Serbia

Rising price points led to double-digit value growth in 2023, while growing prices encouraged some consumers to purchase less and shift to private label goods. In addition, branded players focused on deals and discounts to retain sales. Despite these…

As COVID-19 fears subsided in 2022 there was a strong desire among many Serbian consumers to start socialising again with this helping to stimulate on-trade volume growth with sales fully recovering after the significant decline seen during 2020.…

In 2023, analgesics is set to see strong growth supported by rising prices in the context of generally high rates of inflation. After strong growth in 2020 due to stockpiling and decline in 2021, the category returned to growth in 2022 and has…

Away-from-home tissue and hygiene in Serbia has been supported by the return to pre-pandemic lifestyles, which has boosted tissue sales. Horeca is the most important channel for away-from-home tissue in Serbia and the recovery of this channel in 2023…

In Serbia, baby and child-specific products witnessed a steadfast allegiance among consumers in 2023, underpinned by a robust brand loyalty ethos. Rather than flitting between various brands or succumbing to the allure of cheaper alternatives,…

Baby food is witnessing robust growth in retail volume and current value terms as consumers return to their pre-pandemic lifestyles. Parents are spending less time at home and therefore have more limited time for cooking children’s meals. At the same…

Inflation continues to be high in 2023 and as such though baked goods is expected to register current value growth, both constant value and volume sales are expected to fall marginally. This fall in volume sales is also due to a declining population.…

Bath and shower in Serbia experienced robust growth in 2023, propelled by a significant surge in retail value sales attributed to high price growth. This inflationary trend notably impacted shower gels, where consumers encountered a plethora of…

In 2023, beauty and personal care in Serbia witnessed a notable shift driven by inflationary pressures, leading to price increases across all product areas. While value sales experienced growth primarily due to these price hikes, volume sales saw a…

Serbians returned to the on-trade in greater numbers in 2022 as COVID-19 fears subsided and restrictions were lifted with this continuing to drive volume sales of beer. Lager remains by far the most popular beer in Serbia, although smaller beer…

The bleach landscape in Serbia is small, with a few products available in retail, which is decreasing each year. Demand for bleach remained under pressure in Serbia in 2023 as consumers continued to abandon the category in favour of more…

Bottled water in Serbia experienced a volume sales recovery in 2023, driven by the return to pre-pandemic lifestyles, with consumers embracing on-the-go water consumption. Functional bottled water witnessed the fastest volume sales growth, attributed…

In spite of continuing high inflation, breakfast cereal is expected to register healthy constant value and volume growth. With consumers leading increasingly busy lives, they appreciate the convenience of breakfast cereal. Breakfast cereal is also a…

In 2023, butter and spreads continue to register strong current value growth, but minimal volume growth. High inflation, amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, is dampening retail volume sales. The slight volume growth is driven mainly by butter, which is…

As prices rise and disposable incomes decline, Serbians are reassessing their daily purchases, notably reducing consumption of non-essential items like carbonated beverages. Health-conscious consumers are shifting towards healthier alternatives and…

The local cheese industry is facing challenges in 2023, as imported products are favoured by retailers. In February 2023, the Serbian government introduced an import duty of 30 dinars per kilogram of cheese to protect domestic production from the…

Retail volume sales of chocolate confectionery continued to see positive growth in 2023, supported by the return of Serbians to their busy, pre-pandemic lifestyles, including increased opportunities for on-the-go and impulse consumption. Despite…

Cider/perry in Serbia continued to see strong and stable volume growth in total volume terms in 2022, although growth continued to come from a small consumer base. The on-trade channel witnessed stronger volume and value growth although this was…

There was a slight fall in volume sales of cigarettes in Serbia in 2023. This was partly due to continuing population decline. Price hikes and tax hikes, along with high inflation, also dampened volume sales somewhat. However, smoking prevalence only…

Both cigars and cigarillos registered volume growth in Serbia in 2024, unlike cigarettes, which saw volume sales fall. One reason for the positive performance of cigars and cigarillos is that the price gap between cigarettes and cigars and cigarillos…

The substantial rise in coffee prices has decelerated the growth of coffee volume sales in Serbia. Notably, only coffee pods have experienced an upward trend, primarily due to an expanding consumer base and relatively lower market maturity. The…

In 2023, the sales trajectory of colour cosmetics in Serbia was propelled by a resurgence in pre-pandemic lifestyle patterns and the pervasive influence of social media. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram emerged as powerful catalysts, with…

Powder concentrates persist as a traditional product familiar to many Serbians. The area boasts several robust local players in both liquid and powder concentrates, fuelling further development. The escalating prices and decline in disposable income…

The second half of 2022 and the first half of 2023 saw declining demand for many areas of OTC healthcare. This was linked to high inflation and the related decline in disposable incomes. Consumers have turned away from buying non-essential products…

The combination of rising prices and economic uncertainty is curbing demand for cooking ingredients and meals in Serbia. Local consumers are acutely aware of the increase in food prices, fuel and other goods, and are equally feeling the impact of…

Although the threat from COVID-19 is largely perceived to have past, many consumers continue to worry about how people will react if they sneeze or cough in public. Volume growth of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies is helping to drive the…

In 2023, daily lifestyles returned to greater normality in terms of freedom of movement after the COVID-19 pandemic. Busier consumer lifestyles out of the home underpinned an increase in on-the-go consumption and the return to foodservice outlets.…

Deodorants in Serbia witnessed a notable surge in prices in 2023, yet this did not deter volume sales. Instead, consumers opted for alternative formats of deodorants designed for extended use, transitioning from sprays to roll-ons, creams, or sticks.…

Depilatories in Serbia experienced slight volume growth in 2023, propelled by the prevalence of active lifestyles among women. As women ventured out more frequently, there was a corresponding uptick in demand for hair removal products. However, this…

The decline in consumers’ disposable income due to rising prices is dampening demand for consumer health products that are not seen as essential, such as many dermatologicals products. In the current economic climate in particular, Serbian consumers…

Dietary supplements is set to experience decline in 2023 for two primary reasons. Firstly, the pandemic is over, and many Serbians are less concerned with protecting themselves against COVID-19. Secondly, because of the high rate of inflation and…

According to research, 36% of Serbian citizens admit that they do not care enough about their diets, and this causes digestive problems, with 43% complaining of indigestion, heartburn, and other digestive problems. Indigestion and heartburn are the…

Although direct selling saw dynamic growth in current value terms in 2022 this was actually barely above inflation levels. In 2021 direct selling in Serbia started on the path to recovery from the hit it took during the first year of the COVID-19…

In 2023, high price growth led to double-digit retail value growth, while retail volume sales struggled. With prices rising steeply, consumers were encouraged to be as economical as possible, with a volume decline for hand dishwashing liquids further…

Milk production in Serbia is facing significant challenges in 2023. The decrease in the production of raw milk has led to a shortage of milk on retail shelves since the third quarter of 2022, with several Serbian regions facing a shortage of raw…

Sunflower oil prices continued to rise in 2023 boosting current value sales, although consumption has fallen, with retail volume sales registering a second year of decline. Sunflower oil has been losing share in terms of retail volume sales, as olive…

Energy drinks in Serbia have experienced notable volume sales growth, primarily driven by the return to pre-pandemic lifestyles. The busier pace of life further encourages the consumption of energy drinks. Leading players in this market retain their…

Fragrances in Serbia in 2023 showcased stable performance but encountered notable challenges. A significant development was observed with drugstore chains like Dm introducing low-cost fragrances within their product offerings. Similarly, the…

New store openings within the modern grocery retailers channel helped fuel growth in current value terms in 2022, albeit the number small local grocers and food/drink/tobacco specialists declined. For example, Delhaize Serbia, the second largest…

Retail volume sales of gum saw relatively modest growth in 2023, when compared to the performance of the previous year. Chewing gum continued to account for the lion’s share of the category, as well as recording the stronger performance. Sugar-free…

In 2023, hair care in Serbia witnessed growth predominantly driven by ancillary products such as hair masks, serums, and oils. Serbians are increasingly prioritising hair health and aesthetics, embracing styling techniques to achieve desired looks.…

In 2023, Serbians remain positively disposed towards herbal/traditional products. When it comes to natural medicines and herbal preparations, only 26% of Europeans overall use them in defence against viral infections, but Serbians are significantly…

While retail value growth was double-digit in 2023, this was the result of rising inflation and heightened price points. As a result, while retail value growth was positive, retail volume growth struggled, recording a decline in most home care…

While retail value sales were positive in 2023, driven by rising unit prices, home insecticides continued to face a retail volume decline in 2023. This decline resulted from a reduction in the consumer base and reduced purchase frequency. High…

In 2023, the consumption of hot drinks in Serbia faced a slowdown due to rising prices and a decline in disposable income. Consumers responded by reducing consumption volumes, shifting towards more affordable brands, opting for private label…

Ice cream saw positive growth in volume terms in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. Overall, foodservice sales grew faster than their retail counterparts, although the difference was not as extensive as in 2022, when there was a release…

Juice, deemed non-essential, witnessed a decline in consumption in 2023, influenced by soaring prices and a decrease in disposable income within Serbia. Economically conscious consumers reduced juice consumption or migrated towards more affordable…

While retail value growth was positive in 2023, this was driven by ongoing inflation, with price rises encouraging Serbians to adapt their budgets in line with reduced disposable incomes. Many have begun to focus on essentials while consuming less…

The surge in mass beauty and personal care sales in Serbia during 2023 was primarily fuelled by a robust escalation in prices. This inflationary trend, coupled with heightened price sensitivity among consumers, prompted a notable transition across…

In the post-pandemic era, many Serbians have resumed their busy lifestyles and this has stimulated demand for meals and soups. Frozen ready meals is witnessing the fastest retail volume growth thanks to its convenience and the diverse choice of…