Eastern Europe

In 2023, cafés/bars continue to recover from the significant declines recorded in the channel at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020, recording strong double-digit value growth in the year. Growth can be attributed to the growing interest…

At the start of 2023, operators of cafés/bars were in an upbeat mood as 2022 had delivered relatively good results despite soaring energy prices and costs. The prolonged high levels of inflation and diminishing consumer purchasing power proved…

Specialist coffee and tea shops and cafés were the strongest performers within cafés/bars in Poland in current value growth terms in 2023. While both saw trade slow sharply as the cost-of-living crisis made consumers inclined to rein in discretionary…

The total elimination of COVID-19 restrictions in 2022 continued to impact results in 2023, with socialising driving visits to bars and cafés. However, inflation remained high in 2023, and while sales increased, there were reduced growth rates for…

Bars/pubs registered very healthy double-digit constant value growth in 2023, in spite of high inflation. There were also a significant number of openings. The introduction of a permanent reduced 10% VAT rate bolstered the sector. That being said,…

Bars/pubs in the Czech Republic saw growth in transactions and current value sales slow sharply in 2023 as inflationary pressures continued to drive up alcoholic drinks prices and weaken purchasing power among consumers. Because it is much cheaper to…

Within cafés/bars, bars/pubs experienced a rebound in activity levels in 2023 due in part to the shortening of curfews in most of Ukraine’s regions. Curfews were enforced all around Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion, but their duration was…

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.…

Driven by rising unit prices and strong inflationary pressure, consumer foodservice continued to record double-digit value growth in 2023. The performance varied depending on the location; however, all categories managed to grow at a similar rate and…

The year 2023 marked the first complete year without any significant COVID-19 restrictions or social constraints. Locals compensated for the long absence of social gatherings, entertainment and events by spending more time outside of the house. This…

Consumer foodservice through retail was by far the most dynamic performer in terms of growth in outlet numbers in Poland in 2023. This was mainly due to the rapid development of counters offering hot and cold food and beverages in grocery stores…

Consumer foodservice through stand-alone saw a double-digit value sales increase in 2023. The domination of stand-alone is the strong, long tradition of opening stand-alone locations in the country. The scarcity of large retail malls, leisure areas,…

Retail locations registered the highest value growth, as retail locations continue to be sought after locations, due to their high footfall. Also, in 2023, the Eurovea shopping centre in Bratislava expanded its food hall and it is now the largest…

The Czech foodservice market saw growing numbers of operators in standalone locations downsize to smaller outlets in 2023. Most visible among independents, this trend was partly explained by the desire to reduce overheads and maintain or improve…

Consumer foodservice through all locations suffered heavy losses in 2022 following Russia’s invasion. More specifically, consumer foodservice through lodging and leisure locations witnessed heavy losses in 2022 due to several factors including the…

Most consumer foodservice categories in Bulgaria have either recovered or are nearing full recovery in 2023. With no movement or travel restrictions, despite new COVID-19 variants, the market could continue to develop uninterrupted in the year. The…

The high rate of inflation remained a topic of great concern to consumers and business owners in 2023, with Hungary recording one of the highest rates seen in the EU. Consumer foodservice outlets have been challenged with managing higher expenses for…

Consumer foodservice in Poland saw growth in total transactions and current value sales slow dramatically in 2023. This was partly due to the normalisation of consumption habits following the market’s rapid rebound from the negative impact of the…

The positive performance of consumer foodservice in 2023 was driven by the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in March 2022. However, high inflation was seen from the last quarter of 2022, coinciding with rising consumption of heat, gas and electricity…

While inflation remained high in 2023, government measures aimed at protecting the hospitality sector benefitted consumer foodservice. In particular, the reduced 10% VAT rate (from a previous 20%), which was introduced during the pandemic, was made…

Consumer foodservice in the Czech Republic saw growth in total current value sales and transactions slow sharply in 2023. This was partly explained the normalisation of demand following the impressive rebound that accompanied the easing of the…

Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine continued to be a major factor influencing consumer foodservice in 2023. Nonetheless, Ukrainian businesses showed unprecedented resilience while operating in challenging wartime conditions, including constant air raids…

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…

Technological advances are creating unprecedented change across consumer-facing industries. The Digital Consumer Survey, fielded in March and April, offers insight into the pace and depth of this evolution, tracking consumer behaviour, attitudes,…

In 2023, full-service restaurants continue to recover from the devastating losses registered during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the strong double-digit value growth is largely the result of rising unit prices and inflation. For a growing number…

Operational and raw material costs have soared in 2022-2023, pushing up the average price of meals prepared in full-service restaurants. The escalation in menu prices has often surpassed 30% in contrast to recent years. This price differential seen…

While full-service restaurants in Poland continued to post growth in current value sales in 2023, this was primarily due to price hikes imposed to offset rising costs amidst stubbornly high inflation. Transactions declined slightly as falling…

The results of full-service restaurants in 2023 were impacted by the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in 2022, leading to a rise in eating out and consumers returning to the foodservice experience. However, high inflation continued to impact results,…

In spite of continuing high inflation, full service restaurants registered double-digit constant value growth. The announcement that the reduced 10% VAT rate, which was introduced during the pandemic, was going to be permanent, boosted the sector.…

In keeping with the trend evident across the wider Czech foodservice market, full-service restaurants experienced a dramatic slowdown in current value sales and transactions in 2023 as soaring inflation continued to place upward pressure on menu…

Full-service restaurants saw a partial recovery in 2023 but sales remained well below 2021 levels as many operators continued to struggle due the difficult conditions in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. Their higher menu prices compared to…

Slower growth, surging inflation, rising geopolitical risks and an accelerating deglobalisation trend are factors shaping the global economic, financial and trade landscape in 2022 and beyond. Despite the challenges, there are opportunities for…

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…

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…

This briefing examines how the chicken commodity performs globally and in the largest countries in terms of supply and consumption. The report also provides data and analysis on chicken price dynamics, key meat-consuming industries, and exports and…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered the most severe global recession since World War II. In Q4 2020, the end of the pandemic started as countries began administering effective vaccines among the population; however, vaccine distribution…

As the end of 2021 approaches, almost two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergence and rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant has increased uncertainty and weakened the momentum of the global recovery. This series of quarterly reports…

With no pandemic-related movement and travel restrictions mandated by the government, foodservice continues to recover in 2023. Limited-services restaurants, in particular, are recording strong value growth as a result of strong and renewed consumer…

Although badly hit by Coronavirus (COVID-19), limited-service restaurants (LSR) was the least-impacted consumer foodservice channel by the pandemic in 2020. With takeaway and home delivery services either already in place or quickly added during…

Soaring inflation pushed menu prices in limited-service restaurants to new highs in 2023, although operators are always careful when considering price adjustments, especially for their signature meals. Core target audiences, such as students and…

Limited-service restaurants in Poland saw growth in transactions and current value sales slow in 2023 as stubbornly high inflation continued to drive up menu prices and make consumers more cautious in their spending habits. However, the downturn was…

The positive performance of limited-service restaurants in 2023 was aided by the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in March 2022, allowing limited-service restaurants to appeal through the convenience they provide. In addition, the high cost of living…

While inflation remained high in 2023, government measures aimed at protecting the hospitality sector benefitted limited-service restaurants. In particular, the reduced 10% VAT rate (from a previous 20%), which was introduced during the pandemic, was…

Current value and transaction growth rates for limited-service restaurants in the Czech Republic in 2023 were down substantially on the previous two years. This was partly due to the stabilisation of consumption patterns following a post-pandemic…

Russia’s war in Ukraine has created challenging economic conditions and a difficult operating environment which has presented significant obstacles for players operating within limited-service restaurants. Sales plummeted in value and volume terms in…

This report considers what socialising will look like in a post-COVID-19 era, focusing on several key questions. A return to the “Roaring Twenties” in the beverages space or a continuing decimation of the on-trade? How has socialising changed (eg…

Boosted by significant price hikes and the inflation, self-service cafeterias is achieving very strong value growth as consumer demand continues to recover following the COVID-19 pandemic. As no further pandemic-related restrictions have been…

Self-service cafeterias made price adjustments of between 20-30% during 2023, as soaring inflation pushed up the costs of vital ingredients, such as meat and pasta. Simultaneously, heightened labour and energy costs further contributed to this…

Self-service cafeterias was one of the strongest performers among the main foodservice categories in Poland in terms of growth in transactions and current value sales in 2023. Like limited-service restaurants, it weathered the cost-of-living crisis…

The dynamics of self-service cafeterias in 2023 were impacted by the lifting of COVID-19 restriction in 2022, with consumers returning to office work. As such, office employees were the main customers of self-service cafeterias, which offer cooked…