Eastern Europe

There was a significant increase in volume sales of cigarettes in Georgia in 2023. This was partly due to an increase in population, as there were increased numbers of immigrants from Russia, as a result of the war in Ukraine. Also, inflation…

This report visually explores everyday habits and behaviours which reflect consumers' beliefs and values, linking behavioural trends with purchase and consumption habits.

Insight into income, wealth and expenditure of consumers and households is vital in helping businesses make strategic decisions with regards to which country (or even which region within a country) to enter, which consumer segment to target, which…

Tobacco in Slovakia was impacted by new legislation in 2023, with this set to continue throughout the forecast period as new rules and regulation shape the industry’s progress. Cigarettes saw excise tax increases in both 2023 and 2024, leading to…

Cigarettes remains the basic tobacco product for the majority of smokers in Romania and thus it was also the key growth driver for tobacco as a whole in 2023. Widespread distribution across all retail channels in Romania supports the positive…

Sales of cigarettes in Poland declined slightly in 2023 in retail volume terms. In 2022 the influx of refugees from Ukraine strongly revived sales of cigarettes in the country, but the impact of this weakened in 2023. A similar picture was seen in…

Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Slovakia saw double-digit rises in volume and current value sales growth in 2023. In February 2023, tobacco products were subject excise taxes increase, though retailers of e-vapour products…

Heated tobacco products continued to report dynamic growth in both value and volume terms in 2023. One important reason for the dynamic performance of the category is the local production of heated tobacco and the fact that these products are…

Closed system single use e-cigarettes turned out to be a big winner in 2023 with the category recording dynamic growth for the second year running. These products are perceived as the easiest e-vapour product for new vapers to approach and use. The…

Cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in Slovakia saw excise taxes rise sharply in 2023. This move attempted to improve the situation of the Slovak fiscal budget. However, in combination with squeezed household budgets. of Slovak households, raised…

The pandemic led to changes in lifestyle and smoking patterns with increased interest in cigars, cigarillos, pipe tobacco and fine cut tobacco. These products were seen as exotic and tapped into the increasing search for new experiences. Although the…

Sales of fine cut tobacco declined in retail volume terms in 2023. Like cigarettes, this category received a sales boost in 2022 as large numbers of refugees entered Poland following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, in 2023 the influence of…

Slovakia’s cigarettes market continued to decline in 2023 after new excise taxes were introduced, leaving smokers under growing economic pressure to downgrade to more affordable cigarettes or seek out alternatives. Rising demand for soft cigarette…

Cigarettes saw strong growth in retail volume terms in 2023. Sales were boosted by the end of the pandemic and the return to more normalised behaviour in terms of work and socialising. The end of the pandemic lowered concerns about the complications…

Sales of cigarettes experienced a slight decline in volume terms in 2023. Sales saw strong growth in 2022 as large numbers of refuges entered Poland following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In 2023, many of these refugees from Ukraine returned to…

Consumer Lifestyles offers valuable insights into key consumer attitudes and current thinking, and their impact on purchasing and consumption habits; quantifying behaviours, preferences and motivations, and aligning them with broader trends.

The number of households is set to increase slightly, while the average household size will remain unchanged in Slovenia over 2023-2028. Single person households will remain the dominant household type and the fastest household expenditure growth is…

In 2023, Poland ranked eighth in Eastern Europe for average gross income, but experienced a 2.2% decrease in per capita disposable income in that year, owing to an economic slowdown and surging inflation levels. However, projections for 2023-2028 are…

The number of households is set to increase moderately, while the average household size will shrink in North Macedonia over 2023-2028. Couples with children will remain the dominant household type but the fastest household expenditure growth is…

The number of households is set to slightly decrease, while the average household size will shrink in Georgia over 2023-2028. Extended ("Other") households will remain the dominant household type and the fastest household expenditure growth is…

The number of households is set to increase moderately, while the average household size will shrink in Estonia over 2023-2028. Single person households will remain the dominant household type and the fastest household expenditure growth is forecast…

With high inflation weakening purchasing power among the population, volume growth for sunglasses in Romania in 2024 looks set to be slower than in 2023. The category continues to perform reasonably well overall in this regard, however, in part…

Spectacles in Romania is set to see total volume sales contract for a third consecutive year in 2024, with the rate of decline expected to be slightly steeper than in 2023. Overall demand continues to be depressed by high inflation, in that rising…

Dinnerware and beverageware experienced growth in 2023 in current value terms which was attributed in part to a notable shift among Romanians towards premium products. The shift towards premium products, particularly in categories such as food…

Despite high inflation and rising production costs, the prices of power tools and hand tools were seen to have stabilised and in some cases even declined in 2023. This was due to popular chained retailers such as Leroy Merlin optimising their supply…

Against a backdrop of soaring inflation and a sharp rise in the cost of living, disposable income continued to decline in 2023 forcing some Romanians to buy cheaper second-hand home furnishings or to postpone their purchases altogether. To attract…

Home and garden in Romania experienced steady growth in current value terms in 2023, albeit at a slower rate than in 2022. Growth was largely driven by several macroeconomic factors such as elevated inflation, fluctuating GDP growth, and rising…

Gardening registered double-digit growth in current value terms across all categories in 2023, with more consumers becoming aware of the available products on the market. Retailers have been offering an increasingly diverse array of products, both in…

Although eyewear in Romania is set to expand in total volume and current value sales terms in 2024, growth rates are expected to be weaker than those recorded in 2023. The downturn is mainly explained by stubbornly high inflation, which continues to…

While contact lenses and solutions in Romania is set to expand in volume and current value sales terms in 2024, growth rates are anticipated to fall below those witnessed in 2023. This is mainly explained by stubbornly high inflation, which continues…

When adjusted for the effect of inflation, the market for homewares in Poland saw a decline in retail value terms in 2023. Having witnessed a surge in demand during the pandemic, when consumers developed a keen interest in cooking and eating at home,…

The home improvement market in market in Poland saw modest growth in current value terms in 2023. However, this was driven by inflation, rather than any real increase in demand. In the face of a challenging macroeconomic environment, with high…

Home furnishings in Poland registered a far more muted performance in current value terms in 2023, when compared to the previous years of the review period. This came within a context of a challenging macroeconomic environment, with inflationary…

The home and garden market in Poland registered a more muted performance in current value terms in 2023, when compared to the previous years of the review period. This came within a context of a challenging macroeconomic environment, with…

The gardening market in Poland proved to be more resilient than other categories in 2023, with high single-digit growth in current value terms. In a challenging macroeconomic environment, characterised by high inflation and a contracting housing…

Tobacco in Hungary saw a decline in volume terms overall in 2023, attributed to several and various factors. Despite price hikes that remained below the annual inflation rate, the market's largest segments struggled to stem the fall. Volume sales of…

The number of households is set to increase slightly, while the average household size will remain unchanged in Slovakia over 2023-2028. Single person households will remain the dominant household type and the fastest household expenditure growth is…

The number of households is set to increase slightly, while the average household size will shrink in Serbia over 2023-2028. Couples with children will remain the dominant household type but the fastest household expenditure growth is forecast to be…

Tobacco in Hungary saw a decline in volume terms overall in 2023, attributed to several and various factors. Despite price hikes that remained below the annual inflation rate, the market's largest segments struggled to stem the fall. Volume sales of…

Within tobacco in Estonia, cigarettes continued to struggle to maintain demand in 2023. Smoking prevalence in terms of cigarettes saw a further small decrease at the end of the review period. This was underpinned by heightened health concerns as well…

Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Estonia performed well in retail volume sales terms in 2023. E-vapour products and heated tobacco are emerging as the major competitors to regular combustible cigarettes. These product types…

Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Hungary in 2023 expanded in terms of volume and current value sales. By autumn 2023, all major international tobacco manufacturers had entered the heated tobacco market, with Japan…

Cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in Hungary saw overall category volume sales fall in 2023. Volume sales of smoking tobacco continued to drop, exacerbated by a more challenging household economic situation. With lower disposable incomes and…

The performance of cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in Estonia in 2023 diverged according to category. Cigars and, to a much lesser extent, cigarillos saw faster retail volume growth, compared to 2022, while smoking tobacco saw a stronger…

In 2023, cigarettes in Estonia witnessed another year of retail volume sales decline. The downward trajectory is partly due to consumers becoming more conscious of health and therefore likely to quit the habit. However, the major reason for the fall…

The number of households is set to slightly decrease, while the average household size will remain unchanged in Lithuania over 2023-2028. Single person households will remain the dominant household type but the fastest household expenditure growth is…

The number of households is set to slightly decrease, while the average household size will remain unchanged in Latvia over 2023-2028. Single person households will remain the dominant household type and the fastest household expenditure growth is…

The number of households is set to slightly decrease, while the average household size will remain unchanged in Bosnia and Herzegovina over 2023-2028. Couples with children will remain the dominant household type but the fastest household expenditure…

The number of households is set to slightly decrease, while the average household size will remain unchanged in Croatia over 2023-2028. Couples with children will remain the dominant household type but the fastest household expenditure growth is…

In 2023, there were no sharp changes in excise tax or, therefore, product prices in tobacco in Croatia. More stable prices helped to avoid declines in retail volume sales at the end of the review period. However, the growth in retail volume sales of…