The economy will improve significantly in 2017. Steady gains in private consumption are the main driver. An increase in public investment (linked to a resumption of EU funding) and a rise in private investment will also help the economy. Exports will...

In 2016, more beer sales continued to be accounted for by more expensive versions in smaller bottles. Both implemented and upcoming legislation is increasing pressure on producers of economy lager in larger volume packaging. At the same time, ...

In 2016, cider/perry experienced changes in its competitive landscape. Despite overall sales declining slightly, Somersby managed to improve its position in the category. This was due to its wide presence within leading retail chains. The brand is ...

As more and more ageing Latvians recognise the importance of health, healthier food, drink and workouts are emerging. Partying and the consumption of alcohol in excess are becoming less popular and more moderate drinking habits are being established....

In 2016, the category’s performance was very dependent on availability and easy access. This was due to the fact that most of these drinks were consumed off-trade at both indoor and outdoor parties. On-trade is a niche for RTDs/high-strength premixes...

Latvian spirits sales benefited a lot from cross-border trade with Estonia in 2016. After a high tax increase on alcoholic drinks in Estonia, buying from Latvia was much more attractive for Estonians. What is more, historically strong sales to Finns ...

In 2016, Latvians continued to change their alcoholic drinks consumption patterns. Growing education about food, diet and general health and wellness influenced them to consume less strong alcoholic drinks. Higher interest in product quality and ...

Due to the struggling economy, Latvia’s birth rate is stagnating, thus impacting baby and child-specific product volume sales. As most products in this area have long shelf lives and low turnover, retailers are avoiding increasing shelf space for ...

Bath and shower products growth slowed slightly in 2016, although sales still increased, mainly due unit price growth and the shift towards more organic and artisan items, such as those offered by local manufacturer Stenders. Overall volume sales ...

Colour cosmetics remained the fastest growing area in 2016 within beauty and personal care, with growth being driven both by strong promotional activities, new outlets and products made available by international brands, as well as growing customer ...

Deodorants value and volume sales declined in 2016 due to the declining population and increasing maturity, as well as growing competition from fragrances. Although major brands continue to invest in promotional activities, no major new campaigns ...

Latvian women like to take care of their appearance and hair removal is a generally accepted norm among most women. In 2016, the number of women removing hair remained stable. However, the fact that a larger portion of women are opting for ...

Fragrances in Latvia remains a relatively stable market recording limited growth, mainly due to indulgence and self-gifting trends. Fragrances are used daily by many women and are often given as presents for celebrations or as tokens of appreciation....

Hair care sales continued to grow in 2016, mainly due to greater consumption of professional products. There was an increase in demand for products sold through salons, as well as specialised outlets, which advertise themselves as professional hair ...

Men’s grooming experienced stable growth in 2016 due to the shift towards hipster-style beards and the general increase in image awareness among men. Professional barbers gained most from this trend, although consumer products also enjoyed spill-over...

Oral care sales in Latvia are mainly being fuelled by growing awareness of wider oral care issues. Demand for relatively new types of products such as electrical toothbrushes and mouthwashes is rising, along with more functional and added value ...

In 2016, beauty and personal care showed stable growth in most categories, although premium products and gifts outperformed the rest of the industry as Latvian women engaged in increased self-gifting and chose to use more colour and fragrances. ...

Skin care is expected to remain very dynamic in terms of new product launches and promotion. Although overall growth is expected to be very slow, the large size of the category will allow for significant gains and losses by individual products and ...

As Latvia has about 180 overcast days per year and a summer that lasts only five months, sun care is only used for a short period of time, with demand depending completely on the weather. The summer season in 2016 was notably sunnier than in 2015, ...

Adult incontinence continued to develop in 2016, which was mainly driven by improving purchasing power and an ageing population. These social factors benefited the performance of the category, as the number of Latvians facing incontinence problems ...