Western Europe

Vending saw good growth again in 2023, when Austria finally put the COVID-19 pandemic largely behind it and public life and consumer mobility finally returned to normal. During the pandemic and temporarily closed stores, there has been a lot of…

Tissue and hygiene in Belgium faced significant challenges in 2023, primarily driven by inflation and soaring energy prices. However, the essential nature of most products in this category mitigated the extent of the decline. The decreasing birth…

Just like grocery retailers as a whole, hypermarkets saw strong growth in value sales in 2023, although this was entirely price driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Demand was down as consumers…

Small local grocers was also characterised by a reluctance to spend among consumers in 2023, as inflation and the cost of living have risen sharply since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis in spring 2022. Sales rose sharply again in 2023, although…

The year 2023 witnessed a notable increase in demand for RX/reimbursement adult incontinence products in Belgium, spurred by several key drivers. Firstly, Belgium's ageing population continued to fuel sustained demand for such products. Additionally,…

Retail tissue in Belgium faced significant challenges in 2023, primarily driven by inflationary pressures. While toilet paper, perceived as an essential product, experienced relatively stable demand, other categories such as paper towels and facial…

After a year of slowdown, the retail market experienced significant growth in value terms although this was entirely price-driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Although disposable income in 2023 slowly…

After a slow year, retail e-commerce saw significant growth in value sales again in 2023, although this was entirely price driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Although disposable income slowly…

Retail adult incontinence in Belgium witnessed robust growth in both volume and value terms in 2023, largely propelled by the ageing population. The demographic shift has positively influenced demand for retail adult incontinence solutions,…

Nappies/diapers/pants, as a product area, encountered challenges in 2023, marked by high inflation and diminishing volume sales attributed to a declining birth rate in Belgium. Concurrently, private labels and discounters have been gaining market…

Menstrual care in Belgium faces challenges amidst high inflation, resulting in a minor decrease in volume sales in 2023. The ageing population contributes to reduced demand for menstrual care products. Furthermore, the exploration of alternative…

Just like grocery retailers as a whole, hypermarkets saw strong growth in value sales in 2023, although this was almost entirely price driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Demand itself only showed…

Consumer restraint affected the entire retail sector in 2023, but it was particularly pronounced in home products specialists. Consumers had already invested heavily in their homes during the pandemic, when they were spending much more time at home.…

Driven by significant price increases, overall health and beauty specialists saw strong growth in value sales in Austria in 2023, roughly at the same level as retail offline overall. Consumers' willingness to spend in this category has generally…

General merchandise stores continued to significantly outperform retailing overall in terms of value sales growth due in the main to the continuing expansion and success of variety stores. It was one of the areas least affected by the generally sharp…

Just like grocery retailers as a whole, discounters saw strong growth in value sales in 2023, although this was almost entirely price-driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Demand itself only showed…

Just like retail as a whole, direct selling saw significant growth in value sales in 2023, but it was entirely price-driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Given the focus of direct selling in Austria on…

Just like grocery retailers as a whole, convenience retailers saw strong growth in value sales in 2023, although this was almost entirely price driven as inflation remained at unusually high levels for a second consecutive year. Demand itself only…

Away-from-home tissue and hygiene in Belgium faced significant challenges in 2023, primarily due to the sharp increase in energy prices. This surge adversely affected various product areas. In the tissue segment, the hospitality industry experienced…

Consumer restraint affected the entire retail market in 2023, but appliances and electronics specialists was one of the categories most negatively affected.