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…

In the upcoming years, consumers and businesses face an array of challenges, with rising income inequality being among the key ones. Nevertheless, addressing the income inequality through catering to the Bottom of the Pyramid and the Middle Class…

The global economy is facing weaker growth and increasing fragmentation, as a result of rising geopolitical tensions, especially due to the war in Ukraine and the US-China strategic rivalry. Protectionism, industrial policy and a focus on resilience…

Alongside the rising preoccupation for health and wellness among the population, consumers are becoming increasingly knowledgeable and want to track more of their health parameters (eg heart rate, oxygen blood level, burn calories, water intake,…

With the pandemic being declared over by the World Health Organisation in early 2023 most consumers have now returned to their old lifestyles and behaviour. The rising mobility of the population has helped to drive strong demand for wireless speakers…

For the second year in a row, sales of smartphones are declining in retail volume terms in 2023. This is partly due to the fact that the category is reaching maturity. In the current economic context, Romanians are postponing large, non-essential…

In 2022, the Romanian car market increased by 7% in volume terms, but this was mostly due to purchases of new vehicles, with sales of second-hand cars falling by 20%. This had a negative effect on the performance of in-car entertainment, which…

Imaging devices has continued to record a steep decline in retail volume terms in 2023. Romanians increasingly regard these products as redundant in the era of high-performance smartphones. Furthermore, high inflation and economic pressures have led…

Sales of home video declined in 2022 in retail volume terms with this trend continuing into 2023. This is mostly due to increasing pressure on consumers’ disposable income with Romania experiencing elevated rates of inflation which has led to a sharp…

Sales of home audio and cinema continue to decline in 2023, continuing the pattern seen over the review period. This decline has accelerated in 2022/2023 in part due to the rising mobility of Romanians. During the pandemic some products such as home…

Consumers are increasingly consuming entertainment through their mobile devices in Romania, including when outside home and on the move with this making a positive contribution to the growth and development of headphones. Furthermore, rising mobility…

After a strong performance in 2020 and 2021, sales of consumer electronics moved into negative territory in 2022 in retail volume terms, mainly as a result of the impact of double-digit inflation on unit prices, the economy and cost of living. Sales…

Sales of computers continue to decline in retail volume terms in 2023. This is partly down to the uncertain political and economic context, but also due to the strong performance seen during the pandemic. Tablets is seeing the strongest decline.…

Difficult macroeconomic conditions and a high level of sales in the previous year mostly resulted in retail volume decline in 2023. Sales of wearable electronics are closely linked to the sale of smartphones, which did not perform well either.…

Smart wearables are seeing continuous, strong growth in 2023. The growing focus on health and wellness is a significant driver for smart wearables in Poland. Consumers are increasingly interested in monitoring their physical activity, heart rate,…

Portable players continue to grow in Czech Republic, although retail volume sales are driven exclusively by wireless speakers. E-readers continued to be substituted with smartphones and tablets, with volume sales continuing to decline. Czech…

Portable players recorded further growth in 2023, with wireless speakers driving this sales increase, as these products continue to attract consumer interest. Consumers are keen on the high quality of the sound they offer, we well as their advanced…

Smartphones volume sales are declining for a second consecutive year in 2023. Supply side issues were problematic in 2022, with the global microchip shortage and rising overall production costs pushing up prices. In 2023, the volume decline is being…

Smartphones witnessed volume decline in 2023, which is partly due to high market saturation, but also due to the fact that there has not been any significant innovation recently to attract consumers. Consumers are consequently satisfied with their…

In recognition of its long-term decline, in-car entertainment manufacturers are limiting their investments and fewer launches are occurring. The lingering economic uncertainty following the pandemic, compounded by global inflation and the war in…

Further decline in both the new and second-hand cars market has impacted demand for in-car entertainment products in Poland in 2023. A shortage of essential parts and components affected sales of new cars in the year, resulting in strong demand for…

Volume sales of digital cameras continues to fall in 2023, as competition from smartphones devastates this category. Smartphones have been a threat to this category for years, as their devices offer high-quality images and recording with increased…

Imaging devices continued to record declining volume sales in 2023, predominantly due to a strong fall in sales of digital cameras, which are more frequently being replaced by alternative devices. The rise of smartphones with advanced camera…

The majority of TVs sold in Czech households have been replaced in recent years partly due to compliance with the new broadcast standard DVB-T2. With the wider offer of video-on-demand services, content in high definition, and the more frequent use…

The market for LCD TVs has become saturated in recent years with many consumers already owning at least one. In Poland it is common for households to have more than one television, especially among consumers with a lower socioeconomic status.…

Already facing long-term decline, home audio and cinema is facing weaker demand for specific audio devices in 2023, as music consumption continues to shift to smartphones and wireless speakers. The shift back to outdoor and out of home entertainment…

High inflation and the unfavourable economic conditions in Poland impacted purchases of home audio and cinema in Poland in 2023. With the high cost of living, consumers focused on saving and keeping their spending, especially on high-end products…

Retail volume sales of headphones have decelerated over the review period, with growth slowing substantially in 2023. Demand for headphones is closely connected to that of smartphones, which suffered a decline in 2023 as consumers put off new phone…

Headphones registered further growth in Poland in 2023, mainly driven by new product development in terms of technology. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is particularly demanded when working from home or in an open office. Quality of sound is another…

The overwhelming optimism brought forth by end of the COVID-19 pandemic has been quickly hampered by a period of high inflation, rising energy costs and the war in Ukraine. Amid this climate, consumer electronics is witnessing a sizeable contraction…

Poland’s economy experienced both challenges and opportunities amidst a backdrop of various current affairs. The country faced ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which continued to impact economic activity and create uncertainty. The…

Monitors saw volume sales dip slightly in 2023 with business upgrades the main category growth driver. Overall, volume sales of monitors remain well above pre-pandemic levels following the strong growth in 2020 and 2021 as lockdowns encouraged sales…

Decline in volume sales terms was seen across the board in computers and peripherals in 2023. Consumers’ financial difficulties and low confidence due to the weak economic situation it the country and rising cost of living meant they delayed…

Activity watches (analogue) were increasingly popular and recorded the highest volume growth in 2023 as these products are readily available and consumers prefer them to other activity bands without displays and traditional watches as they offer…

Portable players were hard to find in retail channels in 2023 and their sales were negligible as technology advances are leading to portable player devices becoming obsolete. In particular smartphone and tablets are replacing the need for portable…

Significant price rises and a high penetration rate in Hungary resulted in volume decline in smartphones in 2023. Fewer consumers were able to replace their smartphone and chose to postpone their purchases until prices were more stable, or they…

In-car entertainment recorded further decline in 2023, negatively impacted by fewer sales of new cars due to a shortage of key parts and components needed for their manufacture, which also drove up prices in the year. Consumers had to wait a long…

Volume sales of imaging devices again fell by a fifth in 2023 and value sales also registered decline. Continuing advances in smartphones’ cameras are leading to continual decline in imaging devices, to the extent that some smartphones can meet the…

Televisions recorded slight volume growth in 2023, with OLED TVs seeing strong double-digit growth as consumers looked to upgrade their older televisions with screens offering high picture and sound quality, which are light and have more…

Home audio and cinema recorded strong volume decline in 2023 as these products faced competition from wireless sound systems, the increasing sound quality of portable computers and smartphones, and a growing preference for compact and interior…

Whilst premium wireless headbands were popular during COVID-19 as they had more convenient features for both work and gaming, high inflation and rising prices deterred consumers from paying extra for them in 2023, therefore mass products performed…

High inflation affected volume sales of consumer electronics in Hungary in 2023. While strong value growth was recorded, overall volume sales were flat, with a weaker performance in the first half of the year. Strong demand for consumer electronics…

Volume sales of computers were impacted by several negative factors in 2023, including high maturity. Also, the surge in volume sales during the pandemic as people hurriedly tried to set up home offices meant that computers bought during that period…

Consumers are facing increased pressure from rising prices as global inflation reaches 7% in 2023. The impact of higher costs of living is felt from top earners in developed markets to struggling households in emerging and developing countries.…

Sales of consumer electronics were negatively impacted as consumers cut down on discretionary purchases as prices of electronics products escalated despite the economic uncertainties.

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. In 2023, global inflation is expected to ease from its peak in 2022, but remaining significantly above-trend. Geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market are…

Now in its seventh edition, this report explores the top digital shopper trends that will redefine commerce the most in the year ahead. Some of the trends included in this edition touch on topics such as second-hand shopping, community group buying,…

The report examines key factors in supply chain risks in metals, energy and agricultural commodities. Production, market supply concentration and political risks analysis can help to better identify potential risks and prepare for potential…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is reaching a peak, although geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market remain key risks. The impact varies between countries, with…

The briefing introduces the Cities Households Necessities Spending Index. The index ranks 1,075 cities by household expenditure on non-discretionary items, namely food, housing, and clothing and footwear. This analysis focuses on 160 major cities.…