North Macedonia

In 2022, though there was healthy growth in current value sales, constant value sales remained unchanged. The war in Ukraine had a negative impact, with the resultant energy crisis leading to soaring inflation and dampening sales somewhat. That being…

In 2022, though there was healthy growth in current value sales, constant value sales fell. The war in Ukraine had a negative impact, with the resultant energy crisis leading to soaring inflation and dampening volume sales. In addition, there was…

In 2022, though there was healthy growth in current value sales, constant value sales fell. The war in Ukraine had a negative impact, with the resultant energy crisis leading to soaring inflation and dampening volume sales. With such economic…

E-commerce registered double-digit current value growth in 2022, as well as healthy constant value growth, in spite of high inflation. The high inflation was due to the war in Ukraine, which led to soaring energy prices, which in turn led to higher…

The war in Ukraine had a negative impact, with the resultant energy crisis leading to high inflation and dampening volume sales somewhat. As a result, while overall retail registered a healthy increase in current value sales in 2022, constant value…

Chocolate confectionery is witnessing a more upbeat performance in 2023, with retail volume sales returning to growth. There has been a significant number of new chocolate products launched in 2023, which has captured consumer interest and boosted…

Gum continues to gradually recover from the pandemic in 2023, although retail volume sales are still declining marginally. Gum increasingly has a bad name, due to its high sugar content and bad environmental reputation in terms of disposability, and…

Consumer demand for ice cream remains strong in 2023, even after the category’s full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The scorching heat in 2023 has led to high demand for ice cream driving up impulse purchases. Inflation and rising unit prices…

Savoury snacks is witnessing moderate volume growth in 2023 as the category recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Inflation and rising energy prices caused by the war in Ukraine have driven up unit prices and is a major cause of supply chain…

Snacks continues to make a robust recovery in 2023. Consumer demand for snacks is stabilising and the category is much closer to pre-pandemic sales in retail volume terms, which should be reached in 2024. Snacks is among the most dynamic packaged…

Healthy eating is taking a higher priority with consumers increasingly shunning sugar confectionery due to its high sugar content and limited value-added properties. As a result, retail volume sales are declining for the fourth consecutive year in…

Sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks saw strong double-digit current value growth in 2023, supported by stable consumer demand and rising unit prices. Inflation remains high fuelling much of the current value growth. Rising consumer demand for…

Baby food is witnessing marginal declines in retail volume terms, due to the falling birth rate and negative population trends in Macedonia. The declining numbers of live births to Macedonian women in recent years has limited demand for baby food,…

The butter and spreads category is seeing marginal volume decline in 2023 as inflationary pressures continue to take its toll. While margarine and spreads continues to decline in retail volume terms, butter is growing moderately despite the shrinking…

In the face of rising prices, cheese consumption remains stable in retail volume terms as this product range remains a popular item in everyday cuisine. Its versatility is a key reason for such high demand, as it can be used in preparing various…

Dairy products and alternatives is witnessing a slowdown in retail volume growth and strong current value growth in 2023, amidst strong inflationary pressure and rising unit prices of dairy products. Production costs have remained high since the…

In 2023, increased fodder prices have driven up unit prices of locally sourced raw milk, as well as the price of domestic and regional drinking milk brands. Nonetheless, consumer demand remains stable due to the abundance of locally and regionally…

Other dairy is witnessing robust growth in 2023 thanks to rising unit prices, as a result of inflationary pressure, coupled with relatively stable and uninterrupted consumer demand for products in this particular category. The prevalence of home…

Health and wellness trends continue to drive consumption of yoghurt and sour milk products in 2023. Plain yoghurt is very popular in North Macedonia due to its use as an everyday ingredient to prepare healthy meals and snacks. Younger consumers…

Analgesics continues to achieve strong value growth in North Macedonia in 2023 as a result of strong consumer demand for systemic analgesics, especially adult ibuprofen, adult acetaminophen and adult aspirin. Topical analgesics are outperforming…

Despite higher standards of living in North Macedonia, economic challenges resulting in low disposable incomes remain, with the situation further exacerbated by the ongoing war in Ukraine. This has led to double-digit inflation, which is increasing…

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…

In line with the overall performance of skin care products in beauty and personal care in North Macedonia, dermatologicals is one of the fastest growing consumer health category thanks to strong and continued consumer demand. The product and brand…

Dietary supplements are seeing a strong double-digit increase in retail value sales in 2023 as a result of rising unit prices amidst rampant inflation in the country. Volume growth, meanwhile, is driven by the health and wellness trend and people…

Amidst significant unit price increases and inflation, digestive remedies is experiencing double-digit retail value growth in 2023, making a strong rebound following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and people resuming travel. Paediatric…

An improved quality of life, higher living standards, and the health and wellness trend (and its associated link with more natural products) is driving volume sales of herbal/traditional products in 2023. Also, consumers are increasingly prepared to…

Paediatric consumer health is achieving strong double-digit value growth in 2023 as a result of consumer demand for high-quality consumer health products positioned for children, coupled with rising unit prices and the impact of inflation. Paediatric…

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…

Vitamins is experiencing strong double-digit value growth in 2023 due to rising unit prices and rampant inflation in the country. Volume sales, meanwhile, have normalised following a strong boost during the pandemic as consumers bought vitamins in…

Weight management and wellbeing tops the list of fastest growing categories as the health and wellness trend continues to influence consumers in North Macedonia in 2023. Also, a growing number of people are struggling with obesity, high blood…

Demand for wound care products remains stable and, with rising unit prices in line with inflation, it is seeing strong retail value growth in 2023. Both major categories - sticking plasters/adhesive bandages and gauze, tape and other wound care - are…

Although economic freedom has worsened and political instability persists, state finances have improved and taxation is low. North Macedonia’s economy has struggled under the weight of elevated inflation, but this is falling and foreign investment…

Baked goods achieves minimal volume growth as leavened bread, which is the most significant product range within the category, achieves modest retail volume growth in 2023. Consumer demand in retail volume terms continues to slow as a result of the…

Muesli and granola and hot cereals are the two largest breakfast cereals categories whose performance tends to influence the overall performance of breakfast cereals in North Macedonia. Due to the moderate volume growth of these two cereal types,…

Consumer demand for processed fruit and vegetables remains stable in North Macedonia in 2023 due to the influence of the burgeoning health and wellness trend in the country. Younger consumers, in particular, are increasingly opting for processed…

Despite demographic challenges, consumer demand for processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat remains stable in North Macedonia in 2023, and volume sales have recorded a marginal increase in the year. Value sales, meanwhile, have seen…

Rice, pasta and noodles is registering moderate retail volume growth in 2023 thanks to the stable performance of rice and pasta. Retail volume sales of noodles, meanwhile, are recording marginal decline due to reduced demand for plain noodles as…

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, 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, edible oils witnessed stagnant retail volume growth, primarily due to static consumer demand and the saturation of leading categories, notably sunflower oil. Despite this, inflation significantly impacted unit prices, resulting in robust…

In 2023, meals and soups experienced continued robust retail volume growth, propelled by the solid performance of shelf-stable ready meals and frozen pizza. Despite being the largest category, soups faced a moderate decline due to shifting consumer…

In 2023, all sauces, dips, and condiments witnessed positive moderate retail volume growth, except for mayonnaise and mustard, which experienced a moderate decline. This decline can be attributed to various factors, including the impact of health and…

In 2023, sweet spreads witnessed a moderate decline in retail volume, primarily driven by reduced consumer demand for chocolate spreads and jams and preserves. These categories faced challenges due to the ongoing negative impact of health and…

In 2023, coffee achieved very strong off-trade value growth. Whilst retail volume growth was moderate, significant unit price increases across all coffee categories, including the largest ones such as standard fresh ground coffee, led to a…

Hot drinks achieved minimal retail volume growth and strong retail value growth in 2023 amidst rising unit prices and the broader impact of inflation. The recovery of hot drinks sales through foodservice continued during the year and the channel…

Other hot drinks recovered moderately in retail volume terms in 2023, having seen a continuous decline in the COVID-19 crisis and during the immediate post-pandemic period. The impact of the high rate of inflation was felt on the unit prices in the…

In 2023, tea repeated its success from the previous year by yet again achieving a strong retail value growth rate and continuing on a path towards full recovery in retail volume terms following the negative impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Significant…

Tap water in most parts of the country remains suitable for human consumption and in certain areas is of excellent quality despite ongoing concerns about overall environmental pollution. However, as health and wellness trends continue to impact soft…

In 2023, carbonates achieved minimal off-trade volume growth as consumer demand was significantly impacted by the negative image that carbonates has gained amongst increasingly health conscious consumers, largely, though not entirely, due to the…

Concentrates registered decline in off-trade volume terms in 2023 as liquid concentrates sales fell due to diminishing consumer demand. At the same time, thanks to the significant unit price increases in the context of high rates of general…