Croatia

Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were few differences between sales growth trends across premium fragrances and mass fragrances. However, since volume sales of premium fragrances dropped sharply in 2020 during the early stages of…

With waning concerns about COVID-19 and the resumption of busy work and social activities, consumers increasingly opted for toilet care products that provide convenience rather than efficacy in 2023. This is in line with a more general trend of…

During 2023, major players in oral care such as Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble undertook various initiatives designed to spread awareness about the importance of maintaining optimum oral hygiene. These campaigns targeted both children and…

Strong current retail value sales growth in 2023 as a result of inflation had a negative impact on volume sales in the year. The two major categories of dishwashing and laundry care were particularly affected by price hikes. In addition, rising…

Bleach was heavily used during the initial stage of the pandemic as consumers prioritised the effectiveness of bleach as they sought to removal any possible COVID-19 infection on surfaces. The pandemic was officially declared over in Croatia on 11…

After a boosted performance during the pandemic due to the cocooning and home-cooking trends, volume sales of dishwashing products declined in 2023. This is mostly attributable to the steep double-digit unit price growth registered in the year. In…

Towards the end of the review period, local consumers adopted a more personalised, customised approach to their hair care needs. This trend first emerged during the peak months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people took the opportunity to…

A strong unit price increase in all retail tissue categories had negative impact of volume sales in Croatia in 2023. The only category to see volume growth in the year was toilet paper as this is an essential item. Consumers sought to make savings in…

In 2023, the increase in value in menstrual care in Croatia can be primarily attributed to increased prices for raw materials and escalating production expenses. Manufacturers and distributors in Croatia, who were already experiencing margin…

Climate change is having an increasing impact on the insect population in the country, with warmer and more humid weather creating ideal breeding conditions. Croatia is increasingly seeing heat waves during the summer months, which is contributing to…

Value sales of laundry care recorded a strong double-digit increase in 2023 as soaring inflation pushed up average unit prices. Volume sales, meanwhile, were dampened as a result of increasing price sensitivity among Croatian consumers, and…

Skin care in Croatia continued to record positive volume growth in 2023, with sales growth supported by rising demand for products with ingredients that target specific skin problems. More specific products that target skin issues are becoming…

While Croatian consumers are showing increased interest in depilatories generally, 2023 saw a particularly strong increase in demand for depilatories made using natural ingredients such as argan oil and aloe vera. Each of these ingredients is…

Sales of wipes in Croatia continued to record steady retail volume growth in 2023, while retail current value sales benefited from rising price points. Consumers have become more hygiene conscious since the outbreak of COVID-19, with this helping to…

The economic impact of measures introduced to limit the spread of COVID-19, along with soaring inflation in 2023, have undermined consumer confidence and purchasing power. As a result, many consumers remain focused on spending on essential items. At…

Air care was one of the few categories that did not suffer from sharp price growth in 2022, but prices caught up in 2023, impacting demand in the year. However, air care overall still managed to achieve positive volume growth due to tourism as sales…

In 2023, there were no sharp changes in excise tax or, therefore, product prices in tobacco in Croatia. More stable prices helped to avoid declines in retail volume sales at the end of the review period. However, the growth in retail volume sales of…

Despite continuously rising prices, cigarettes in Croatia saw a further increase in retail volume sales in 2023, albeit a moderate upturn and significantly slower than in 2021 and 2022. Croatia is one of the rare EU markets that is seemingly showing…

Recent years have seen huge growth in inbound tourist arrivals to Croatia, with each passing year seeing new records being set in the numbers of inbound tourists visiting the country, especially during summer. Much of this growth is related to…

Deodorant sprays remained the overwhelmingly dominant category of deodorants in Croatia during 2023 and this is a reflection of the status that deodorant spray shave as the default format of deodorants for local consumers. Put simply, deodorant…

Demand for facial make-up increased significantly over the course of 2023, with strong growth registered in both the premium and mass segments over the course of the year. Much of this growth was spurred by the very dynamic performance registered in…

Croatian consumers largely prefer multi-purpose surface care products as they offer a convenient and efficient way to clean different surfaces with just one product, thereby saving time, money and storage space. In 2023, the majority of consumers had…

2023 saw men’s razors and blades return to positive growth as more local men chose the cleanshaven look, a sign that the decade-long trend towards wearing beards may have already peaked. While men’s pre-shave and men’s post-shave each continued to…

Demand for hand sanitisers continues to decline significantly over the course of 2023 as the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer behaviour continued to decline. As the sanitary situation has improved and the pandemic has officially come to…

An ageing population continued to support retail sales of adult incontinence products in Croatia in 2023. Rising product awareness and increasing availability in Croatian retailers further contributed to a positive performance. In addition, the…

In line with rising price points, nappies/diapers/pants in Croatia recorded positive double-digit current retail value growth in 2023. Value sales also benefited from wealthier consumers increasingly demanding eco-friendly and higher-quality…

In 2023, retail value sales of tissue and hygiene in Croatia recorded strong growth due to rising inflation and significant price increases in all product areas. While positively impacting retail value growth, rising prices changed consumers’…

Cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in Croatia continued to see retail volume growth in 2023. The growing interest in cigars among a wider range of consumers pushed up retail volume sales. Previously, cigars were predominantly smoked by…

Baby and child-specific sun care was among the top performing categories across baby and child-specific products in Croatia during 2023, with volume sales rising strongly despite steep unit price increases over the course of the year. The main reason…

RTD tea is expected to register moderate volume growth in 2023, despite continuing population decline. In particular, there has been some shift from carbonates and juice and this is expected to support volume growth. RTD tea is made up of still RTD…

Constipation remains one of the most common digestive problems amongst Croatians. For those suffering from constipation, laxatives are considered the easy, go-to solution, especially for those with reduced mobility or time constraints. Consumers are…

The COVID-19 pandemic, war in Ukraine, and rising cost of living have exacerbated mental health concerns amongst Croatian consumers. As such, they are increasingly seeking dietary supplements and vitamins that boost their mood and reduce the symptoms…

During 2023, strong value growth was recorded in booking in Croatia, with both booking offline and booking online recording robust double-digit growth rates, although somewhat predictably booking online was the big winner during the year. The regular…

Sugar confectionery is expected to register a slight decline in volume sales in 2023. This reflects the fact that local consumers are increasingly shunning sugar confectionery due to its high sugar content and limited nutritional value. The category…

Cider/perry is comparatively new in Croatia, first developing visible share in 2010. The relative immaturity has driven strong growth from a low base over the review period. Off-trade consumption of cider/perry continued to grow in 2022, benefiting…

In light of inflationary pressures, consumers have become increasingly discerning and cost-conscious in 2022. Grocery retailers have navigated this more complex climate by implementing various measures to address changing preferences, such as…

As with retail adult incontinence, an ageing population remained the key driver of Rx/reimbursement sales in Croatia in 2023, with the category recording solid volume and current value growth in the year. Incontinence products are considered medical…

Value sales are still low for RTD coffee in Croatia, in what is an emerging product area. In 2023, RTD coffee is expected to register moderate volume growth, though continuing rising prices dampen volume growth to an extent, especially as many of RTD…

Stanic, with its To and Juicy brands, continues to lead current value and retail volume sales of juice in 2023, with consumers seeing the brands as good price/quality combinations. Second-leading player Vindija also maintains a double-digit value…

Energy drinks is expected to be the best performing soft drink in terms of volume growth in 2023. Energy drinks are particularly popular among the under 25 age group and are widely consumed at festivals and parties. It is also popular as a cocktail…

Croatians love their coffee, but it is a mature product with little room for growth. Also, in 2023, with prices still rising, this puts a further dampening effect on coffee, with both volume and constant value sales expected to fall. Continuing…

A low corporate tax rate and better finances are leading to enhanced economic freedom in Croatia, although corruption continues to be an issue and politics is moving to the right. Adoption of the euro could boost investment and tourism, but the…

Overall, 2023 is expected to be a positive year for snacks, with further current value and volume growth, supported by a post-pandemic return of foreign tourists in large numbers and an increase in impulse buying and on-the-go consumption. However,…

The long-term premiumisation trend continued to have an influence on sales across numerous categories of beauty and personal care during 2023. The segment of the local population that can easily afford premium products remains quite small, although…

The ongoing effects of the War in Ukraine continued to have a negative effect on the Croatian economy throughout 2023. Exports to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine were on hold throughout the year, while consumer spending remained under pressure across…

Soft drinks is expected to register muted volume growth in 2023, as a continuing declining population dampens volume sales somewhat. On the other hand, significant numbers of inbound visitors to Croatia in 2023, is expected to give volume sales a…

Tea fares better than coffee in 2023, with a slight increase in volume sales. However, this is mainly due to it being a much less mature product. That being said, continuing rising prices is still hitting profit margins and constant value sales are…

Following a sharp contraction in 2022, overall retail volume sales of edible oils in Croatia have rebounded strongly in 2023. The return to growth has been underpinned by the stabilisation of unit prices, which had risen dramatically the previous…

Despite the growing importance of health and wellness, the price hikes, and general economic instability, both coffee whiteners and cream are witnessing healthy growth in 2023. When it comes to coffee drinking in Croatia, tradition always outweighs…

Lactose-free varieties have gained popularity at the expense of standard cheese in 2023. While this is partly due to the well-established tendency towards rising health awareness among the population, many consumers have also become more willing to…