Eastern Europe

It was a dismal year for sun care in North Macedonia in 2023, with both constant value and volume sales falling. Inflation continued to be high and the continuing rising costs cut into players’ profit margins. A declining population also led to a…

After witnessing significant declines in 2020 in the first year of COVID-19, sun care in Poland saw continuous robust retail volume and current value growth from 2021 to 2023, recovering fully in current value terms, but not rebounding completely…

In 2023, sun care in Romania witnessed another year of surging retail volume and current value sales, remaining one of the most rapidly expanding categories within beauty and personal care. Part of the reason for continued dynamism was that sales of…

Sun care in Serbia experienced robust growth in 2023 driven by aggressive promotional activities by all major players, commencing as early as April and extending throughout the summer season. The exceptionally hot weather prompted Serbians to spend…

In 2023, the post-pandemic recovery in sun care continued, although retail volume sales remained below pre-pandemic levels in Slovakia. Despite the growing pressure on purchasing power and rising prices, exceptionally good weather in Slovakia boosted…

Sun care in Slovenia had a favourable year in 2023 supported by warm weather for the majority of the summer and improvements in the tourism sector. Croatia remains a popular summer destination for Slovenians, but there has been a visible improvement…

Sun care sales rose in current value terms in the Czech Republic in 2023. After a slump during the COVID-19 crisis, when travel – and therefore exposure to the sun – was significantly restricted, the sun care category recorded a strong rebound coming…

In 2023, sun care saw a strong recovery following the significant decline seen a year earlier, with much of 2022 marked by major challenges and uncertainties. The adaptation of the population to the new realities resulted in a shift in summer leisure…

Sunglasses continue to exhibit robust growth in eyewear in Poland in 2024, albeit at a slightly slower pace compared to the previous year. Despite economic challenges stemming from the cost-of-living crisis, the category remains one of the…

With high inflation weakening purchasing power among the population, volume growth for sunglasses in Romania in 2024 looks set to be slower than in 2023. The category continues to perform reasonably well overall in this regard, however, in part…

Supermarkets in Bulgaria registered current value growth, though constant value sales fell. Inflation was still an issue and impacted profitability. That being said, supermarkets are the largest modern grocery retailer in terms of value sales, with…

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 recorded strong growth in value sales in 2023. The upward trend in the number of supermarkets also continued in 2023 with supermarkets recording the highest growth in grocery retailers during the year. Proximity supermarkets, ie local…

In 2023, supermarkets in Romania recorded double-digit retail value growth; the result of having excellent locations in crowded neighbourhoods. As such, these stores increasingly benefit from proximity while offering a broader range of products…

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…

Supermarkets in the Czech Republic have enjoyed a solid performance in recent years. Inflation has remained high since 2022 plunging the Czech economy into dire straits for the second year running. Even though the soaring costs of living put further…

Supermarkets was the most dynamic grocery retailers channel in Ukraine in current value growth terms in 2023. While many players suffered steep declines in revenues and the loss of several outlets in 2022 due to the initial shock and destruction of…

Surface care excluding wipes witnessed marginal retail volume growth in 2023, due to the maturity of this category and weaker demand in the face of price increases. The moderate growth of home care disinfectants is lifting sales across the entire…

Surface care in Bulgaria continued to decline in retail volume in 2023, much of which is the consequence of the category's unusual growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, sales are declining in comparison as usage returns to pre-pandemic…

Croatian consumers largely prefer multi-purpose surface care products as they offer a convenient and efficient way to clean different surfaces with just one product, thereby saving time, money and storage space. In 2023, the majority of consumers had…