Eastern Europe

Ageing, urbanisation and migration remain the major drivers shaping the global population. The number of seniors worldwide was increasing in 2022 and is expected to continue growing to 2040. The number of births is declining globally due to falling…

With its very low tax burden and strong state finances, Bulgaria enjoys economic freedom, although political instability has been common. High inflation is adversely affecting the economy, but joblessness remains low. Although skills shortages are…

Sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks saw strong double-digit current value growth in 2023, supported by stable consumer demand and rising unit prices. Inflation remains high fuelling much of the current value growth. Rising consumer demand for…

Healthy eating is taking a higher priority with consumers increasingly shunning sugar confectionery due to its high sugar content and limited value-added properties. As a result, retail volume sales are declining for the fourth consecutive year in…

Snacks continues to make a robust recovery in 2023. Consumer demand for snacks is stabilising and the category is much closer to pre-pandemic sales in retail volume terms, which should be reached in 2024. Snacks is among the most dynamic packaged…

Savoury snacks is witnessing moderate volume growth in 2023 as the category recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Inflation and rising energy prices caused by the war in Ukraine have driven up unit prices and is a major cause of supply chain…

Consumer demand for ice cream remains strong in 2023, even after the category’s full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The scorching heat in 2023 has led to high demand for ice cream driving up impulse purchases. Inflation and rising unit prices…

Gum continues to gradually recover from the pandemic in 2023, although retail volume sales are still declining marginally. Gum increasingly has a bad name, due to its high sugar content and bad environmental reputation in terms of disposability, and…

Chocolate confectionery is witnessing a more upbeat performance in 2023, with retail volume sales returning to growth. There has been a significant number of new chocolate products launched in 2023, which has captured consumer interest and boosted…

Difficult macroeconomic conditions and a high level of sales in the previous year mostly resulted in retail volume decline in 2023. Sales of wearable electronics are closely linked to the sale of smartphones, which did not perform well either.…

Smart wearables are seeing continuous, strong growth in 2023. The growing focus on health and wellness is a significant driver for smart wearables in Poland. Consumers are increasingly interested in monitoring their physical activity, heart rate,…

Portable players continue to grow in Czech Republic, although retail volume sales are driven exclusively by wireless speakers. E-readers continued to be substituted with smartphones and tablets, with volume sales continuing to decline. Czech…

Portable players recorded further growth in 2023, with wireless speakers driving this sales increase, as these products continue to attract consumer interest. Consumers are keen on the high quality of the sound they offer, we well as their advanced…

Smartphones volume sales are declining for a second consecutive year in 2023. Supply side issues were problematic in 2022, with the global microchip shortage and rising overall production costs pushing up prices. In 2023, the volume decline is being…

Smartphones witnessed volume decline in 2023, which is partly due to high market saturation, but also due to the fact that there has not been any significant innovation recently to attract consumers. Consumers are consequently satisfied with their…

In recognition of its long-term decline, in-car entertainment manufacturers are limiting their investments and fewer launches are occurring. The lingering economic uncertainty following the pandemic, compounded by global inflation and the war in…

Further decline in both the new and second-hand cars market has impacted demand for in-car entertainment products in Poland in 2023. A shortage of essential parts and components affected sales of new cars in the year, resulting in strong demand for…

Volume sales of digital cameras continues to fall in 2023, as competition from smartphones devastates this category. Smartphones have been a threat to this category for years, as their devices offer high-quality images and recording with increased…

Imaging devices continued to record declining volume sales in 2023, predominantly due to a strong fall in sales of digital cameras, which are more frequently being replaced by alternative devices. The rise of smartphones with advanced camera…

The majority of TVs sold in Czech households have been replaced in recent years partly due to compliance with the new broadcast standard DVB-T2. With the wider offer of video-on-demand services, content in high definition, and the more frequent use…