Eastern Europe

Despite a growing health consciousness among Bosnian consumers, chocolate remains a beloved treat in 2024. Dark chocolate, in particular, enjoys a reputation as a healthy indulgence, further solidifying chocolate's place in the snacking landscape.…

Chocolate confectionery is seeing similar sales growth in 2024 to that seen in 2023, with moderate growth in retail volume terms and stronger growth in current value terms. Despite inflation stabilising, the global jump in cocoa prices started to be…

Cider/perry in Serbia continued to see strong and stable volume growth in total volume terms in 2023, although growth continued to come from a small consumer base. Cider is benefitting from a growing consumer base with healthier lifestyles fuelling…

Gum in Bosnia faces a challenging reality in 2024. Consumer demand continues to dwindle due to a shrinking population base. This demographic decline translates to a moderate decrease in retail volume. Even with rising unit prices caused by inflation,…

Gum continues to see steady growth in retail volume terms in 2024, although growth has been stronger in current value terms which is due to price inflation. Gum is entirely an imported product and thus it has been impacted by higher transportation…

Ice cream in Bosnia and Herzegovina defied expectations in 2024. Despite a challenging demographic crisis leading to a shrinking consumer base, the category managed to maintain stable demand. This resilience can be attributed to the constant stream…

Sales of ice cream in Bulgaria in 2024 are increasing in current value terms but declining in retail volume terms. This is due largely to the considerable rise in ice cream prices in the last few years of the review period and heightened consumer…

Retail volume sales of RTDs in Serbia enjoyed strong growth in 2023. As consumers spent more time socialising outside the home, they were drawn to buying convenient ready-to-drink options for on-the-go consumption. Spirit-based RTDs are experiencing…

Savoury snacks in Bosnia and Herzegovina faces a complex situation in 2024. Consumer demand stagnates, leading to only modest retail volume growth. This can be attributed to the growing influence of health and wellness trends. Consumers are…

Sales of savoury snacks in Bulgaria have remained flat in retail volume terms while growth in current value terms is being sustained by prices remaining elevated. Despite the decrease in inflation seen in 2024, the retail prices of some savoury…

Despite the maturity of most categories, snacks in Bosnia and Herzegovina exhibits stable consumer demand in 2024. This, combined with rising product prices due to lingering inflation, translates to solid to strong RSP value growth. The market is…

Sales of snacks continue to increase at a faster pace in current value terms than retail volume terms in 2024. This is due to prices continuing to rise, albeit at a slightly more modest pace as inflation begins to stabilise, as well as the impact of…

Spirits volume sales slowed down in 2023 with the on-trade responsible for most of the growth in Serbia. The on-trade sector is steadily recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and should see a full rebound in volume sales during 2024. With the rate of…

Sugar confectionery faces a difficult reality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The reputation of refined sugar remains poor, with health and wellness trends heavily impacting consumer demand. In 2024, this translates to a continued decline in consumer…

Sales of sugar confectionery continue to see stable growth in 2024 in retail volume terms. Growth has been stronger in current value terms which is largely due to high sugar prices, which have remained high after rising sharply in 2023. The return of…

Sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks in Bosnia and Herzegovina grapples with a duality in 2024. On one hand, health and wellness trends continue to dampen demand for certain sweet biscuit categories reliant on refined sugar. On the other hand,…

2024 has been another tough year for sales of sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks with sales continuing to decline in retail volume terms, albeit at a slower rate than in the previous two years. Despite inflation starting to stabilise and a…

Wine volume sales in Serbia rose moderately in 2023, driven by higher consumption in on-trade establishments where volumes returned to pre-pandemic levels. Despite the boost in on-trade sales, demand through the off-trade also remained stable with…

The briefing explores structural drivers of inflation and their impact on the global economy and business environment. Factors such as demographics changes, globalisation reset, decarbonisation, AI revolution and higher debt levels would add to the…

Chocolate confectionery is expected to register solid growth in 2024, with value growth higher than volume growth as inflation has pushed prices up. The significant rise in commodity prices, production costs, and inflation in 2023 has had a…