United Kingdom

Following two years of consecutive declines in value terms, bath and shower in the UK returned to growth in 2023. However, this was driven by the impact of inflation on unit prices and higher production costs, as overall demand continued to drop,…

In 2023, the UK experienced a marginal decline in the cat population, whereby the rate of abandonment surpassed the rate of adoption, resulting in an overall retail volume decline for cat food. Despite the increasing popularity of cats as companions,…

Home products specialists witnessed a surge in value sales in 2021, following declines due to pandemic-related restrictions. However, the channel did not return to 2019 sales levels until 2022. The cost-of-living crisis that began in 2022 and…

2023 proved to be another challenging year for cafés/bars in the UK. While overall value growth was evident, this was predominantly due to consumers paying higher prices rather than due to a sizeable number of outlets opening or a significant…

Bags and luggage is set to maintain growth in both retail volume and current value terms in the UK in 2023. Although volume sales are expected to increase in most categories, it is significant to note that luggage is anticipated to see the…

Despite a slowdown in the unit price growth of dog food in the UK, influenced by a reduction in energy and electricity costs, manufacturers and suppliers are still passing on some costs to end consumers. Challenges resulting from key commodities such…

Amid the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, local consumers turned to direct selling in the UK as a way to augment their household earnings. Data released by the UK’s Direct Selling Association (DSA) revealed a significant surge in the number of people…

Inflationary pressures in 2023 marginally eased when compared to the previous year, but continued to exert strong influence on demand for retail tissue in the UK. Sales mostly rebounded in the second half of 2023, although not sufficiently to avoid…

Retail adult incontinence in the UK continued to record a dynamic performance in 2023. Overall demand for these products was based on several different factors, such as an ageing consumer base, increasing awareness, and greater availability in terms…

Nappies/diapers/pants in the UK experienced positive retail volume growth in 2023 across the category. These products are deemed essential, ensuring stable demand, despite prices soaring. However, with birth rates in the UK gradually falling, growth…

Menstrual care in the UK experienced growth in both volume and value terms in 2023. Continuing on from its strong performance in 2022, the category’s current value growth in high single digits was only marginally below the previous year. As inflation…

Self-service cafeterias continued to record a positive performance in terms of value sales and transactions in 2023, despite the closure of some chained outlets, such as House of Fraser and Asda. Self-service cafeterias continued to experience a…

Overall demand for colour cosmetics in the UK stagnated in 2023, while value sales continued to grow. In 2022, inflation in the UK surged to 9.1%, due to the aftermath of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. While this rate slowed in 2023, further…

PET jars, which have long since become the main pack type in this category, continued to gain share in nut- and seed-based spreads in 2023. PET jars are valued for their shatterproof and non-reactive properties, ensuring the safety of the contents.…

Oral care in the UK continued to expand in both volume and value growth terms in 2023. The rising number of local consumers taking care of their oral health at home was one of the main drivers of this growth. Another contributing factor to this trend…

The UK’s dairy packaging market is dominated in unit volume terms by HDPE bottles and thin wall plastic containers. HDPE bottles dominate milk packaging, and are also gaining share in yoghurt, due to their robust barrier credentials. Milk is a…

In 2023, a year characterised by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and high inflation, Poundland was one of the more active players in general merchandise stores in the UK, placing a strong focus on pricing and expanding its product range. In March…

Despite price increases as a result of inflation that continued to drive the local population to adopt more conscious spending patterns in 2023, convenience retailers in the UK maintained a positive trajectory during the year as proximity and…

Demand for toilet care products continued to decline significantly in 2023. The reasons for this decline are twofold: consumers are spending less time at home and thus have less time to focus on cleaning their houses, and secondly, multipurpose…

Air care was one of the top performers in home care in 2023, recording the third highest retail value growth after surface care and home insecticides. In terms of volume, the only formats experiencing volume declines were gel air fresheners and car…