United Kingdom

While dinner mixes was already the most dynamic category in ready meals packaging prior to the pandemic, it received a major spike in its demand in 2020, as the COVID-19 restrictions boosted demand for these products. With consumers in home seclusion…

Overall sauces, dressings and condiments packaging recorded a surge in its unit volume growth in 2020. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers across the country shifted to working and studying remotely, with extensive lockdown periods…

The lifting of pandemic-related travel restrictions and all borders reopening in 2023 are contributing to an upsurge in passenger traffic, resulting in flight schedules gradually reverting to their pre-pandemic levels. With the desire to explore new…

Reflecting the recovery in travel and rising prices, booking continues to record strong growth in 2023. Intermediary sales are outperforming direct sales. The channel is benefiting from the continual recovery of leisure cruise and leisure packages.…

In 2023, the growth of hotels is being driven by a diverse range of segments. Mid-market hotels and unrated hotels have experienced a surge in demand as consumers seek more affordable accommodation options amid the cost-of-living crisis. Mid-market…

2023 marks the first full year without any travel restrictions, enabling a clear picture of the post-pandemic travel landscape. Nevertheless, the impact of the pandemic on inbound arrival numbers to the UK still lingers. Arrivals from China remain…

Two groups are contributing the most to growth of inbound travel to the UK in 2023. Visitors from the US continue to rise strongly in numbers in 2023, following considerable traffic the previous year. While they were early to take advantage of the…

Total alcoholic drinks packaging recorded healthy growth in 2020, despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While foodservice unit volumes plummeted, due to cafés, pubs and restaurants all being closed for extended periods in 2020,…

The UK regained its position as Western Europe's second largest new car market in 2022 despite being significantly impacted by supply shortages, slowdowns, and the war in Ukraine. The country is working to reduce CO2 emissions by encouraging the…

Analgesics is recording another strong year of current value growth in 2023, albeit at a slower rate than in 2022. Growth is particularly dynamic in the paediatric segment, especially for acetaminophen and ibuprofen, driven by the outbreak of…

Consumer health continues to experience high retail current value growth in 2023, albeit at a slower rate than 2022. Higher costs of materials, ingredients and services are naturally leading to strong price increases in 2023, thereby driving up value…

Current value sales of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2022 as the UK experienced its strongest cold and flu season in recent years, as a result of greater socialising as restrictions eased, thereby…

Demand for hair loss treatments is declining in 2023 following strong growth in recent years as COVID-19 and subsequent inflationary pressure boosted prevalence of hair loss due to stress and anxiety. Although the latter remains an overbearing issue…

Women’s health has become a key brand focus for players in 2023, across a range of consumer health categories, particularly dietary supplements. Regarded by many as a theme rather than category or positioning, the concept is influencing activity and…

Value sales of digestive remedies are recording another year of strong growth in 2023 as the category continues to benefit from consumers returning to post-pandemic life. For example, antacids is profiting from consumers socialising and drinking more…

Eye health is experiencing another year of double-digit current value growth in 2023, albeit at a marginally slower rate than 2022. Nevertheless, overall demand continues to rise. While there are no lockdown restrictions in place, the pandemic has…

Herbal/traditional products is experiencing another year of double-digit current value growth in 2023. Ingredient-led purchases are becoming increasingly common among local consumers, not only due to growing awareness of the benefits of certain…

Demand for NRT smoking cessation aids is declining in 2023, despite a further drop in smoking prevalence among the adult population as consumers continue to focus on their health post-pandemic. A marginal decline in retail volume sales is likely to…

Paediatric consumer health in the UK is witnessing another strong year of current value growth in 2023, albeit at a slower pace than 2022. The positive performance across both years has predominantly been driven by high growth for paediatric cough,…

Current value sales of sleep aids continue to rise in 2023, albeit at a slower rate due to stocking up and strong sales over the last three years since the emergence of the pandemic. Local consumers continue to experience the cost-of-living crisis in…

After a marginal decline in the first year of the pandemic, sports nutrition in the UK continues to record strong current value sales growth in 2023, following a full recovery in 2021. Apart from the price hikes driven by inflation since the end of…

Value sales of vitamins have rebounded in 2023, recording growth for the first time since 2021. Although value growth is much weaker than at the height of the pandemic, and overall retail volume sales are continuing to decline, demand remains above…

Weight management and wellbeing continues to experience strong value growth in 2023, as the general health and wellness trend remains prevalent post-pandemic. As consumers have returned to hectic routines with the reopening of offices, balancing a…

With a lack of new product development and brand activity in 2023, demand for wound care is being primarily driven by a full year without lockdown restrictions boosting out-of-home activities. The category’s performance is largely dependent on…

Tourist visitor levels in the UK were seen to recover in 2023, despite global macroeconomic pressures such as high inflation and the rapid escalation of living costs. This was an improvement on previous years, when the pandemic prevented people from…

Value sales of fine wines/champagne and spirits grew by 8% to total GBP3.0 billion in the UK in 2023, as a result of a consumers’ desire to make the most of their time after the pandemic. Enjoying a drink with friends is considered a priority leisure…

Retail value sales of luxury goods in the UK grew by 7% in 2023 in current terms, to stand at GBP48.9 billion. Development was predominantly characterised by a focus on recovery and a return to customary consumer behaviour, encompassing working,…

Personal luxury retail value sales rose by 9% in 2023 to total GBP18.6 billion, supported by growth recorded by leading brand providers, such as Louis Vuitton UK Ltd and Chanel Ltd. 2023 value sales growth was boosted by consumers investing in luxury…

Value sales of premium and luxury cars rose by 4% to total GBP25.7 billion in 2023, due to demand from high-income consumers, who proved to be steadfast despite macroeconomic headwinds. Demand for premium and luxury cars is contingent on wealth, and…

Charge cards is expected to continue to see double-digit declines in 2023 in terms of cards in circulation, and volume and value transactions. Historically, charge cards were primarily associated with business use, as the majority of transactions,…

In 2022, there was double-digit growth in terms of credit card spending for both personal and commercial credit cards. High inflation and the rising cost of living, which have also been affecting Britons in 2023, were amongst the main causes. In…

In 2023, debit cards remains the preferred and most widely used payment method, increasing from the previous year in terms of the number of cards in circulation, as well as the volume and retail value of transactions. However, this growth is set to…

In 2023, the UK’s economy has continued to be characterised by a high inflation rate and a rising cost of living. And, while in 2022 this situation was mainly exacerbated by the high cost of energy, in 2023 this cost has gradually started decreasing,…

Pre-paid cards is set to see a solid performance in 2023, while other card payment methods, such as charge cards and store cards, are set to decrease significantly, and others are set to see slower growth, such as debit cards. One of the factors…

Even though consumers have relied more on credit to afford higher retail prices in 2023, due to the economic situation in the country, store cards have continued to decrease in popularity, with declines expected in terms of cards in circulation, and…

The performance of baked goods has been particularly hit by the supply chain crisis, as wheat shortages are putting severe pressure on production costs. The expiration of the Black Sea corridor deal in July 2023 has fuelled further delays in the…

Breakfast cereals faced severe challenges from the economic and regulatory framework in 2022. On the one hand, the supply chain crisis, including the tight global supplies of raw materials due to the war in Ukraine, forced manufacturers and retailers…

In 2022, retail volume sales of processed fruit and vegetables were challenged by inflationary pressures. The category, which recorded strong growth in 2020 when COVID-19 lockdown restrictions turned consumers towards convenient food solutions, has…

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat recorded severe losses in retail volume sales in 2022, and decline is set to continue in 2023, although at a slower rate, with demand being heavily affected by the cost-of-living crisis. As consumers…

In 2022, rice, pasta and noodles was one of the categories that faced strong price increases due to the supply chain crisis, with wheat and rice shortages putting particular pressure on production costs. Further high single-digit price increases are…

Rising production costs due to the energy crisis, labour shortages, and the increasing price of raw materials across the entire supply chain led to strong rises in the prices of staple foods in 2022. High single-digit price increases are also…

Despite 2023 seeing a return to offices and institutional channels, at-home consumption of coffee has remained high owing to post-pandemic habits such as continued working from home. Also, having purchased a coffee machine and other relevant…

Numerous consumers have increased their reliance on credit to enable them to afford higher retail prices in 2023, as the UK economy has continued to be impacted by high inflation and the rising cost of living. As a result, card lending is set to…

In comparison with Eurozone countries, the UK economy has continued to be impacted by high inflation and the soaring cost of living in 2023. While rising electricity and gas prices drove inflation in 2022, they have been gradually decreasing in 2023,…

The lingering effect of the inflationary wave from 2022, exacerbated by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, has resulted in continued economic pressures. Moreover, cooking ingredients and meals is dealing with the consequences of climate change,…

Edible oils in the UK has still been experiencing various challenges in 2023, including inflation, rising costs, and supply chain disruptions. While there has been a slight improvement, persistently high unit prices continue to pose difficulties for…

British consumers continue to turn away from tea and towards coffee, with the latter set to maintain stronger retail current value growth in 2023, mainly driven by a surge in prices. Retail volumes are expected to fall in all major hot drinks…

In 2023 meals and soups is still being impacted by inflation, affecting both volume consumption and value growth. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, the volume rise of ready meals may seem surprising, but as budgets tighten, these convenient…

Chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks is set to see declining sales in both retail volume and current value terms in 2023, owing to an increasing number of consumers favouring products which are healthy. There is an overall sense that shoppers have…

Trends that emerged in 2022, such as rising unit prices, have continued to impact sauces, dips and condiments in 2023. The escalating input costs faced by companies, coupled with the soaring prices of key ingredients, have led to substantial…