Portugal

Airlines were severely impacted by the pandemic as it forced companies to adapt their offer, restructure their costs and redefine routes. With the gradual reopening of economies and air corridors, airlines are growing although the number of…

Although the cost of living is on an upward trend, with high levels of inflation and rising interest rates, local people continue to favour travel in 2023, taking advantage of savings amassed during the pandemic making travel affordable. While some…

Boosted by inflation, inbound tourism recovery, a strong domestic market and the rise of average daily rates, lodging saw value sales surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2022, with the positive trend maintained in 2023 with both value sales and bed nights…

Inbound tourism is set to surpass 2019 values during 2023, decelerating afterwards, in a context of dissipation of the effects of delayed demand during the pandemic. Cultural activities, visits to monuments and museums and overall experiences are…

The tourism industry was one of the most affected industries by the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal. The successive confinements, prohibitions and global restrictions led to the closure of hotels, the suspension of flights and cruise lines. While the…

Analgesics recorded a significant increase in retail volume terms in 2021 and this was followed by even more dynamic growth in 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic and the tough restrictions introduced in 2020 and the beginning of 2021 in order to prevent it…

Overall, consumer health in Portugal is set to record strong growth in retail volume and current value terms in 2023. Demand has remained robust, as local consumers remain health-conscious and are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about the…

During the winters 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, the circulation of cough, cold and flu viruses was limited by the restrictions implemented to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Winter 2022/2023 was the first one with no restrictions in place at all and this…

Dermatologicals is set to register positive growth in current value and retail volume terms in 2023. With the WHO declaring the pandemic to be over in May 2023, there has been an increase in socialisation and physical contact between people which has…

After a sharp spike in growth in retail volume terms in 2020 following the outbreak of COVID-19, sales of dietary supplements with an immune system positioning continued to normalise in 2023. Ginseng, for instance, looks set to register a significant…

Sales of digestive remedies are set to record significant positive volume and value growth in 2023. With the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring the health emergency to be over in May 2023 life in Portugal has returned to relative normality,…

Eye discomfort, including dry and itchy eyes and eye fatigue is becoming increasingly commonplace amongst the Portuguese population. Many companies are still allowing employees to continue to work from home, when it is possible, at least for part of…

The trend towards natural ingredients goes hand-in-hand with the increased interest Portuguese consumers are showing in organic and plant-based products. This trend is also having an impact on consumer health as there are growing concerns about the…

Over the review period, there was a growing trend amongst Portuguese consumers to follow healthier lifestyles. They have been focused on self-improvement, including adopting healthier and more balanced diets, decreasing their alcohol consumption, and…

Paediatric consumer health is still a small category in Portugal with parents/guardians generally preferring to buy products on prescription. Portuguese parents/guardians perceive there to be a higher risk when it comes to their children and will…

Sleep aids has continued to register dynamic retail volume and current value growth in Portugal in 2023, continuing the positive trend established over the review period. Prior to the emergence the C19 pandemic, sleep disorders had been increasing…

Sports nutrition is thriving in 2023 with healthy growth being recorded in current value and retail volume terms. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic Portuguese consumers were focused on trying to adopt healthier lifestyles, with practising sport on a…

After a sharp spike in growth in 2020 following the outbreak of COVID-19 sales of vitamins continue to normalise in 2023, with this process having started in 2022. This means a decline for both single vitamins and multivitamins in current value and…

Sales of weight management and wellbeing increased in 2022 due to the post-pandemic effect. Demand was encouraged by consumers looking to lose the weight they gained during the periods of lockdown and home seclusion. As consumers returned to their…

Wound care saw a significant downturn in demand in 2020 as Portugal went into lockdown due to COVID-19. The category already had a high level of penetration in Portugal and therefore in 2021 and 2022 some Portuguese consumers were still using stock…

Retail volume sales of baby food saw modest growth in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. Demand for milk formula in Portugal is strongly dependant on professional guidance. Consumers first make contact with medical professionals at the…

Retail volume sales of butter and spreads remained static in 2023. Demand for such products experienced an upturn during the pandemic, when people spent more time cooking and baking at home. Butter and spreads are particularly likely to be used at…

Cheese saw modest growth in retail volume terms in 2023, in contrast to the flat performance of the previous year. While inflationary pressures, driven by surging energy and food prices, receded slightly, demand was constrained by a loss of…

Retail sales of dairy products and alternatives in Portugal saw modest growth in volume terms in 2023, a slight improvement over the previous year. While inflationary pressures, driven by surging energy and food prices, receded slightly, demand was…

Milk producers continued to struggle with high production costs in 2023. The main factors contributing to this trend were rising energy and transport prices and adverse weather conditions, with the country having suffered a severe drought during the…

Consumption of cream and condensed milk is in Portugal, as both are commonly used in dessert preparation. During the first half of the review period, cream also benefitted from a rising interest in new cooking experiences, assisted by the popularity…

Plant-based dairy continued to see healthy growth in retail volume terms in 2023. As the number of lactose-intolerant, flexitarian and vegan consumers continues to grow in Portugal, demand for plant-based alternatives to traditional dairy products is…

Retail volume sales of yoghurt saw fairly modest growth in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. Despite manufacturers and retailers continuing to run price promotions, these were not as attractive as in previous years, as they sought to…

Insights and data on the traditional automotive sector and the mobility industry can help businesses examine how changing travel patterns will impact future consumer behaviour. Growing climate pressures and rising urbanisation rates are pushing…

With low levels of penetration in the country, charge cards continues to grow in 2023 as it recovers from its sharp drop in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, boosted by inflation and by the recovery of business, transaction value is…

Consumer lending in Portugal maintains its positive growth trend in 2023. Demand for loans both for last-minute expenses and for current expenses is rising as consumers lose purchasing power and as savings stashed during the pandemic diminish. In…

Consumer lending in Portugal is expanding in 2023 amid rising interest rates and decline in households’ disposable incomes. Demand for mortgages is slowing down with card lending posting the most dynamic growth. BNPL, although representing a small…

After a robust rise in 2022, credit cards continues to enjoy positive growth in 2023, boosted by local consumers’ increasing expenditure and higher levels of penetration. However, and in contrast to 2022, in 2023 credit cards is seeing slower growth…

Debit cards is on the rise in 2023, boosted by growing expenditure levels. Despite downward pressure on consumer purchasing power, Portuguese people have continued to increase their expenditure levels in 2023 as a result of rising inflation rates and…

Portuguese consumers continue to shift towards electronic payment instruments (payment cards, electronic direct or ACH transactions), with cards being the most used electronic payment instrument in everyday life. The trend of replacing cash with card…

Boosted by the recovery of transportation cards, which had suffered severely during the COVID-19 pandemic, closed loop cards is seeing double-digit growth in 2023. Otlis, Lisbon’s transportation system cards, leads in terms of number of cards in…

With the economy reopened post pandemic and consumers returning to store-based outlets, store cards is again enjoying positive growth. In 2023, the category’s growth is boosted by rising consumers’ expenditure levels and high inflation rates.…

The cost-of-living crisis is significantly impacting the lives of the Portuguese. Despite some positive economic indicators, such as economic growth and a slowing down of inflation, people do not perceive any improvement in their daily lives.…

Contrary to the previous harvest, the 2022/2023 season witnessed a substantial decrease in olive oil production, primarily due to the drought in 2022. Almost half of the total production was affected, with DOP olive oil taking an even greater hit.…

Noodles and pasta pots are experiencing positive growth thanks to their convenience and budget-friendly prices. Affordable ready meals, like these, have witnessed a surge in consumption, leading retailers to expand shelf space and introduce new…

Cost reduction takes centre stage as a primary focus for companies. With significant cost increases, businesses are actively working to enhance their production processes, lower expenses related to raw materials and packaging materials, all with the…

Companies are increasingly incorporating sustainability and food waste reduction into their strategies. In the jams and preserves category, a common practice is using misshapen fruit to minimise fruit waste. The utilisation of fruit peel, considered…

Baked goods in Portugal in 2023 is seeing a shift in consumer purchasing patterns, predominantly influenced by the persisting impact of inflation. Despite a decrease in inflation rates, the purchasing power of consumers remains constrained. Bread, a…

Breakfast cereals in Portugal has been significantly impacted by rising costs and cereal shortages, leading to a notable increase in consumer demand for private label lines. These private label products, known for their affordability and diverse…

In recent years, the consumption of shelf stable beans in Portugal has seen a significant upturn, a trend largely attributed to the pandemic. The prolonged shelf life of these products offered consumers a sense of security during uncertain times,…

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat in Portugal is currently grappling with the impact of significantly increased energy and raw material costs, some of which have doubled. The situation has severely affected category members, leading to…

Pasta in Portugal is currently facing challenges due to inflation and the war in Ukraine. These factors have led to escalated raw material costs, notably cereals, and increased production expenses such as energy and packaging. The war's impact is…

Staple foods overall is recording a decline in total volume but an increase in value, primarily due to rising prices, in Portugal in 2023. The foodservice sector has recovered to its 2019 sales levels, significantly aided by tourism. However, on-site…

Being viewed as non-essential products, apparel accessories was challenged due to inflation rates in 2023. Portuguese consumers suffered from declining purchasing power, adapting their purchasing choices to focus on essential items. The recovery from…

The outbreak of COVID-19, followed by the war in Ukraine, has led to high inflation rates in Portugal throughout 2023. Despite apparel and footwear products only witnessing moderate price increases, energy and packaged food saw high rises, impacting…