Eastern Europe

In the upcoming years, consumers and businesses face an array of challenges, with rising income inequality being among the key ones. Nevertheless, addressing the income inequality through catering to the Bottom of the Pyramid and the Middle Class…

Consumer Types can be a powerful tool to help companies better understand and appeal to their target markets. By going beyond typical demographic-based segmentation, such as age or gender, and grouping consumers based on shared traits and…

Consumer Types can be a powerful tool to help companies better understand and appeal to their target markets. By going beyond typical demographic-based segmentation, such as age or gender, and grouping consumers based on shared traits and…

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

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

Global consumer expenditure will rebound in 2021 following the downturn in 2020 as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Spending on hotels and catering is forecast to have the fastest real growth. This report will provide key insights…

In 2024, contact lenses and solutions in Poland experienced a subtle yet significant shift influenced by demographic and lifestyle factors. The country's inflation slowdown contributed to a marginal increase in average unit prices within the…

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…

2023 was not a good year for convenience retailers in Bulgaria. With inflation still being high, consumers cut back on spending in convenience retailers, as prices tend to be higher than in other grocery retailers. In addition, there is a degree of…

Convenience stores continued to be affected by price hikes in Hungary in 2023. Whilst inflationary pressures have had effects across retail, we see some specific spikes and falls.

Convenience stores recorded slower value dynamics than overall retail in 2023. Higher prices in this channel stimulated a consumer shift towards discounters and supermarkets. The situation in the market favoured retail chains that can afford to offer…

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…

2023 was not a good year for convenience retailers in Slovakia. With inflation still being high, consumers cut back on spending in convenience retailers, as prices tend to be higher than in other grocery retailers. As such both constant and current…

Convenience retailers in the Czech Republic are suffering amid retail price increases as locals are searching for the best value and price when shopping. When it comes to price, convenience retailers are unable to compete with larger retailers and so…

Convenience retailers in Ukraine continued to prove more successful than other grocery formats in weathering the challenges brought about by the Russian invasion in 2023. Offering a relatively limited range of day-to-day essentials, they were well…

2023 was a year of stable, modest retail volume growth and strong double-digit retail value growth in current terms for cooking ingredients and meals in Bosnia and Herzegovina as high inflation and subsequent significant unit price growth all of…

Most product areas within cooking ingredients and meals maintained positive value, despite a decline in volume. This decline can be attributed to the significant inflation experienced in the previous year, the resulting growth in retail prices, and…

After declining in 2022, overall retail volume sales of cooking ingredients and meals in Croatia are set to increase moderately in 2023. This recovery is partly explained by the gradual easing of inflationary pressures linked to the global recovery…

Cooking ingredients and meals continued to expand in both volume and value terms in Estonia in 2023. This is attributable to the popularity of food and cooking blogs that promote products, Estonians spending less time on cooking, and a greater focus…

2023 is offering a more promising outlook for cooking ingredients and meals in Georgia than was seen in 2022, when the industry suffered from soaring costs across packaging, raw materials, and logistics. A standout in this scenario is the edible oils…

Retail sales of cooking ingredients and meals in Hungary registered buoyant growth in current value terms in 2023. However, this was due to massive inflationary pressures, rather than any huge upturn in demand. With Hungary having been added to the…

Cooking ingredients is expected to register muted constant value and volume growth in 2023. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the meteoric rise in inflation and tightening monetary policy, all have a…

Cooking ingredients is expected to register moderate current value growth, but volume growth is expected to be minimal. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the meteoric rise in inflation and tightening…

In 2023, cooking ingredients and meals experienced robust volume growth alongside strong double-digit percentage increases in value terms. These achievements were largely driven by ongoing inflationary pressure and rising unit prices across all…

In 2023, the Polish market for packaged cooking ingredients and meals experiences significant growth and evolving consumer preferences. The ready meals category leads in terms of value, and to some extent in volume, with rigid plastics as the primary…

The performance of cooking meals and ingredients during 2023 was influenced by the impact of food price rises over the rate of inflation for many basic food products, which hiked the cost of living for consumers. The high cost of living had a…

The combination of rising prices and economic uncertainty is curbing demand for cooking ingredients and meals in Serbia. Local consumers are acutely aware of the increase in food prices, fuel and other goods, and are equally feeling the impact of…

Cooking ingredients and meals in Slovakia continues to feel the impact of rising unit prices in 2023, driving up value sales growth. As a result, Slovak consumers are becoming thriftier, allocating more of their budgets to essential expenditures such…

Increasingly busy consumer lifestyles are contributing to rising demand for convenience products that aim to reduce time spent cooking. Ready meals, spice mixes and sauces are thus all gaining in popularity. Ready meals are a great substitute for…

Two major forces are shaping the cooking ingredients category in the Czech Republic in 2023: high inflation and population increase due to the arrival of Ukrainian refugees. Within foodservice, prices are increasing, and many Czechs are instead…

After demand plummeted across all categories of cooking ingredients and meals over the course of 2022 as the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine interrupted supply chains, caused widespread financial hardship and motivated huge numbers of local…

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) continues to rebound following the declines during the COVID-19 pandemic and the slow recovery in its aftermath. Unit prices have been driven up by inflation resulting in double-digit current value growth in 2023,…

Price sensitivity among Bulgarian consumers is a key factor influencing their purchasing decisions when it comes to cough, cold, and allergy (hay fever) remedies. As the minimum wage in Bulgaria is just under EUR400 in 2023, a significant portion of…

During the last couple of years, the flu season was virtually non-existent as a result of Croatians staying at home and, when venturing out in public, wearing face masks, maintaining social distance and frequently washing their hands. This…

Whilst the category continues to record growth in 2023, the particularly high growth level seen in the previous year could not be maintained. 2022 was a strong year for the category as consumers returned to their pre-pandemic lifestyles following the…

Analgesics is expected to register moderate constant value growth in 2023. Though there was widespread severe flu in early 2023, cough and cold remedies are not expected to benefit to a huge degree, as most of these patients were hospitalised or put…

Most cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies categories in Hungary are set to expand in volume terms in 2023 or record slower rates of decline than in 2022. Similar to the case with analgesics, the need for these products has been bolstered by…

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies in Latvia is registering moderate growth in 2023 as the category begins to stabilise post-pandemic. Retail value sales rebounded strongly 2022 after two years of decline, with lifestyles shifting back to…

2023 marks the year when the cough and cold landscape is set to lose its uplift due to COVID-19, returning to a level closer to that seen pre-pandemic. Sales have continued to benefit from harsh seasonal colds and the flu season of 2022-2023.…

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies is seeing slower growth in 2023 due to a shorter cold season caused by milder winter 2022/2023. The exception is antihistamines, which continues to grow at a solid rate due to high consumer demand amidst…

The majority of subcategories within cough, cold and allergy remedies recorded positive growth in retail volume terms in 2023. This was due, in a large part, to a return pre-pandemic lifestyles, which facilitated the spread of the influenza virus and…

Following the return to normality in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, with no more lockdowns or movement restrictions, there has been an increase in the spread of cold and flu viruses, as well as a widespread rise in issues caused by hay fever and…

Although the threat from COVID-19 is largely perceived to have past, many consumers continue to worry about how people will react if they sneeze or cough in public. Volume growth of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies is helping to drive the…

In Slovakia, cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies was characterised by very strong increases in retail volume sales of OTC remedies for sore throats, coughs and colds. The high demand was the result of extremely high morbidity throughout the…

During the past few years, Slovenia has experienced a virtually non-existent flu season due to the outbreak of COVID-19. This led to individuals opting to stay at home and, when going out in public, adhering to practices like wearing face masks,…

In 2022, cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies was marked by increases in demand for products to soothe sore throat and cough complaints. This development was a result of extremely high morbidity throughout the year. In the first half of 2022,…

The loan repayment moratorium for vulnerable borrowers, including credit card owners, to cope with the negative economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic was extended to the end of 2022, but was not renewed in 2023. Meanwhile, high interest…

The number of personal credit cards in circulation has been falling over the review period. Due to the high interest rates on credit cards, some consumers are paying off balances and closing credit card accounts. This trend can also be linked to the…

The growth in credit card transactions is slowing down as a result of persisting inflation and escalating consumer prices, prompting a return to higher levels of budget-consciousness and financial uncertainty. Economic instability has led to reduced…

Debit cards are generally preferred to credit cards in the Czech Republic. In 2023, debit card transaction growth is being driven by the decline in cash transactions and the growing number of point-of-sale (POS) terminals in retail stores. In 2023,…