Belgium

Retail in Belgium saw only modest growth in current value terms in 2023. This was mainly due to inflationary pressures, in the light of still rising food prices, which placed a strain on household budgets. With consumers remaining pessimistic about…

Following a steep fall in 2022, volume sales in surface care remained under pressure in 2023. Inflation and the drop in disposable income for Belgian households meant that many consumers were careful about the amount of product they used when…

Volume sales for air care in Belgian continued to fall in 2023, with the category’s products widely regarded as non-essential and thus not included on the shopping list for the many households grappling with tighter spending budgets. Inflationary…

Despite price increases and the squeeze on consumer budgets, demand for deodorants in Belgium remained steady with only a marginal decline in volume sales in 2023. Moreover, deodorants witnessed a relatively better performance in volume terms than…

In 2023, colour cosmetics in Belgium registered volume sales decline following a buoyant performance in the previous year. Prices rose more significantly in 2023, compared to 2022, resulting in lower consumption levels. Moreover, consumers were…

Hypermarkets in Belgium experienced a flat performance in 2023 with no perceptible growth in current value terms. This was mainly due to competition from discounters and supermarkets which offered consistently lower prices. This became especially…

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…

The maturity of oral care in Belgium had a negative impact, with volume sales declining over the review period. Many consumers remained increasingly price-sensitive and cautious with their spending in 2023, further dampening retail volume sales.…

Following on from 2022’s rapid decline, laundry care in Belgium saw an even deeper descent in terms of volume sales in 2023, despite players’ increased investment in offering promotions to bump volume sales, including buy-one-get-one-free, and…

Global warming has been creating environmental changes and conditions that have naturally had a significant and largely positive impact on demand for home insecticides in Belgium - the warmer climate is attracting more mosquitos and exotic insects.…

Depilatories remain at the core of women’s personal care routines in Belgium and are considered an essential product. Despite retail price inflation, volume sales of depilatories remained resilient and did not decrease to the same degree as other…

Vending in Belgium saw a flat performance in current value terms in 2023, as inflationary pressures weighed on household spending. With wallets being squeezed, consumers switched to channels offering better value-for-money. This was in spite of an…

Supermarkets in Belgium recorded modest growth in current value terms in 2023. However, this was mainly due to inflationary pressures, with rising input costs leading to price rises increases across the channel. Such outlets also suffered from…

In 2023, wipes in Belgium faced a decline driven by economic uncertainty, as high inflation deterred consumers who viewed wipes as a discretionary purchase. However, amidst this downturn, eco-friendly wipes, particularly moist toilet paper, witnessed…

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the measures taken to contain it had a positive impact on sales of toilet care in 2020. With consumers working and studying from home they were using the toilet more frequently and thus this boosted demand for toilet…

Home care in Belgium remained under pressure in 2023, with high inflation leading to price hikes and consumers prioritising their spending in order to save money. As a result, many consumers bought and used home care products with much less frequency…

Inflationary pressures have had a major impact on consumer foodservice in Belgium, with the spike in retail prices translating into more expensive dishes and menus, whilst lower consumer purchasing power has stifled demand. Out of home expenditure…

Price rises and the high cost of living in Belgium curbed demand for skin care in 2023. At the same time, trends such as clean beauty and natural beauty remained highly relevant. This resulted in a contraction of volume sales, as consumers purchased…

Inflation remained high in 2023 leading to significant price increases in the fragrance industry and placing further pressure on consumer budgets. This, in turn, led to strong value sales growth of fragrances in 2023, while volume sales of fragrances…

Convenience stores represented the most dynamic category within grocery retailing in Belgium in 2023. While not known for being the cheapest channel, the return of consumers to their busy, pre-pandemic lifestyles provided a boost to sales. As such,…