Western Europe

Retail volumes sales of cigarettes in Denmark continued to see a double-digit decline in 2023. This performance fits with a general downward trajectory in the smoking prevalence for cigarettes in the market, as taxation, health and wellness trends…

In 2023, the retail value sales of cigarettes in Austria continued their downward trajectory, dropping below pre-COVID-19 volume sales levels of 2019. During the pandemic, cigarette consumption had seen a temporary boost due to increased consumption…

With Turkey continuing to see elevated inflation in 2024, consumers continue show a more cautious attitude towards consumption. As such, consumers are postponing purchases of non-essential products, such as sunglasses, which is resulting in a decline…

Sunglasses in Sweden is one of the most dynamic categories in eyewear. Since the post-pandemic boom in sales, volume growth slowed in 2022 and 2023, but momentum is building in 2024. The strong premiumisation trend coupled with inflation continues to…

Overall growth in spectacles is set to remain steady if moderate in retail volume terms throughout 2024 fuelled by rising demand for progressive lenses. Demand for progressive spectacle lenses is being driven by Turkey’s ageing population, coupled…

Spectacles in Sweden continues to display solid retail volume and current value growth boosted by rising unit prices and inflation. The ageing population along with lifestyle changes, such as greater exposure to digital screens, is boosting demand…

In 2023, homewares in Germany only witnessed marginal current value sales growth. However, this was largely driven by inflation and price increases. Slowing demand was driven by high consumer price inflation and poor economic growth in the country,…

In 2023, value sales of home improvement in Germany witnessed a decline, in line with the contraction in new home construction projects and persistently high lending rates along with elevated raw material costs in the building trade, driving a…

In 2023, home furnishings in Germany witnessed a significant contraction of value sales, driven by adverse macroeconomic conditions. The country’s GDP declined in 2023, and geopolitical tensions, such as the war in Ukraine, continued to fuel…

In 2023, value sales of home and garden in Germany declined compared to the previous year, driven by a combination of adverse macroeconomic factors and pressures on consumers’ disposable incomes due to inflation. The number of new construction…

In 2023, gardening in Germany witnessed declining current value sales, with high inflation and a decline in GDP growth discouraging consumers from making discretionary purchases. Product categories with longer replacement cycles, such as gardening…

Eyewear in Turkey has been in recovery since 2021, but a full return to pre-pandemic levels in volume terms is not expected until the second half of the forecast period. Sales have already recovered in current value terms, but this has largely driven…

Eyewear in Sweden continues to display a robust performance in 2024, buoyed by an ageing population and increasing time spent on digital screens, which are both boosting the need for more specialist or value-added eyewear products. The rising…

Rising concern about the prevalence of myopia among children and teenagers, primarily due to excessive screen exposure, has contributed to a renewed focus on contact lenses and solutions. Teenagers in particular often feel self-conscious about…

Retail volume sales of contact lenses and solutions has been relatively stagnant in Sweden for much of the review period, although there was a slight uptick in 2024. Advanced features and rising prices brought on by inflation has underpinned current…

After a strong performance in 2023, when sunglasses in the UK recorded high single-digit volume growth and double-digit value growth, 2024 is expected to be more of a cautious year for the category as a whole. The dynamic growth witnessed in 2023 was…

Spectacles in the UK continued to witness positive growth in 2023 offset by the ramifications of the pandemic. At the same time, value growth was driven by average unit price increases in line with inflated energy prices. While both value and volume…

Eyewear in the UK is expected to continue to record single-digit retail volume and current value growth in 2024, albeit at marginally slower rates than the previous year. Eyewear in the UK witnessed a relatively quick recovery after the decline seen…

Contact lenses in the UK are set to deliver solid single-digit volume and current value growth over 2024, which will make it the most dynamic performer in eyewear (in terms of volume growth). After the decline that resulted from the pandemic in 2020,…

Sun care saw a slow start to the year in 2023 due to a milder than usual spring and a belated start of the summer. However, the summer season started to pick up from July onwards, with sun care sales performing extremely well in the key month of…