Western Europe

Sales in small local grocers start to creep up again in Ireland in 2023. However, some challenges remain, as this channel also faces competition from other retail options. Whilst small local grocers tend to offer proximity convenience to consumers,…

An ageing population in need of constant care is driving growth of Rx/reimbursement adult incontinence products in Switzerland among both elderly and temporary post-partum incontinence sufferers. Many Swiss consumers are visiting their doctors more…

Rx/reimbursement adult incontinence recorded strong growth in current value terms in 2023 continuing the trend of the previous year. However, this was mainly due to prevailing inflationary pressures, as rising raw material, production and transport…

Retail tissue in Switzerland reported growth across all subcategories in 2023, with toilet paper the largest product category overall. Spending patterns are normalising after the pandemic resulting in steady demand for retail tissue products such as…

Retail tissue in Austria recorded continued growth in current value terms during 2022, supported by an increase in average unit prices. With raw material, energy and transport prices rising substantially, manufacturers were faced with higher…

Retail in Ireland continued to be impacted by inflationary pressures and high utility costs through 2023, affecting consumers and retailers alike. That said, we did witness some easing of pressures later in the year, both in product pricing and…

Retail e-commerce continued to stabilise in Ireland in 2023, following the significant boom seen during the era of the pandemic, when both consumers and retailers alike were forced to embrace the online channel. Whilst footfall has returned to…

The stigma surrounding adult incontinence is gradually subsiding in Switzerland, with adults becoming more confident to purchase retail adult incontinence products. Growing demand for light adult incontinence products is underpinned by the…

Retail adult incontinence in Austria recorded strong growth in current value terms in 2023. While this was partly due to inflationary pressures, such products also experienced a heightened demand, due to the growing number of consumers suffering from…

The interest and demand for personal accessories in Switzerland, encompassing bags and luggage, jewellery, traditional and connected watches, and writing instruments, were poised to remain robust in 2023. However, following two years of robust growth…

Demand for nappies/diapers/pants in Switzerland continued declining at a steady pace in 2023. Significantly fewer babies were born in 2022 and 2023, following the baby boom observed in 2021. The rising cost of living and fears about the future have…

Demand for nappies, diapers and pants in Austria increased in 2023. While many women postponed their plans to start a family during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of babies aged 0-1 years in the population rose in 2022 and remained at a stable…

Demand for menstrual care in Switzerland continues to normalise in the post-pandemic era. Retail volume and value sales posted solid growth in 2023, with the latter fuelled in part by inflation and higher costs of raw materials and production. Since…

Menstrual care in Austria saw only modest growth in current value terms in 2023. Moreover, this increase was entirely attributable to inflationary pressures, as rising raw material and supply chain costs led to an increase in unit prices. The cost of…

Building on the positive momentum from the previous year, jewellery in Switzerland witnessed dynamic growth in 2023, led by the growing demand for costume jewellery. This trend, reminiscent of 2022, underscored shifting consumer preferences towards…

Hypermarkets struggled in Ireland in 2023, due to a variety of factors. One such is the fact such stores, being large in size, were strongly affected by the hikes in energy bills and associated utilities. This made it challenging for hypermarket…

Home products specialists saw stagnant growth in Ireland in 2023. This is attributed to the boom in home improvements over the pandemic lockdowns, which has since eased off. Added to which, inflationary pressures and the cost-of-living crisis are…

Sales in health and beauty specialists slumped into a negative performance in Ireland in 2023, following a positive pattern in 2022. We note that the 2022 growth was primarily driven by the growing health and wellbeing and preventative health trends,…

This briefing provides a global perspective of the key trends occurring in cities over 2018 -2023. It goes on to provide forecast data and insights for cities over 2024-2040, covering areas such as the economic, population and consumer spending…

The performance of general merchandise stores in Ireland in 2023 was being supported by the positive trajectory of department stores. There was a strong rebound in department stores in 2022, following the disruptions seen during the era of the…