Understand the key trends shaping demand and future opportunities...
Understand the key trends shaping demand and future opportunities across industries in Eastern Europe, with the latest regional and country-level analysis and market statistics.
General merchandise stores saw declining sales in Hungary in 2023, due to the low levels of activity in the category. It is also well consolidated, with Ecofamily (Napcsillag Kft) holding just under half of all brand share. Indeed, Ecofamily has…
Health and beauty specialists is a channel which has been affected by cross-category trends in Hungary in 2023. Specifically, the impact of high inflation has led to a growing presence of private label options, thus, to meet the needs of…
Health and beauty specialists were the best performing retail channel in Slovakia in 2023 in terms of value growth. There was also a significant increase in outlet openings. However, it was a mixed bag. While pharmacies registered a healthy increase…
Home products specialists faced inflationary challenges in Hungary in 2023, with the double-digit inflation hikes continuing (and even increasing from) the previous year. Moreso, Hungary is reported to be experiencing one of the highest sets of hikes…
Home product specialists were the worst performing retail channel in Slovakia in 2023. With inflation still high, consumers put off home renovation projects and also cut down on spend on homewares and home furnishings. As such, home products register…
Hypermarkets saw shrinking value sales in Hungary in 2023, compared to the double-digit growth rates seen the previous year. This is attributed to competition from other channels, such as discounters (eg Lidl and Aldi) which offer an increasingly…
Hypermarkets were the best performing grocery channel in Slovakia in 2023 in terms of value growth. Recent openings of new outlets boosted value sales, including the new Kaufland Bratislava outlet discussed below. However, with inflation still high,…
Retail e-commerce was a fragmented category in Hungary in 2023, with the leading brand being Media Markt (Media Markt Retail Cooperation Kft), followed by eMAG Marketing (Extreme Digital - Emag Kft). However, Media Markt is the only name holding a…
Retail e-commerce registered a modest increase in current value sales in Slovakia. However, with appliances and electronics continuing to be the most popular products sold online, and with weak consumer sentiment leading consumers to postpone larger…
Retail in Hungary continued to be influenced by inflationary factors in 2023, with the double-digit hikes continuing (and even increasing from) the previous year. Moreso, Hungary is reported to be experiencing one of the highest sets of hikes across…
It was a poor trading year for retail in Slovakia in 2023. With inflation still being high, as well increasing interest rates leading to higher mortgage payments, consumers felt the pinch. As such, there was only marginal growth in current value…
Small local grocers saw robust value sales in Hungary in 2023, driven by the rise of urbanisation, busy consumer lifestyles, and the convenience which small local grocers offer due to their proximity benefits. Whilst small local grocers have also…
2023 was not a good year for small local grocers in Slovakia. With inflation still being high, consumers cut back on spending in such outlets, as prices tend to be higher than in other larger grocery retailers. As such, both constant and current…
Supermarkets saw a decline in value sales in Hungary in 2023, following the positive performance seen in 2022 as the channel benefitted from the normalisation patterns following the era of the pandemic. In 2023, however, the channel is being affected…
Supermarkets in Slovakia lost out to discounters in 2023, as continuing high inflation saw consumers increasingly shop in discounters. Consumers also sought out discounts in supermarkets as they were highly price sensitive. As such, supermarket…
Sales in vending were being supported in Hungary in 2023, due to the number of vending machines increasing. Vending is seen as a beneficial model for retail, as it does not require a cashier to serve the customers, thus cuts down on labour and…
Vending was one of the better performing retail channels in Slovakia in 2023, with current value sales increasing. Convenience and on-the-go consumption drove consumer demand. While hot drinks continued to be the most popular product sold through…
Apparel and footwear specialists in Romania recorded strong, double-digit retail value growth in 2023. This positive performance is partly driven by consumers returning to physical stores, after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in March 2022. The…
Following strong growth during COVID-19, in 2023, appliances and electronics specialists in Romania registered a downward trend. For larger appliances, sales were sustained in 2023 as consumers applied for vouchers through a scrappage scheme, driving…
The high growth for convenience retailers in 2023 in Romania, was driven by rising interest in proximity shopping. Price growth over the level of inflation limited consumers' purchases to basic food items. Reduction of purchasing power due to…