Western Europe

Sweet biscuits was among the packaged food categories to be most significantly impacted by inflation over 2022-2023. Unit price growth for sweet biscuits in 2023 was similar to that seen in 2022. Those manufacturers which were operating with reduced…

In 2024, sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks in Ireland is seeing retail volume sales return to modest growth as price increases slow down. This is following a negative year for retail volume sales in 2023. The high cost of wheat, which is a…

2023 was a negative year for sugar confectionery in the UK. Heightened costs across the supply chain, including transportation, energy, labour and raw materials such as sugar, resulted in double-digit price increases for the category. Inflationary…

In the Netherlands in 2024, all members of sugar confectionery are suffering retail volume sales decline while at the same time seeing current value sales rise as a result of unit price hikes. The exception is power mints, which is only showing…

Sugar confectionery is seeing strong growth in 2024, both in volume and value terms. While consumers have seen their purchasing power reduced due to high inflation and a sharp increase in the cost of living they are still allowing themselves small…

Sugar confectionery in Ireland is among the categories heavily affected by rising production costs in 2024, having already recorded losses in retail volume terms in 2023 as product prices limited impulse purchases. Global sugar shortages are expected…

The global supply chain crisis has heavily impacted snacks in the UK. Since 2022, the local industry has experienced strong price increases, driven by the shortages of raw materials such as cooking oils, wheat, cocoa, sugar, and milk, adding to the…

Snacks in the Netherlands in 2024 is seeing further price hikes following on from the previous year’s steep rises. Greater player investment in product development and marketing and promotions is also continuing apace. Growth is largely driven by…

So far, 2024 has been a positive year for snacks with strong value growth (in current value terms) and stable volume growth. The consumption of snacks is being supported by a rise in on-the-go consumption and an increase in social activities, sharing…

Overall snacks in Ireland in 2024 is in a state of recovery following the inflationary pressures of 2023. 2023 saw falling growth in retail volume sales, thanks to price increases driven by the heightened cost of key raw materials such as wheat,…

The global supply chain crisis has heavily affected savoury snacks in the UK, as the category has experienced consecutive years of strong price increases. Adding to the inflationary environment in 2022, savoury snacks recorded even stronger…

2024 is seeing positive development in terms of both retail volume and retail current value sales for savoury snacks in the Netherlands. Some segments are posting impressively strong growth – for example, tortilla chips, pretzels, and vegetable,…

Savoury snacks has seen healthy volume growth in 2024, with the difference between value and volume growth diminishing after two years of high inflation. An increase in socialising and a rise in inbound and domestic tourism is contributing positively…

Savoury snacks in Ireland is seeing sustained demand though a fairly flat performance in 2024. The category suffered from steep price increases in 2023, resulting from rising costs of raw materials oil, wheat and potatoes. In retail volume terms,…

Total sauces, dips and condiments packaging volumes continued to fall in Germany in 2023. However, not all categories saw the same negative performance. In 2023, the packaging volumes for cooking and table sauces were on the rise, driven by several…

In 2023, flexible plastic remained the dominant packaging choice for processed meat and seafood in Germany, with its most significant packaging volumes in chilled processed meat. This is due to its effective barrier properties against air, moisture,…

In Germany, total packaging volumes of processed fruit and vegetables declined in 2023, with falling units across all categories. The decline in shelf stable fruit and vegetables in 2023 was primarily due to the growing consumer preference for fresh,…

Total plant-based dairy packaging volumes continued to see another year of double-digit growth in Germany in 2023. Plant-based milk continued to account for the highest packaging volumes in this year, and also saw the strongest growth. In 2023, brick…

Total meals and soups packaging volumes maintained growth in Germany in 2023. Flexible plastic led meals and soups packaging in this year due to several key factors. First, it offers versatility in design, allowing the production of various shapes…

2023 witnessed another year of double-digit price increases for ice cream in the UK due to persistent cost pressures in raw materials, such as milk, sugar, edible oils and cocoa beans, key ingredients in the category’s production, combined with the…