Eastern Europe

Within pet products in the Czech Republic, the demand for the cat litter has grown steadily. As this product type is tied to cat ownership, the rising cat population in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis is helping the category to develop…

In pet care in the Czech Republic, 2024 is expected to be a cooling year. There was a surge in pet care demand in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, although the effects of the war in Ukraine and high inflation increased the…

Retail volume sales of other pet food in the Czech Republic have stagnated since the boom in pet ownership in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020. Thus, a further small increment is expected over 2024. Challenges such as stagnant…

Dog food in the Czech Republic is still affected by tough economic conditions, which started in 2022 with the war in Ukraine and were followed by the effects of high inflation and cost-of-living on businesses and consumers. The economic situation is…

The influx of cats that migrated with Ukrainian refugees helped cat food in the Czech Republic to continue to see healthy retail volume and current value growth in 2022 and 2023, despite the worsening economic situation caused by the war in Ukraine…

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…

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.…

Cat litter saw strong growth in current value terms in 2022 with this pattern continuing into 2023. Nonetheless, this dynamism was mostly due to huge price increase. Due to a dramatic decline in the value of the local currency the price of imported…

The pet care market in Ukraine has been strongly impacted by war and inflation, but despite these challenges sales remain healthy in 2023. Pet owners that are used to buying such products often perceive pet food to be an essential category and thus…

Other pet food suffered much heavier losses in retail volume terms in 2022 than dog and cat food, but it is showing some signs of recovery in 2023. The sharp decrease in sales in 2022 was related with the dramatic drop in the other pet population,…

Russia’s war in Ukraine has had a significant impact on dog food in 2022 and 2023. Firstly, a large number of people (20% of the population) left the country following Russia’s invasion, with some of them taking their dogs with them, especially small…

Cat food is seeing relatively strong and stable growth in retail volume terms in 2023. Taking into account the ongoing war, the sales performance of cat food is better than could be expected. In Ukraine there is a relatively low penetration of…

Pet product sales in Slovakia are being hampered by a changing economic environment in 2023. Lower consumer interest in adopting new pets, weaker purchasing power and soaring retail prices is limiting retail volume sales. However, current value sales…

In 2023, pet care in Slovakia is experiencing ongoing turbulence due to the mounting economic pressures on household expenditure. Pet ownership stopped rising at the end of the review period following a spike during the COVID-19 pandemic, and started…

Rising average unit prices is driving current value growth in 2023 as inflation remains well above normal levels in Slovakia. The high costs of owning a pet coupled with weak purchasing power is reducing demand for new pets. In turn, this is placing…

The war in neighbouring Ukraine continues to have a negative impact on Slovakia’s macroeconomic landscape, putting upward pressure on the cost of inputs and inflation. Lower purchasing power has temporarily discouraged consumers from getting pets,…

The rising cost of living in Slovakia is leading to a slowdown in owners spoiling their cats in 2023. Moreover, with cat food and cat treats soaring in price, owners are increasingly opting for home-made dinners, with some combining meal leftovers…

The lifting of pandemic restrictions in Romania from March 2022 and the consequent return to school and work has significantly reduced the time people have to spend with their pets. The wellbeing of pets remained important in 2023, especially among…

With the pet population in Poland continuing to expand in 2023, this translated into a growing demand for a wide array of pet products. While the humanisation trend continued to have an impact on new product development, growing levels of…

The performance of pet care in Romania in 2023 was influenced by inflation that continued to exceed two digits, putting pressure on pet owners’ disposable incomes. The rising cost of living due to the high price of utilities, food and fuel resulted…