly.…

E-commerce is the big winner in retail, with the channel stimulated by the event of the pandemic, and with consumers continuing to embrace all the benefits which online shopping offers. Indeed, it is consumer satisfaction in e-commerce in Slovenia…

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…

Non-grocery retail is seeing robust double-digit growth in 2022, stimulated by the return to out-of-home lifestyles following the era of the pandemic restrictions. This is also notably supported by the ongoing economic recovery in Slovenia. Inflation…

In 2022, though there was double-digit growth in current value sales, growth in constant value sales

Forecourt retailers is maintaining solid growth, after recovering from its declines during the era of pandemic restrictions. Within this environment, in March 2023, it was revealed that MOL Group has sold 39 service stations to Shell in Slovenia, as…

In 2022, though there was double-digit growth in current value sales, growth in constant value sales

Direct selling is seeing positive growth in 2022, albeit below the level of inflation. The category took a hit during the era of the pandemic, when restrictions on person-to-person contact severely dampened value sales, and 2021 only saw a modest…

Direct selling registered a fall in constant value sales in 2022, as double-digit inflation caused by the energy crisis stemming the war in Ukraine dampened volume sales. In fact, direct selling was the worst performing retail channel in 2022, as…

It is important to understand how urbanisation is being driven in emerging markets, and how new suburban developments are occurring in developed markets, what changes in household types and sizes will occur, and how the modern home will evolve,…

Retail in Estonia saw total current value sales grow at a double-digit rate for a second consecutive year in 2022. However, growth was only marginally faster than in 2021 despite steep increases in unit prices for all kinds of goods amidst a surge in…

Growth in total e-commerce current value sales in 2022 was down markedly on 2021, and also much lower than the CAGR for the entire review period. This was partly explained by the normalisation of trade, in that after having received a significant…

Despite steep price hikes resulting from the dramatic and prolonged spike in inflation, overall current value sales growth for non-grocery retailers in Estonia in 2022 was only slightly stronger than that recorded in 2021. Demand in all channels was…

While grocery retailers in Estonia showed a markedly improved performance in terms of overall current value sales growth in 2022, this was mainly due to soaring inflation fuelled by the global recovery from the pandemic and the fallout of Russia’s…

Growth in direct selling current value sales in 2022 was up significantly on 2021. While this was partly because spiralling inflation caused unit prices to rise, the improvement was primarily explained by reduced concern about community transmission…

Further depopulation in Croatia in 2021-2040 will be driven by a combination of natural decrease and negative net migration. Ageing, illustrated by rapid growth in older cohorts, will affect consumer trends and place more pressure on state resources.…

The war in Ukraine exacted a heavy toll on Georgia’s economy with retail prices spiking in 2022. Close trade links with Russia and Georgia’s status as an emerging economy have also exerted pressure on the country’s currency, with depreciation also…

E-commerce posted another strong year of growth in 2022, with current value sales buoyed by higher inflation rates. Following the boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, online retailers witnessed more sustainable growth as many consumers returned to…

Georgians shifted back to in-store shopping behaviours following the removal of pandemic restrictions. Many consumers chose to prioritise retail shopping in shopping malls and high streets as lifestyles shifted back to normality. Non-grocery…

The war in Ukraine has impacted grocery retailing in Georgia with inflation contributing to price increases across the category. Georgia’s growing consumer base in 2022 has added further impetus to retail value growth. Georgia has been a popular…

Although value sales through direct selling are low in Georgia, they showed a slight increase in 2022. There is a shift away from this channel due to growing competition from online players, which provide a greater assortment of products and the…

Inflation has had an impact on consumer behaviour, leading them to become more cautious about their spending, with essential goods taking priority during 2022. Moreover, discounters serve as a major driver of retail offline, thanks to their best…

The War in Ukraine had a strong impact on Latvia in 2022, creating conditions for high inflation and economic and political uncertainty. This, in turn, affected consumer priorities and spending patterns in retail arenas. Meanwhile, retail in Latvia…

Due to the increasing number of online retailers and brands, a continually expanding network of lockers in the country, a variety of delivery methods, secure and convenient payment systems, and a growing pool of customers, retail e-commerce continued…

As in other markets, retail in Latvia continued to see the increased adoption of e-commerce at the end of the review period. While visible prior to the onset of Coronavirus (COVID-19), the pandemic accelerated the global shift towards online…

Lithuania implemented strict lockdown measures until the spring of 2022, which meant that only essential stores were open for consumers. However, as summer arrived, there was a noticeable increase in traffic to offline stores, indicating a growing…

Consumers continued to move back offline in terms of non-grocery retailers. As the threat of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and related retail and consumer movement restrictions eased, consumers were more willing and able to return to visiting…

The war in Ukraine has had a profound impact on grocery retailers in Lithuania during 2022. As a result of the conflict, grocery prices have increased significantly, and the consumer base has grown due to refugees from Ukraine. This has led to an…