Western Europe

Yoghurt and sour milk products in Italy will see a varied performance in retail volume terms in 2224, with sour milk products and plain yoghurt being the most dynamic categories. The trend for fermented milk products, in particular, remains strong…

Volume sales of yoghurt and sour milk in Belgium continue to be impacted by high prices in 2024. This can be linked to the huge spike in milk prices during 2023, which have decreased slightly over 2024, but continue to hinder consumer demand. Many…

Plant-based dairy is thriving in Italy, fuelled by a growing focus on health and wellness. Consumers are increasingly turning to alternatives to traditional dairy, not only vegans but also those who have traditionally followed a more mainstream diet…

Price remained a key challenge for plant-based dairy in 2024, with consumers still remaining price sensitive in Belgium. The price differential between plant-based drinks and cow’s milk remains quite high, with plant-based positioned at a…

In 2024, the market for other dairy products in Italy is expected to register only marginal growth in retail volume terms, with performance varying across the category. For instance, cream consumption is projected to decline slightly, largely due to…

Other dairy in Belgium is feeling the benefits of falling prices and a focus on promotions in 2024. Following the sharp price rises in milk during 2023 caused by issues in the production chain, other dairy prices started to reduce in 2024. Coupled…

In 2023, Denmark’s strong economic performance was driven by low unemployment and positive inflation trends. Looking ahead, per capita disposable income and consumer expenditure are projected to grow significantly over 2023-2028, outpacing the…

Child and juvenile obesity remains a significant concern in Spain, which had one of the highest rates in Europe in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. Indeed, the World Obesity Atlas 2023, a report published by the World Obesity…

Sugary soft drinks have become a particularly strong focus for concerns about the rise in childhood obesity across many markets. The issue of childhood obesity is particularly pressing in Spain, with research from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III…

Sugar has become a primary focus of consumer health concerns in recent years, as a high sugar intake has increasingly been associated with a wide range of health issues, including type 2 diabetes and hypertension. In particular, sugary snacks have…

Despite holding a low overall value sales share within Spanish hot drinks, demand for organic options rose strongly in 2023. The most significant factor limiting stronger demand for organic products is their higher price points compared to standard…

Although Spanish consumers still had to tighten their belts in 2023 due to high inflationary pressures, various health and wellness dairy products and alternatives witnessed growth during the year. Demand for low fat/no fat claims stabilised in 2023,…

A key development in health and wellness trends across national markets and product packaged food categories at the end of the review period was the increasing alignment of health concerns with ethical considerations around issues such as…

The health and wellness industry continues to gain greater significance overall, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, as consumers have become more cognisant of the negative impact of processed food and a range of drinks on their health and…

The market for drinking milk products in Italy is set to register a fairly static performance in 2024, continuing the trend of the previous year. This will be within the context of a decline in demand for fresh milk, which has been characterised by…

Retail prices of drinking milk products in Belgium reported record price increases in 2023, but these prices started to ease during 2024 in line with lower inflation. Consumers have responded well to lower prices leading to marginal volume growth in…

The market for dairy products and alternatives in Italy is projected to see modest growth in total volume terms in 2024. Despite a significant reduction in inflation compared to previous years, consumers are still grappling with elevated prices which…

Dairy products and alternatives in Belgium posted only marginal volume growth in 2024, demonstrating a stronger performance after three years of volume decline. Following the sharp price hikes in 2023 linked to milk production, average unit prices…

The market for cheese in Italy is projected to see only modest growth retail volume terms in 2024. Despite a significant reduction in inflation compared to previous years, consumers are still grappling with elevated prices which has resulted in more…

Following the sharp spikes in milk prices over 2023, prices began falling in 2024 leading to lower input costs for cheese in Belgium. Cheese manufacturers used promotions to boost volume sales in an otherwise mature category, leading to the best…

In 2024, the butter and spreads market in Italy is projected to experience a modest decline in retail volume terms. Demand has been negatively affected by significant price hikes, particularly for butter. These increases are driven by rising…

Butter witnessed slight volume growth in 2024. With pressure on purchasing power and foodservice prices remaining high in Belgium, the home cooking trend remained strong in 2024. The increasing popularity of home working has added further momentum to…

The market for baby food in Italy is set to see a significant decline in retail volume terms in 2024, in the context of a continued fall in the country’s birth rate. This can be attributed to a number of factors, including ongoing economic…

Despite high prices and pressure on consumer purchasing power, baby food registered only marginal volume decline in Belgium over 2024. The solid performance was largely underpinned by rising birth rates, which picked up in 2023 and 2024. Food…

The market for wearable electronics in Spain is expected to see early signs of recovery in 2024, following the declines of the previous two years. Growth has been impacted by a waning consumer interest in activity bands, which had been popular at the…

Sales of wearable electronics in Portugal recovered in 2024, driven by promotional activities, new product launches and price reductions due to the introduction of new models. This resurgence was also fuelled by a growing interest in health and…

Wearable electronics remains in a volume slump in Italy in 2024, although sales are improved compared to 2023 and expected to head back into positive figures over the coming years. Smart wearables is the best performer, with an ongoing focus on…

Retail volume sales of cigarettes in Germany continued to decline in 2023, partly due to the steady decrease in smoking prevalence, notably among young adults. While cigarette consumption is constantly declining, it remains on a relatively high level…

Between 2021 and 2022, closed system single use in Germany gained significant growth. This, however, has also led to increasing attention from regulators. First and foremost, the EU’s Battery Directive is already having an impact as industry players…

The market for portable players in Spain is set to see modest growth in retail volume terms in 2024, driven exclusively by wireless speakers. Advancements in technology have enhanced the functionality and appeal of wireless speakers, making them an…

The ongoing popularity of wireless speakers helped to drive positive overall category performance in both volume and current value terms in Portugal in 2024. The subcategory offers a wide range of options with good sound quality at competitive…

Portable players is only facing a small volume slump in Italy in 2024, thanks to the success of wireless speakers which achieves small positive volume sales. While some subcategories in portable players are becoming increasingly outdated, the growing…

Instability continues to blight politics in Spain and protests are gripping tourist hotspots, but the budget deficit is narrowing. Economic performance will outshine peers and inflation has fallen significantly, but reliance on key trading partners…

Although Italy has achieved some political stability, its economic freedom has lessened, as reforms elude it and state finances remain stressed. Economic performance is due to be subdued, but inflation has fallen markedly, and the economy and export…

The market for mobile phones in Spain is expected to see a more stable performance in retail volume terms in 2024, following a significant decline throughout the previous year. This will be attributable largely to improved general economic…

Retail sales of mobile phones in Portugal remained constrained by low purchasing power as homeowners continued to grapple with stagnating incomes and high living costs in 2024. Furthermore, demand for mobile phones is now quite mature in Portugal,…

Sales of mobile phones remain in a negative volume slump in Italy in 2024, although this performance appears to be inching back towards a positive direction. Feature phones is in an extreme slump, whereas even smartphones fails to reach positive…

The in-car entertainment industry in Spain is facing significant challenges, with retail volume sales expected to post a substantial decline in 2024, continuing the trend observed in previous years. This is a reflection of evolving consumer…

The in-car electronics category in Portugal continuously declined in 2024 across all areas, including in-car navigation, in-car speakers and in-dash media players. This decline was mainly due to the increasing prevalence of well-equipped cars and the…

In-car entertainment remains in a structural slump in Italy in 2024, for a few reasons. A tough economic environment and a decline in disposable spending have taken their toll on car ownership and replacements. Italian consumers tend to keep their…

The market for imaging devices in Spain is expected to show an improved performance in retail volume terms in 2024, with digital cameras leading this resurgence. This is largely attributable to the growing popularity of mirrorless interchangeable…

Outdoor activities, travel, and the importance of social media revitalised the demand for imaging devices and action cameras in Portugal in 2024. Local consumers increasingly seek specific imaging devices to capture high-quality content, giving their…

Imaging devices remains in a structural slump in Italy in 2024, due to ongoing competition from ubiquitous smartphones. Indeed, such multi-functional digital devices have become ever-more prevalent since the era of the pandemic, as people turned to…

Health and wellness continued to be a key driver of innovation and sales in staple foods during 2023, as consumers looked to invest in food and drink that could prevent long-term health problems while supporting daily wellness goals. Health awareness…

Health and wellness concerns are increasing across Ireland, shaping buying habits within staple foods. Consumers are looking to improve nutritional content, avoid artificial ingredients, and reduce high sugar and fat levels. As consumers have changed…

High fibre remained the leading health and wellness claim in staple foods in Greece in 2023. Many consumers look for high fibre products to compensate for the deficiency in their fibre intake from vegetables, especially as increasingly hectic…

The number of people adopting vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian diets is growing in France. While still somewhat underdeveloped as compared to neighbouring markets such as the UK and Germany, this trend has gained momentum in recent years, primarily…

Health and wellness trends are becoming increasingly aligned with ethical considerations in consumer purchasing decisions. Consumers are becoming more concerned about social and environmental sustainability, climate impact and animal welfare, as well…

With the health and wellness trend gathering momentum on an annual basis in Belgium, Nutri-Scores have been gaining in importance across packaged food categories, including staple foods. In general, local consumers are seeking out staple products…

Health and wellness trends continued to rise on the soft drinks landscape in 2023, having been bolstered by concerns surrounding COVID-19, which reinvigorated focus on health and preventing long-term illnesses. Health concerns have, therefore,…