Eastern Europe

Foods vending was the most dynamic performer within vending in Ukraine in current value growth terms by some distance in 2023. While this was partly due to high inflation and the ongoing emergence of sales from a relatively low base, its strong…

Supermarkets was the most dynamic grocery retailers channel in Ukraine in current value growth terms in 2023. While many players suffered steep declines in revenues and the loss of several outlets in 2022 due to the initial shock and destruction of…

Small local grocers was the only grocery retailers channel in Ukraine to contract in current value terms in 2023. While trade picked up from 2022 as the initial shock of the Russian invasion receded, it continued to lose ground to modern formats such…

After experiencing a deep contraction in 2022 due to the shock of the Russian invasion, retail in Ukraine saw total current value sales rebound at an impressive pace in 2023 as consumers and businesses adjusted to the new reality. However, recovery…

In keeping with the performance of the wider retail market, after the shock of the Russian invasion caused a sharp contraction in 2022, e-commerce in Ukraine saw current value sales rebound at a healthy pace in 2023. Indeed, it was among the channels…

Hypermarkets in Ukraine lagged behind the other main modern grocery retailers channels in terms of current value sales growth in 2023. These types of outlets have lost ground to smaller formats since the start of the Russian invasion, in part because…

Home improvement and gardening stores was by far the most dynamic channel within home products specialists in Ukraine in current value growth terms in 2023. This performance reflected an increased need for construction equipment and materials as…

An impressive recovery by health and beauty specialists in Ukraine in current value sales terms in 2023 was underpinned by robust demand in the dominant channel of pharmacies. The latter continued to show greater resilience to the economic shock of…

General merchandise stores in Ukraine is dominated by variety stores, which continued to weather the challenges of trading during a full-scale war better than many other types of retailers in 2023. This was mainly because their offer of wide ranges…

The mass exodus of refugees from Ukraine in 2022 following the Russian invasion took a particularly heavy toll on direct selling. This was because a high proportion of those who left were women, who not only represent this channel’s main target…

Convenience retailers in Ukraine continued to prove more successful than other grocery formats in weathering the challenges brought about by the Russian invasion in 2023. Offering a relatively limited range of day-to-day essentials, they were well…

While appliances and electronics specialists in Ukraine showed a much improved performance in current value sales terms in 2023, it remained one of the retail channels worst affected by the Russian invasion. Because the types of goods such outlets…

Following a sharp contraction in 2022, apparel and footwear specialists in Ukraine saw current value sales rebound strongly in 2023. However, its recovery was skewed by price hikes imposed to offset inflationary pressures, with trade remaining…

In 2023, vending recorded strong sales in current value terms. Vending value sales are being driven by the increase in the number of vending machines offering drinks and snacks, as well as the technological replacement of hot drink machines with…

Supermarkets recorded strong growth in value sales in 2023. The upward trend in the number of supermarkets also continued in 2023 with supermarkets recording the highest growth in grocery retailers during the year. Proximity supermarkets, ie local…

In 2023, small local grocers recorded low growth in retail value sales. Double-digit inflation has changed the shopping habits of Poles. Consumers purchase less, save money, buy cheaper alternatives or limit their consumption. In 2023, sales of beer…

High inflation led to a deterioration in consumer purchasing power in 2023 with many consumers who had the additional financial burden of mortgages and other loans being particularly badly affected. Instalments increased significantly as a result of…

In 2023, retail value sales of retail e-commerce recoded healthy growth. The category benefited enormously from the pandemic during which there was a surge in the number of consumers shopping online. While the threat from COVID-19 has waned…

Hypermarkets recoded low growth in value sales in 2023 and was by far the weakest performer among modern grocery retailers. The channel struggles with consumers’ disinclination to buy groceries in large shopping centres on the outskirts of cities.…

Despite substantial price increases amidst soaring inflation, overall current value sales growth for home products specialists in 2023 was slightly weaker than in 2022. Trade in the two largest channels of home improvement and gardening stores and…

In 2023, health and beauty specialists recorded strong growth in value sales. This channel has thus far been relatively resistant to the rising cost crisis in the country. This is influenced by its wide range of products and rapid response to the…

In 2023, general merchandise stores recorded strong current value sales growth. Much of this stemmed from the strong performance of variety stores, which in keeping with its performance throughout the review period, recorded high double-digit growth…

Discounters recorded double-digit value sales growth in 2023. Discounters are successful thanks to convenient locations and a wide range of goods, including groceries, clothing, electronics, household items and beauty and personal care in one place.…

In 2023, direct selling registered marginal growth in retail value sales. After a decline in 2022, direct selling returned to positive if marginal growth. The cost-of-living crisis proved beneficial for the industry as more people sought to be hired…

Convenience stores recorded slower value dynamics than overall retail in 2023. Higher prices in this channel stimulated a consumer shift towards discounters and supermarkets. The situation in the market favoured retail chains that can afford to offer…

Appliances and electronics specialists saw current value sales decline slightly in 2023. Trade was depressed as rapidly rising inflation caused unit prices to increase sharply and weakened consumer confidence and purchasing power. These conditions…

Apparel and footwear specialists recorded moderate value sales growth in 2023. A positive impact on the channel is the rapidly changing fashion that drives the sale of fast fashion, and even the visible trend of ultra-fast fashion, where consumers…

In 2023, vending in Romania showcased positive retail value growth, benefiting from the elimination of COVID-19 restrictions in March 2022. This led consumers to return to office work, with free movement outside of the home, enabling the recovery of…

In 2023, supermarkets in Romania recorded double-digit retail value growth; the result of having excellent locations in crowded neighbourhoods. As such, these stores increasingly benefit from proximity while offering a broader range of products…

The performance of small local grocers in Romania in 2023, was negatively impacted by the declining number of outlets across the nation. In addition, the elimination of all COVID-19 restrictions in 2022 propelled travelling and bolstered spending in…

Grocery retailers dominate sales in 2023

After several years of accelerated evolution, 2023 was a challenging year for e-commerce in Romania.

In 2023, hypermarkets in Romania continued to see retail value growth; however, footfall declined. The social function of hypermarkets before COVID-19 was a place for shopping and entertainment. This has diminished significantly since 2021, with the…

In 2023, home product specialists in Romania showcased positive growth driven by home improvement and gardening stores. Consumers in Romania have showcased a rising interest in DIY and gardening, which began during home seclusion and the outbreak of…

Within health and beauty specialist retailers in Romania in 2023, chemists/pharmacies held the most significant retail value sales by far. These outlets have the largest number of stores, with a strong sales position that continued to be in place…

In 2023, general merchandise stores in Romania were represented in totality by variety stores. However, variety stores is an underdeveloped retail channel, which remains unfamiliar to most local consumers. Variety stores have never really developed…

Strong, double-digit retail value growth for discounters in Romania in 2023 resulted from heightened footfall driven by rising inflation. As bills rose, consumers were forced to reevaluate their spending habits, including migrating to other channels…

The decline of direct selling in 2023 in Romania was a continuation of the results noted in 2022. Much of this decline was due to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, which began in March 2022, and resulted in a strong uplift of consumers in…

The high growth for convenience retailers in 2023 in Romania, was driven by rising interest in proximity shopping. Price growth over the level of inflation limited consumers' purchases to basic food items. Reduction of purchasing power due to…

Following strong growth during COVID-19, in 2023, appliances and electronics specialists in Romania registered a downward trend. For larger appliances, sales were sustained in 2023 as consumers applied for vouchers through a scrappage scheme, driving…

Apparel and footwear specialists in Romania recorded strong, double-digit retail value growth in 2023. This positive performance is partly driven by consumers returning to physical stores, after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in March 2022. The…

Vending was one of the better performing retail channels in Slovakia in 2023, with current value sales increasing. Convenience and on-the-go consumption drove consumer demand. While hot drinks continued to be the most popular product sold through…

Sales in vending were being supported in Hungary in 2023, due to the number of vending machines increasing. Vending is seen as a beneficial model for retail, as it does not require a cashier to serve the customers, thus cuts down on labour and…

Supermarkets in Slovakia lost out to discounters in 2023, as continuing high inflation saw consumers increasingly shop in discounters. Consumers also sought out discounts in supermarkets as they were highly price sensitive. As such, supermarket…

Supermarkets saw a decline in value sales in Hungary in 2023, following the positive performance seen in 2022 as the channel benefitted from the normalisation patterns following the era of the pandemic. In 2023, however, the channel is being affected…

2023 was not a good year for small local grocers in Slovakia. With inflation still being high, consumers cut back on spending in such outlets, as prices tend to be higher than in other larger grocery retailers. As such, both constant and current…

Small local grocers saw robust value sales in Hungary in 2023, driven by the rise of urbanisation, busy consumer lifestyles, and the convenience which small local grocers offer due to their proximity benefits. Whilst small local grocers have also…

It was a poor trading year for retail in Slovakia in 2023. With inflation still being high, as well increasing interest rates leading to higher mortgage payments, consumers felt the pinch. As such, there was only marginal growth in current value…

Retail in Hungary continued to be influenced by inflationary factors in 2023, with the double-digit hikes continuing (and even increasing from) the previous year. Moreso, Hungary is reported to be experiencing one of the highest sets of hikes across…

Retail e-commerce registered a modest increase in current value sales in Slovakia. However, with appliances and electronics continuing to be the most popular products sold online, and with weak consumer sentiment leading consumers to postpone larger…