Eastern Europe

Due to inconsistent consumer demand in North Macedonia, cider/perry witnessed volatility in sales over the review period. In 2023, cider/perry sales bounced back amid growing demand with double-digit volume growth and even stronger current value…

Volume sales of cider/perry plummeted in Lithuania during 2023 due to strong preference for alternatives. Consumers are put off from buying cider due to its high sugar content, a feature that even self-indulgent consumers tend to avoid. With…

Cider/perry grew well in Latvia during 2023 with the hot summer creating additional demand for this alcoholic beverage which is normally served very cold. Cider continued to gain back the losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic with the on-trade…

Cider/perry saw a rise in total volume sales in Hungary in 2023. Cider, a relatively new category in the Hungarian alcoholic drinks market, remains a small segment compared to beer, but is growing, in contrast to alcoholic flavoured/mixed lagers,…

2023 saw a decline in cider/perry sales in Estonia. Although cider remains a popular beverage in foodservice during the summer, economic uncertainty in 2023 caused sales to suffer. Sweet options like Fizz and Kiss lost ground as consumers became more…

In 2023, cider and perry in Croatia continued their upward trajectory, surpassing 2019 volume sales in both the off-trade and on-trade channels. This resurgence was primarily driven by the return of open-air socialising, concerts, festivals, and…

In 2023, the cider/perry category in Bulgaria witnessed strong growth in retail volume terms, thereby exceeding pre-pandemic levels. The development of this category is a result of the global trend towards low-alcohol and long drinks, especially…

Consumer demand for cider/perry in Bosnia and Herzegovina tends to be highly volatile, given that this category is small within alcoholic drinks. In 2023, even minor changes and shifts had significant impacts on the category's performance. Following…

The Ukraine’s chocolate confectionery market is seeing some degree of recovery in terms of retail volume sales in 2024, in growth that is continuing from 2023. This follows the severe drop seen in 2022 when war broke out. Mondelez Ukraine, which…

A challenging economic situation persists in 2024 caused by the high inflation seen in the past two years which has left consumers in the situation where they are battling with an increased cost-of-living while prices continue to rise. However, while…

Chocolate confectionery is expected to register moderate constant value growth in 2023, but volume growth will be marginal. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the meteoric rise in inflation and tightening…

Chocolate confectionery is seeing positive retail value sales in Slovakia in 2024, while volume remains in a slump. This situation is created by high unit prices and reduced consumer spending power. Added to which, we have seen soaring unit prices…

Retail volume sales of chocolate confectionery continued to see positive growth in 2023, supported by the return of Serbians to their busy, pre-pandemic lifestyles, including increased opportunities for on-the-go and impulse consumption. Despite…

Chocolate confectionery is maintaining its strong penetration across households in Romania in 2024, thanks to such products’ indulgent qualities and the sense of wellbeing which eating chocolate can bring. However, chocolate confectionery is also…

Inflation and higher production costs forced food companies in Poland to raise prices towards the end of the review period. While small producers often could not afford to do so without losing contracts with retail chains, larger companies like…

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…

In 2023, chocolate confectionery is witnessing muted growth in retail volume terms, with the economy slowing down and entering a technical recession in the first half of the year. Inflation remains high, but the economy is stable and hence consumer…

While chocolate confectionery is expected to register a double digit increase in current value sales, volume sales are expected to fall slightly. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the meteoric rise in…

Retail volume sales of sales of chocolate confectionery saw a flat performance in 2023. With food prices rocketing, consumers were forced to reduce their expenditure on non-essential items. However, while, price hikes were inevitable, there was some…

Chocolate confectionery continued to face inflationary pressures in 2023, following an increase of between 10-15% in unit prices in 2022. The war in Ukraine and subsequent changes in logistics impacted the supply chain and drove up variable costs. In…

Chocolate confectionery is expected to be the best performing snack in 2023, with healthy constant value and volume growth. Per capita consumption is on the rise, largely fuelled by a growing appetite for dark chocolate, which is seen as healthier.…

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…

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…

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.…

Childrenswear is expected to see a further, and stronger, decline in retail volume sales and a moderate, but much slower, retail current value increase over 2023. There was some fluctuation or downsizing about the performance of the category overall.…

Romanian consumers are showing a tendency to be more frugal in the context of high inflation with rising prices for raw materials and final products. This was reflected in a slight deceleration of the volume trend in 2023, though growth remained…

Over recent years, second-hand shopping gained global traction, primarily among Gen Z. This trend has now transcended demographics, notably appealing to parents of small children. With Poland's ongoing cost of living crisis and the rapid growth of…

The high inflation that prevailed in Hungary during 2022 and during 2023 led many consumers to make changes to their consumer habits in an effort to save money. This contributed to the significant shift towards more budget-friendly options that was…

The war has taken its toll on the local economy with disposable income in most households being squeezed. As a result, some price-sensitive consumers are downtrading when it comes to shopping for cheese. For instance, some consumers are shifting to…

With cheese requiring a significant amount of milk to produce, the increasing prices of raw milk during 2022 caused cheese prices to rise significantly. Production has stayed relatively stable, but the price change caused a noticeable shift in…

The cheese category is growing in volume and value terms. Inflation is driving the value growth of the category while the functional and health effects provided by consuming cheese are driving the volume growth of the category, where spreadable…

Retail volume sales of cheese continued to decline in 2023, albeit at a lower rate than the previous year. Growth was hampered by inflationary pressures, which made it harder for Slovak households to afford to consume the product on a daily basis.…

The local cheese industry is facing challenges in 2023, as imported products are favoured by retailers. In February 2023, the Serbian government introduced an import duty of 30 dinars per kilogram of cheese to protect domestic production from the…

Cheese is experiencing the cross-category trend of value being supported by high prices, whereas volume is being suppressed by low consumer spending power in the inflationary context. The overall volume declines in cheese are also the consequence of…

In response to the rise of competition from plant-based cheeses, dairy cheese producers in Poland are innovating with new flavours and types. Dublin Dairy has introduced 100g slices of Maasdam, a cheese known for its rich, sweet, buttery taste with a…

In the face of rising prices, cheese consumption remains stable in retail volume terms as this product range remains a popular item in everyday cuisine. Its versatility is a key reason for such high demand, as it can be used in preparing various…

Cheese recorded stagnant retail volume growth in Lithuania during 2023, although value growth was still exceptional in current terms as the impact of high inflation boosted unit prices and value sales significantly, albeit at a slower pace than…

Volume sales of cheese are experiencing stagnation in 2023 due to its high price, which peaked in 2022 as a result of the rising cost of logistics and energy. Inflation pressure is improving in 2023; however, economic uncertainty prevails. Consumer…

Following high double-digit price growth in 2022, the slight price decrease in 2023 positively influenced the retail volume growth of this market. However, cheese remains a product that is considered a non-basic food item by many, and as such, it is…

Butter expected to register healthy current value growth, but minimal volume growth. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and high inflation is continuing to have an effect and consumers are expected to be…

Cheese is expected to register muted constant value growth, but healthy volume growth in 2023. A significant number of newly-arrived migrants from Ukraine, escaping from the war, is also expected to increase volume sales. However, inflation is…

Lactose-free varieties have gained popularity at the expense of standard cheese in 2023. While this is partly due to the well-established tendency towards rising health awareness among the population, many consumers have also become more willing to…

The consumption of cheese rose marginally in 2023 after two years of decline caused by a shift back towards out-of-home entertaining and travelling in the post-pandemic era. Foodservice sales grew significantly and are exceeding pre-pandemic levels…

Despite the demographic challenges present in Bosnia and Herzegovina, consumer demand for cheese remains stable. One reason for the rising consumer interest in cheese is that these products are seen as an economical and nutritious source of protein,…

The most common type of charge card in the Czech Republic is commercial fleet cards which are offered to top corporate managers. Charge card transactions continued to rise by double-digits in 2023, due to the bounce back in corporate spending, as…

Charge cards experience sluggish growth due to rising inflation and a low economic performance, leading companies to optimise expenditures by reducing spending limits. However, charge cards lack digital options that are flourishing in other card…

The post-pandemic return to normal lifestyles is helping to revive the charge card category, with transactions rising alongside the recovery in travel. Nevertheless, charge cards issued by banks continue to be infrequently utilised and the number in…

Only commercial charge cards are available in Hungary in 2023, with personal charge cards no longer available. Moreover, commercial charge cards are only offered to top corporate executives and senior managers and there are no indications that this…

Cat food is set to see strong current value growth in Ukraine in 2024. In Ukraine, there is a relatively low penetration of industrial pet food with the majority of people still feeding their cats non-prepared food. However, those owners who do feed…

The influx of cats that migrated with Ukrainian refugees helped cat food in the Czech Republic to continue to see healthy retail volume and current value growth in 2022 and 2023, despite the worsening economic situation caused by the war in Ukraine…