Eastern Europe

Sales of sports drinks in Latvia grew well for the second consecutive year in a row, with off-trade volume sales recording positive growth. Sports drinks are an emerging category in Latvia, and the health and wellness trend is bolstering sales as…

Sports drinks is seeing robust off-trade volume growth, bucking the general trends which are suppressing sales in soft drinks as a whole. Sales in sports drinks are supported by consumers returning to gymnasiums and other sporting activities in the…

In 2023, the sports drinks category saw off-trade volume growth as demand was driven by the health and wellness trend and the growing gym culture, which has continued to accelerate, despite the demographic problems facing the country. The health and…

Despite being an emerging product in Poland, sports drinks saw volume sales growth slow in 2023, due to ongoing inflation and diminishing purchasing power. Nevertheless, it was still one of the top performing categories in soft drinks. The importance…

Following a decline in sales due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, sports drinks continued to gain ground in 2023, posting increased off-trade volume and value sales. With no restrictions in place, Romanians have become more willing to engage in…

Sports drinks in Serbia witnessed a notable increase in volume sales attributed primarily to the expanding consumer base. The awareness surrounding sports drinks continues to grow, with a broader spectrum of Serbians, not just athletes, becoming more…

The competition to sports drinks in Slovakia in 2023 came increasingly from functional bottled water, including bottled water products positioned as being rich in minerals, such as magnesium. This was because of the overlapping of the potential…

The sport drinks category is growing well in Slovenia, due to the growing importance of sports and fitness activities in Slovenia. Many individuals are now focused on being active while being more educated on the benefits that sports drinks offer.…

Sports drinks’ performance was not affected significantly by the high inflation rate and worsening economic situation in 2022 and 2023. This was because the factor with the highest influence on demand towards the end of the review period was the…

Sports drinks was already a niche even before the pandemic, but what sales did exist registered heavy losses following Russia’s invasion in early 2022. Many men joined the armed forces in response to the invasion and as such were forced to give up…

Sports nutrition is performing well in 2023 thanks to renewed consumer demand in the post-pandemic period, which is helping the category to surpass pre-pandemic sales levels. Generally, sports nutrition products are used by both professional athletes…

The sports nutrition category has seen international brands, such as Post Holdings Inc, Optimum Nutrition Inc, and Pure Nutrition Technology, establish strong positions in the Bulgarian market. International brands typically offer a wide range of…

Sports nutrition is performing exceptionally well as the gym culture in Croatia is gaining momentum. Despite limited budgets and low income levels in the country, going to the gym and partaking in other sporting activities are becoming an integral…

In 2023, sales of sports nutrition are benefiting from consumers leading increasingly healthy lifestyles and rising nutrition education. In addition, sports nutrition products are now very well perceived as the scepticism among the general public…

Sports nutrition is expected to be the star performer in 2023, with double-digit constant value growth. The consumer base is widening and demand for sports nutrition is now not only confined to body building, but also for sports enthusiasts who…

Sports nutrition has remained one of the best performing areas of Hungary’s consumer health market in 2023, with strong double-digit growth in total current value sales projected and all categories poised to register impressive results in volume…

The rising number of usage occasions is driving sales of sports nutrition products in Latvia, with double-digit current value growth reported in 2023. Historically, sports nutrition products were mainly used by professional athletes and bodybuilders,…

Sports nutrition is gaining ground in 2023, with sales benefiting from lifting all COVID-19 restrictions, seeing consumers returning to an increasingly active lifestyle. In addition, interest in health and sports is continuing to increase and find…

Sports nutrition is an extremely popular category in 2023, especially sports protein powder and non-protein products. These products are equally used by professional body builders and those who exercise regularly and want to build muscle. As a…

Sports nutrition continued its upward trajectory in 2023, with every type of product seeing enhanced growth in retail volume terms. With the COVID-19 crisis having largely abated, consumers began to pay more attention to their health and wellbeing,…

Within the sports nutrition market in Romania, protein/energy bars remains the largest category. Indeed, its strength is being reinforced by the increasing trend for physical activity amongst urban consumers, many of whom are more exposed to…

The sports nutrition category is expected to see continued dynamic growth in 2023. As Serbians have returned to pre-pandemic lifestyles, they have spent more time outdoors and in gyms. Moreover, the experience of the COVID-19 crisis boosted consumer…

In 2023, sports nutrition continues to recover from the general decline in retail volume and value sales in 2020. This downturn was caused by the exigencies of Coronavirus (COVID-19), which saw gyms close amid lockdown and home seclusion measures.…

Sports Nutrition is thriving in Slovenia, as the fitness culture is gaining significant traction. Despite constrained budgets and lower income levels compared to the EU average, gyms and sports are increasingly becoming an essential aspect of life,…

Healthy lifestyle is the main driver behind the performance of sports nutrition in the Czech Republic. Sports nutrition consumers are more proactive than ever as they feel both positive and negative pressures regarding health and wellbeing. Factors…

During 2023, substantial growth was witnessed in demand for football-related sportswear among the population of Hungary. More extensive media coverage of the national team's performances and the expansion of football stadiums across the country have…

Despite Poland's sustained high inflation in 2023, the prices for sports and sports-inspired clothing continued their upward trajectory, albeit at a slower pace than in 2022. Consequently, sportswear experienced significant sales growth in value…

Inflation and declining purchasing power generally drive down demand for non-essential products. Nevertheless, demand for sportswear continued to increase in both 2022 and 2023, showing that there is still considerable room for growth in a context of…

A reported 85% of Zalando e-shop customers engage in sports activities at least once a week. In addition, the Czechs Republic exceeds the European average in the category of sportswear. The most sought-after brands include Nike, adidas, Under Armour,…

In 2023, staple foods witnessed a slightly better performance in volume terms, even though consumer demand is beginning to stagnate in response to the country’s population decline, which is reducing the potential consumer base. Most staple food…

Staple foods continues to witness positive growth in 2023, in current value terms, due to high inflation and elevated retail prices. The consumption of staple foods has slowed, resulting in a slight decrease in retail volume sales for the full year.…

The sharp price growth in staple foods seen in 2022 has moderated in 2023. Retailers are trying to reduce further oscillations by introducing heavy discounts and gradual price changes. Whilst Croatian consumers remain extremely price sensitive due to…

In 2023, demand for staple foods has recovered slightly after several years of decline. Retail volume sales was under pressure for much of the review period, due to surging production costs and rising inflation, which forced prices up. Although…

Staple foods has benefited from the slowdown in retail price inflation in 2023, supporting solid volume growth in 2023. This followed a challenging period in 2022 attributed to geopolitical tensions and macroeconomic challenges, which led to elevated…

Overall retail volume sales of staple foods in Hungary are set to decline for a third consecutive year in 2023, with the contraction projected to be slightly deeper than that recorded in 2022. Demand continues to be depressed by rapidly rising prices…

Staple foods in Latvia in 2023 is enjoying a period of modest recovery, following the significant price inflation of 2022. Although some growth has been observed, it is primarily a rebound from the previous year's downturn. The industry overall…

Staple foods in Lithuania has been less impacted by the economic uncertainty than other packaged food categories in 2023. The price inflation of 2022 due to the rising cost of logistics, raw materials and packaging, slowed significantly in 2023,…

Staple foods in North Macedonia is recording moderate volume growth in 2023 as consumer demand stagnates due to a shrinking consumer base as a result of negative demographic trends in the country. Value sales, meanwhile, are seeing strong…

In 2023, the Polish government implemented new regulations aimed at supporting bakeries and pastry shops amid escalating gas prices. Effective from April 7, these regulations broadened the eligibility criteria for purchasing gas at a regulated price…

In the backdrop of sustained high inflation in Romania in 2023, the resulting high cost of living significantly impacted the retail sales of basic food products, defining the landscape for staple foods during the same year. Analysis of statistics and…

Inflation continues to be high in 2023 and as such though staple foods is expected to register current value growth, both constant value and volume sales are expected to fall marginally. This fall in volume sales is also due to a declining…

In 2023, despite a stabilisation in the unit price growth of staple foods, the purchasing power of Slovaks failed to recover. Factors such as higher interest rates, rising oil prices, and more expensive services continued to significantly limit their…

Retail volume growth is being seen across the board in staple foods in Slovenia in 2023 as demand continues to increase steadily in the year. Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat is the fastest growing category in volume terms, with sales…

Retail volume sales of staple foods in the Czech republic suffered a decline in sales in constant value terms in 2023, in the face of the rising cost of living, which curbed consumer spending. The country’s post-pandemic recovery was also derailed by…

The biggest story in staple foods in Ukraine in 2023 was that all sales in all categories were still being significantly impacted by the ongoing war that rages in many parts of the country as well as high inflation due to the collapsing exchange…

There are currently no store cards in circulation in Hungary. Magyar Cetelem Bank stopped offering store cards in 2008 and no retailers have since signalled any intention to relaunch such services. Instead, retailers are collaborating with banks to…

During 2022, there remained no store cards in circulation in Poland as the entire store cards concept is seen as obsolete and there are currently no issuers or operators with any interest in offering store cards to consumers. Previously, Sygma Bank…

In 2023, street stalls/kiosks continue to rebound from the steep sales declines seen at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Strong double-digit value growth is further supported by rising unit prices and the impact of inflation. The market has already…

Street stalls/kiosks run by entrepreneurs and small businesses were among the most vulnerable players within consumer foodservice in 2023. The sales performance of street stalls/kiosks is highly dependent on changing traffic patterns, the weather and…

Street stalls/kiosks was among the better performing areas of Poland’s foodservice market in 2023, in part because comparatively low prices ensured it was somewhat less exposed to the cost-of-living crisis. Given the importance of on-the-go…