Hungary

Spiralling energy costs have led many small local grocers in Hungary to reduce the amount of refrigeration and freezer space in their stores in 2023. The same trend has been observed among convenience stores chains like Coop, Real and CBA. As a…

Shelf stable vegetables in Hungary has continued to witness steep unit price hikes in 2023 due to inflationary pressures fuelled by the global recovery from the pandemic, the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the devaluation of the forint.…

Premium beauty and personal care saw dynamic growth in current value terms in 2023 despite the challenging economic environment and soaring inflation. Consumers of premium beauty personal care products were more accepting of price increases due to a…

In January 2023, the previously separate pockets - accommodation, hospitality and leisure - were consolidated; therefore, the charges associated with these sectors are now aggregated and considered together. Also, in order to expedite the use of…

Portable players were hard to find in retail channels in 2023 and their sales were negligible as technology advances are leading to portable player devices becoming obsolete. In particular smartphone and tablets are replacing the need for portable…

Despite rising retail value sales in 2023, polishes lost consumer attention, with significant price increases hindering sales, leading to a retail volume decline in all areas, apart from shoe polish. In addition to rising price points, manufacturers…

As in many countries, Hungary is seeing a notable rise in interest in plant-based diets, with many consumers looking to cut down their consumption of meat and dairy products, even if they are not fully committing to vegetarian or vegan diets.…

Pet products in Hungary is experiencing a surge in demand for pet clothing and beds, fuelled by the growing cat and dog populations, which are larger than the 0-14-year-old human population in the country. Households are increasingly treating their…

Pet care in Hungary recorded strong double-digit retail current value growth in 2022 and 2023, with a high single-digit increase projected over 2024. Such growth is rooted in high inflation, as retail volume sales are expected to continue to drop at…

A low tax burden adds to Hungary’s economic freedom, but corruption remains an issue and state finances are under pressure. Economic performance has outpaced peers and unemployment is low, but inflation remains very high and will adversely impact…

Hair care appliances held most of the retail volume share among personal care appliances in 2023, with these products attracting more consumers and recording growth. Significant price increases were seen in beauty salons and for consumers. This led…

Most paediatric consumer health categories are expected to contract in volume terms in 2023. This is partly due to persistently high inflation in Hungary, with steep price hikes and falling purchasing power making people more inclined to only…

Other pet food in Hungary is seeing a growing demand for products featuring 100% natural ingredients and grain-free formulas, as well as vegan options. Options like Fressnapf Hungária’s Real Nature Optimal Menu for small mammals exemplify this trend,…

Other hot drinks, often considered treats given to children by their parents, faced challenges in Hungary in 2023. The volume sales of other hot drinks declined, primarily due to the stability or even decline in the demographic profile of…

The international price of raw milk decreased in 2023, which resulted in a slight price compensation for sour cream and other dairy products. Besides, in order to break sanctioned inflation, the government introduced a new anti-inflation tool, which…

Oral care in Hungary is witnessing a surge in demand for therapeutic toothpaste, particularly in the realm of implant-friendly, gum-protecting and sensitivity-relieving variants. This increase in demand can be attributed to the ageing population and…

In keeping with the trend witnessed throughout the review period, total volume sales of NRT smoking cessation aids have continued to contract in 2023, with all categories set to post negative results in this respect. This is partly explained by the…

In 2023, nappies/diapers/pants in Hungary recorded double-digit retail value growth, driven by rising price points. However, retail volume declined, with strong inflationary pressure leading consumers to reduce purchases. In addition, the ongoing…

Significant price rises and a high penetration rate in Hungary resulted in volume decline in smartphones in 2023. Fewer consumers were able to replace their smartphone and chose to postpone their purchases until prices were more stable, or they…

Microwaves gained positive retail volume sales in 2023, driven by several factors. Firstly, these appliances were offered at significantly lower prices when compared to other major appliances, not impacted as significantly by price hikes during the…

As with womenswear, trends in menswear towards the end of the review period continued to reflect changes in consumer attitudes and behaviours stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the shift towards hybrid working due to the enduring…

In 2023, retail value sales of menstrual care products saw significant growth in Hungary, driven by rising inflation an ongoing price hikes. In response to these price changes, women looked for deals and discounts on the landscape, checking the…

As current fashion trends lean towards styled facial hair, a significant number of male customers are opting for grooming techniques that focus on shaping their beard contours rather than achieving a smooth shave. This has led to a surge in demand…

Retail volume sales of meals and soups registered continued growth in 2023. With consumers leading increasingly busy lifestyles, there was a growing interest in convenient meal solutions, which boosted demand for products such as ready meals and…

Mass beauty and personal care registered dynamic double-digit growth in current value terms in 2023, albeit this was largely due to soaring inflation, with volume sales seeing more modest growth. High inflation and declining purchasing power resulted…

Much like Budapest, smaller cities and regional areas in Hungary have witnessed significant increases in lodging supply in recent years, particularly since the easing of the pandemic and the ending of related restrictions. A key driver of growth in…

Soaring inflation pushed menu prices in limited-service restaurants to new highs in 2023, although operators are always careful when considering price adjustments, especially for their signature meals. Core target audiences, such as students and…

While retail value sales were double-digit, retail volume sales declined in all areas apart from other laundry aids in 2023, with sales negatively impacted by rising inflation and reduced consumer spending power. As such, consumers focused on…

Large cooking appliances saw a slight retail volume decline in 2023 due to high and growing price points. Large appliances have higher prices, and as such, consumers postpone their purchasing during a time of rising living costs. With a decline in…

Juice in Hungary faced significant challenges in 2023 due to high inflation rates and rising prices. Across all juice categories, except for coconut and other plant waters, sales volume experienced a substantial decline. This decline can be…

The high inflation that was seen in Hungary during 2022 and 2023 had a major impact on demand for jeans. The most notable trend in the category during the year was the surge seen in demand for economy men's jeans, while in women’s jeans, the…

Income growth in Hungary is expected to lag behind the Eastern European average by 2027, given economic uncertainties, decreasing demand, and mounting inflationary pressures. Looking ahead, all income classes in Hungary are projected to decrease as a…

In-car entertainment recorded further decline in 2023, negatively impacted by fewer sales of new cars due to a shortage of key parts and components needed for their manufacture, which also drove up prices in the year. Consumers had to wait a long…

Volume sales of imaging devices again fell by a fifth in 2023 and value sales also registered decline. Continuing advances in smartphones’ cameras are leading to continual decline in imaging devices, to the extent that some smartphones can meet the…

Retail sales of ice cream saw modest growth in volume terms in 2023, following the stagnant performance of the previous year. This was largely due to an increase in demand for take-home dairy ice cream, particularly bulk varieties, which represent…

Hypermarkets saw shrinking value sales in Hungary in 2023, compared to the double-digit growth rates seen the previous year. This is attributed to competition from other channels, such as discounters (eg Lidl and Aldi) which offer an increasingly…

Continuing depopulation in Hungary in 2021-2040 will be driven by natural decrease. Ageing will accelerate, affecting consumer trends and putting pressure on state finances. Urbanisation will quicken and Budapest will continue to be the most populous…

Budapest and Gyor stand as Hungary’s economic powerhouses, with Budapest showing the greatest promise for future economic expansion. However, the country’s cities will continue to face persistent challenges. In the short term, these challenges…

The number of households is set to increase slightly in Hungary over 2022-2027, with single person remaining the dominant household type. In 2022, household spending was affected by inflation, which stood at 14.6%, elevating living costs. Household…

Hot drinks in Hungary experienced stagnant volume growth in 2023 due to unfavourable economic conditions and significant price increases. Consumers responded to these challenges by reducing their consumption of hot drinks or switching to lower-priced…

The popularity of sheer hosiery is decreasing in Hungary and this is a reflection of contemporary fashion trends. Sheer hosiery is generally worn in combination with women’s skirts and women’s dresses, especially shorter dresses and skirts that leave…

Televisions recorded slight volume growth in 2023, with OLED TVs seeing strong double-digit growth as consumers looked to upgrade their older televisions with screens offering high picture and sound quality, which are light and have more…

Home products specialists faced inflationary challenges in Hungary in 2023, with the double-digit inflation hikes continuing (and even increasing from) the previous year. Moreso, Hungary is reported to be experiencing one of the highest sets of hikes…

The home laundry appliances landscape recorded an overall retail volume decline in 2023, challenged by inflation and rising price points. Automatic dryers continued to decline in terms of retail volume in 2023. Media in the country were active in…

Although retail value sales were double-digit in 2023, retail volume sales were much lower, with a decline noted in insecticide coils. Insecticide coils suffered from fewer mosquitoes in 2023 due to the weak summer season. In addition, consumers were…

Home care in Hungary recorded a retail volume decline in 2023, negatively impacted by rising inflation and living costs, reducing consumer spending power. With lower disposable incomes, consumer purchasing habits changed, with many focusing on…

Home audio and cinema recorded strong volume decline in 2023 as these products faced competition from wireless sound systems, the increasing sound quality of portable computers and smartphones, and a growing preference for compact and interior…

Although overall current value growth for herbal/traditional products in 2023 is set to equal that recorded in 2022, this is mainly due to price hikes amidst soaring inflation in Hungary. With the resultant drop in purchasing power making people much…

Health and beauty specialists is a channel which has been affected by cross-category trends in Hungary in 2023. Specifically, the impact of high inflation has led to a growing presence of private label options, thus, to meet the needs of…

Whilst premium wireless headbands were popular during COVID-19 as they had more convenient features for both work and gaming, high inflation and rising prices deterred consumers from paying extra for them in 2023, therefore mass products performed…