Eastern Europe

Retail volume and value sales of small cooking appliances declined in 2023. As in other categories of consumer appliances, the COVID-19 pandemic drove forward purchases of small cooking appliances impacted by periods of home seclusion. Moving into…

Inflation was still an issue in 2023 for small local grocers in Bulgaria, though growth eased. As such, though current value sales rose, constant value sales fell, as continuing rising costs cut profit margins. There was also minimal openings of new…

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…

In 2023, small local grocers recorded low growth in retail value sales. Double-digit inflation has changed the shopping habits of Poles. Consumers purchase less, save money, buy cheaper alternatives or limit their consumption. In 2023, sales of beer…

The performance of small local grocers in Romania in 2023, was negatively impacted by the declining number of outlets across the nation. In addition, the elimination of all COVID-19 restrictions in 2022 propelled travelling and bolstered spending in…

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…

Small local grocers in the Czech Republic have struggled to adapt in an environment of high inflation, which has weakened the Czech economy since 2022 and created a cost of living crisis for Czech households. Indeed, some outlets were forced to cease…

Small local grocers was the only grocery retailers channel in Ukraine to contract in current value terms in 2023. While trade picked up from 2022 as the initial shock of the Russian invasion receded, it continued to lose ground to modern formats such…

Smokeless tobacco, heated tobacco and e-vapour products in Bulgaria posted dynamic growth despite rising unit prices across all categories. The growing popularity of such products has led to higher excise duty on e-liquids and nicotine free liquids,…

E-vapour products and heated tobacco products were the two most dynamic areas of tobacco in Slovenia in 2023. Increasing awareness about the harmful impact of smoking cigarettes and tobacco has resulted in some consumers switching to alternatives…

Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Croatia performed well overall in 2023, although chewing tobacco and moist snuff remained negligible. Both e-vapour products and heated tobacco are on an upward retail volume sales…

Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Estonia performed well in retail volume sales terms in 2023. E-vapour products and heated tobacco are emerging as the major competitors to regular combustible cigarettes. These product types…

In 2023, e-vapour products in Lithuania continued to show strong growth. A significant number of consumers are shifting from regular cigarettes to alternatives perceived as less harmful, particularly single-use vaping devices and heated tobacco.…

In 2023, retail value sales of e-vapour products and heated tobacco recorded double-digit growth in Bosnia Herzegovina. While the smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption, including illicit trade, continue to decline in the country, two other…

Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products, and heated tobacco in Latvia continued its upward trajectory in 2023, primarily driven by the increasing popularity of heated tobacco and single-use vaping systems. While this growth trend has been consistent…

Both e-vapour and heated tobacco registered healthy volume growth in 2023. That being said, sales were still low. In particular in terms of e-vapour, there is concern that vaping is as harmful as cigarette smoking. In April 2023, the government…

New regulations were introduced for e-vapour products in Serbia in 2023. Amendments to the Tobacco Law, effective from November 2023, established a new category for electronic cigarettes and associated products, regardless of their nicotine content.…

E-vapour products saw a fall in sales in current value terms in Ukraine in 2023, while heated tobacco products saw growth in both current value and volume terms. E-vapour products experienced a significant change in market conditions in Ukraine…

Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Slovakia saw double-digit rises in volume and current value sales growth in 2023. In February 2023, tobacco products were subject excise taxes increase, though retailers of e-vapour products…

Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Hungary in 2023 expanded in terms of volume and current value sales. By autumn 2023, all major international tobacco manufacturers had entered the heated tobacco market, with Japan…