Eastern Europe

Technological advances in 2024 will continue to reshape consumer behaviour. This annual report explores the top five digital shopper trends that will redefine commerce the most in the year ahead. Some of the trends included in this report’s edition…

Wine sales declined in 2022 after couple of good years for sales in Lithuania. The pandemic was an important factor in this renaissance in 2020 and 2021 as consumers were forced to spend more time at home. This led to a trend towards buying wine to…

Wine sales demonstrated good results in 2022 once pandemic-related restrictions had eased and consumers were able to pursue a greater degree of normality in their lives. Consumers returned to on-trade establishments in larger numbers in 2022…

As in 2021, “other” fortified wine posted the fastest total volume growth in 2022. This performance can be explained by the lower prices of these types of products, compared with other options in wine categories. Due to the effects of galloping…

Sales of spirits declined in off-trade and on-trade volume terms in 2022. The category experienced a strong rebound in demand in 2021 boosted by the easing of restrictions and consumers returning to on-trade outlets. However, with life in Lithuania…

2022 was a good year for the spirits category in Latvia following the relaxation of pandemic restrictions, with horeca establishments able to work at full capacity from March 2022. As a result, spirits sales grew significantly in the on- and…

In terms of single categories, tequila (and mezcal) registered the fastest total volume growth in 2022. This performance can be explained by several factors: increased awareness of tequila (and mezcal); greater availability on retail shelves; and…

RTDs saw heavy losses in total volume terms in 2022. In Lithuania, unlike in neighbouring Latvia, the category has a poor reputation with many consumers avoiding RTDs due to the perceived high sugar level in these drinks. Concerns over rising obesity…

RTDs have a strong presence in Latvia, where the category is well developed compared to the neighbouring Lithuanian market. With an array of brands vying for share, this is a saturated category where local manufacturers have carved out strong…

Cheaper RTDs are losing ground due to the strong competition from beer and wine, which offer a wide range of products at various price points to meet every budget. Meanwhile, more expensive RTDs are losing sales to cocktails. The Coronavirus…

Sales of cider/perry declined in 2022 after a brief revival in fortunes in 2021. Cider/perry has struggled to establish as significant demand as in other markets with it having a bad reputation for its high sugar content. With consumers becoming…

Cider witnessed strong growth in 2022 and continued to gain back the losses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The consumer foodservice industry returned to operating at full capacity in 2022, leading to a resurgence in demand for cider, which is…

Cider/perry continued to see a dip in off-trade volume sales in 2022. The growing popularity of flavoured/mixed lager had a negative effect on cider/perry. Cider/perry retail unit prices rose in 2022 due to the galloping inflation in the country.…

2022 was a very good year for beer in Lithuania with sales seeing strong growth through both the off-trade and on-trade in volume terms. Life in Lithuania largely returned to relative normality in 2022 after the country’s pandemic restrictions were…

The beer category made a considerable recovery in 2022, with on-trade establishments fully re-opened from March 2022 as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were relaxed. On-trade volume sales soared as consumers returned to bars and restaurants, keen to…

As in 2021, ale posted the fastest total volume and value growth in 2022. This performance was connected with the trend for more premium, and expensive, beer, which is perceived to have a richer taste. Moreover, on-trade sales popularised ale more…

Alcoholic drinks saw steady growth in total volume terms in 2022. After the turmoil seen during the pandemic, sales began to stabilise in 2022 as COVID-19 fears subsided and restrictions were eased and consumers began to return to their old…

The Latvian economy began to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, but witnessed further instability from the geopolitical problems caused by the war in Ukraine. Nevertheless, alcoholic drinks reaped the benefits of the eased pandemic…

Beer witnessed a trend for more premium, perceived healthier and more expensive products like ale, which also benefited from the return to the on-trade channel as Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions were lifted. The prices of beer and other types of…

Growth in total volume sales of wine slowed in 2022, with the category recording weaker off- and on-trade results in this regard as compared to 2021. Demand was depressed by steep unit price hikes and falling purchasing power as inflation in Hungary…

Off-trade wine, which accounts for the majority of sales in Croatia, recorded slight decline in 2022 in volume terms following a strong year in 2021 when sales recovered after the pandemic. Increased demand for more affordable brands was evident in…

Growth in total volume sales of spirits in 2022 was well down from 2021, with demand slowing sharply at the off- and on-trade levels. Because these products are comparatively expensive, the category was particularly exposed to more cautious attitudes…

Spirits recorded another year of growth in 2022 thanks to rising demand for quality spirits in the country. The low unit price increase of spirits also attracted increasingly price-sensitive consumers with reduced disposable incomes as a result of…

RTDs experienced a particularly steep slowdown in total volume sales growth in 2022. The category was more exposed than most as rapidly rising inflation led Hungarians to exercise greater caution in their spending decisions, as these products are…

With the lifting of most of the pandemic-related restrictions, the home consumption of RTDs started to suffer in 2022. Meanwhile, the strong recovery of on-trade sales can be attributed to an exceptionally successful tourist season and the return of…

Like the other main areas of Hungary’s alcoholic drinks market, cider/perry saw growth in total volume sales slow sharply in 2022 as the rapidly rising cost of living prompted consumers to rein in discretionary spending. It continued to perform…

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…

While total volume sales of beer in Hungary continued to increase in 2022, growth was slower than in 2021 and by the end of the year they had still not reached pre-pandemic levels. Overall demand was constrained by rising prices and falling…

Beer sales have been revived with the recovery of tourism in Croatia. Following two years of pandemic-related restrictions, there were no border restrictions or on-trade measures imposed in 2022. However, while on-trade sales, which are largely…

While alcoholic drinks in Hungary recorded substantially improved growth in total current value sales in 2022, this was primarily due to soaring inflation fuelled by the global recovery from COVID-19, the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and…

2022 was a tough year for alcoholic drinks in Croatia as high inflation impacted discretionary spending in the year. Fortunately, this was offset by strong growth in the on-trade channel as tourism was almost at its pre-pandemic level. Rising prices…

Wine prices remained more resilient compared to other alcoholic drinks categories in 2022. This was thanks to a strong supply from previous years and fierce price competition from imported wine. This helped wine to stay competitive. Additionally,…

On-trade wine sales enjoyed a strong recovery in 2022, pushing overall wine volumes sales well above pre-pandemic levels. A significant recovery was seen in the Horeca channel as all COVID-19 restrictions were removed for the full year. There is a…

The grape harvest of 2022 proved to be mostly disappointing for vineyards, with extreme droughts negatively impacting overall yields. However, the warmer weather, comparable to Southern European regions, allowed wine makers to produce more speciality…

Wine saw healthy growth in total volume terms in 2022 with sales boosted by a further recovery in sales through the on-trade. With COVID-19 fears subsiding and restrictions lifted consumers started to return to their old pre-pandemic lifestyles which…

Wine in Romania witnessed a volume sales decrease in both off-trade and on-trade sectors in 2022, largely due to the reduction in purchasing power triggered by soaring inflation and the cost of living. The majority of the population found their…

Polish consumers saw a notable increase in the prices of products and services that satisfy basic needs in 2022 including food, utilities, and loan costs. This price inflation prompted a more cautious and analytical approach to discretionary…

Total volume growth was robust in 2022 thanks to the enduring popularity of wine among local consumers in North Macedonia, which is well known for its wine drinking and production. The impact of inflation on consumption and prices was moderate. Unit…

Wine in Bulgaria continued to increase in volume terms in 2022, mainly due to on-trade growth. However, wine consumption through consumer foodservice remained below 2019 levels because of inflation and huge price increases. As a result, most local…

Consumption of wine remains robust in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with strong total volume growth in 2022. Red wine remains a firm favourite among locals as red wines are considered the best accompaniment to traditional meals in Bosnia and Herzegovina.…

Non-alcoholic spirits increasingly found their way into the Czech market in 2022. Improving consumer awareness, a drive to try a new drinking experience as well as improving distribution helped to fuel demand. Additionally, sales were also backed by…

The spirits category recovered from the pandemic in 2022, with current value and volume sales surpassing 2019 levels. Inflation and higher unit prices were also drivers of current value sales in 2022. Despite making a strong recovery, sales of…

Spirits manufacturers are seeking opportunities in new industries following the saturation of the disinfectant market in 2021, which resulted in intense price competition. Leading local spirits company St Nicolaus Trade, for example, ventured into…

Spirits registered strong growth in total volume terms in 2022 with this being driven by the continued recovery of the on-trade channel after the negative impact of the pandemic. On-trade sales of spirits continued to recover in 2022 as Serbians…

In 2022, the volume growth of spirits in Romania primarily stemmed from the total elimination of restrictions pertaining to on-trade opening hours and capacity. The first half of the year, in particular, saw a redirection of savings accrued during…

The market for spirits in Poland has reached saturation point though it continues to evolve, adapting to emerging trends. In 2022, vodka, the largest product area, saw a decrease in off-trade volume sales but current value growth owing to inflation…

Total volume growth in spirits remains positive in 2022 as the category continued to recover from the pandemic. Moreover, the double-digit inflation that led to increased prices across many other consumer goods categories was less visible within…

In 2022, both off- and on-trade sales of spirits in Bulgaria increased. Current value growth by far exceeded volume growth due to a huge rise in average unit prices. Despite this, the premiumisation trend continued as Bulgarians increasingly favour…

Retail volume growth of spirits remained strong in 2022, as consumer demand continued to bounce back in the on-trade following the steep declines caused by closures during the pandemic. Nevertheless, rising inflation has impacted spirits resulting in…

RTDs saw a return to growth in total volume terms in 2022. This growth was driven by innovations and new product launches in the market alongside the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the return to more active social lives, with socialising being…