Eastern Europe

Overall, wipes saw volume sales decline in Ukraine in 2023. However, deodorant wipes experienced a notable increase in volume and value sales during the year. This growth was largely a result of deodorant wipes being a relatively small and emerging…

Tissue and hygiene saw decline in both volume and value terms in Ukraine in 2023. This performance was connected with the mass migration of people from the country due to ongoing military actions. The substantial population shift has resulted in a…

Toilet paper performed relatively well in retail tissue in Ukraine in 2023. This can be attributed to its status as a fundamental commodity, maintaining robust demand even amidst declining revenues in the tissue market. Notably, toilet paper…

Retail adult incontinence demonstrated growth in Ukraine in 2023, fuelled by multiple factors, including a rise in the number of individuals affected by illness and injuries due to the war, increased awareness of the convenience of these products,…

The decline in the nappies/diapers/pants category in Ukraine in 2023 can be attributed to the dual impact of a declining birth rate and children leaving the country due to the ongoing war. The diminishing number of births directly contributed to…

In 2023, menstrual care experienced a decline in volume sales in Ukraine, primarily stemming from the departure of the female population from the country amid the ongoing war. While sales rose slightly in current value terms, this was primarily the…

In 2023, away-from-home (AFH) hygiene led in the AFH segment in volume terms, thanks to AFH adult incontinence registering positive dynamics, in contrast to AFH tissue, in which all categories were noted for negative growth rates. Hospitals began to…

Wipes experienced growth both in volume and value terms in Slovenia in 2023, with deodorant wipes emerging as one of the fastest-growing subcategories. This growth is primarily attributed to increased hygiene awareness among consumers, coupled with a…

Sales of wipes in Slovakia continued to enjoy steady growth in retail volume terms, while current value growth benefited from rising prices. Consumers have become more hygiene conscious since the outbreak of COVID-19, with this helping to support the…

Demand for wipes in Serbia has been supported by elevated hygiene standards since the COVID-19 pandemic. Though wipes registered double-digit current value growth in 2023, constant value sales were flat. Prices have been rising due to the soaring…

Tissue and hygiene in Slovenia experienced significant growth in 2023 driven by heightened health and hygiene awareness among consumers. With ongoing concerns about cleanliness and sanitation, individuals are prioritising products such as wipes,…

Tissue and hygiene in Slovakia recorded only slight volume growth in 2023, as strong inflationary pressures limited consumer expenditure and prevented an increase in spend year-on-year. Robust price increases in tissue and hygiene ultimately led to…

Rising inflation has dampened volume sales of tissue and hygiene in Serbia. Higher logistical and raw material costs linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have also resulted in price increases. With the high costs of living…

The category of Rx/reimbursement adult incontinence experienced growth in both volume and value terms in 2023 in Slovenia, driven primarily by healthcare settings. As the elderly population continues to increase, more individuals are seeking…

The growth of Rx/reimbursement adult incontinence in Slovakia remained stable in 2023, as consumers tend to use these products for a long time. Compared to retail, products prescribed by the doctor are fully reimbursed by an insurance company, and…

Volume sales of Rx/reimbursement adult incontinence in Serbia remained stable in 2023. The ageing population is the main driver of category sales, as the elderly tend to experience incontinence issues later in life. In tandem, rising inflation and…

Sales of retail tissue in Slovenia in 2023 saw growth in both value and volume terms. This expansion was primarily propelled by heightened hygiene awareness among consumers, a growing population, and the ongoing urbanisation trend. Post-pandemic,…

Retail tissue in Slovakia bucked the downward economic trend in 2023, by posting a solid increase in volume sales. Healthy growth in toilet paper supported this trend aided by brand and private label innovations. Economy toilet paper was launched by…

In 2023, consumers focused on buying essential retail tissue products in Serbia, as inflation remained stubbornly high. Toilet paper faced robust volume growth and supported overall category growth, as it is considered a necessary product that cannot…

Retail adult incontinence in Slovenia continued to witness robust volume growth in 2023. The country's rapidly ageing population remains a primary driver of this growth, with older individuals forming the core consumer base for incontinence products.…

In Slovakia, retail adult incontinence products for light and moderate/heavy users witnessed sales growth in 2023. Increasing numbers of consumers are suffering with incontinence problems as the population is ageing. Manufacturers have ramped up…

Retail adult incontinence remains a taboo topic in Serbia as people do not like to discuss incontinence problems, even with their relatives and friends. In general, retail volume sales are stimulated by the ageing population in Serbia, which already…

The nappies/diapers/pants product area experienced a decline in volume terms in Slovenia in 2023, attributed to factors such as declining birth rates and the increasing popularity of eco-friendly nappies designed for multiple uses. Modern consumers…

Demand for nappies/diapers/pants in Slovakia was negatively affected by rising prices and lower birth rates in the country, which resulted in retail volume decline in 2023. Some consumers chose to make products last longer and made fewer purchases to…

Nappies/diapers/pants in Serbia faces challenges from demographic and economic factors. The birth rate in Serbia continued to slow in 2023, reaching 0.5%, according to official national statistics, which was on a par with 2022 levels. The government…

In 2023, menstrual care saw growth in both volume and value terms in Slovenia, despite facing challenges from an uncertain economic environment and inflationary pressures. The impact of rising prices, particularly due to geopolitical factors such as…

Menstrual care in Slovakia was affected by rising prices across all types of products in 2023, however retail volume growth witnessed steady progress. Consumers are widely accustomed to buying their favourite brands and switching to cheaper brands is…

Serbian women are generally quite conservative with regards to menstrual care. Sanitary towels remain the most popular product, whilst menstrual cups and reusable pads are available but remain a niche. Moreover, some consumers consider re-washable…

In 2023, away-from-home toilet paper emerged as the largest subcategory in away-from-home tissue and hygiene in Slovenia, serving as an indispensable product in public facilities and private accommodations alike. Its widespread use across various…

Sales of away-from-home tissue are heavily linked to the performance of the Slovakian economy in 2023. Although the economy remained robust, there were some signs of weakness and companies remained cautious in the face of high inflation. Only a very…

Away-from-home tissue and hygiene in Serbia has been supported by the return to pre-pandemic lifestyles, which has boosted tissue sales. Horeca is the most important channel for away-from-home tissue in Serbia and the recovery of this channel in 2023…

The prevailing economic landscape in Romania in 2023 was characterised by persistent inflationary pressures, exerting upward pressure on unit prices across various product categories, including wipes. Rising costs associated with raw materials and…

In 2023, wipes in Poland recorded double-digit retail value growth, with these high levels of growth driven by ongoing price rises. General purpose wipes continued to experience positive retail volume growth as consumers increasingly appreciated the…

In 2023, current value sales of wipes witnessed a second year of double-digit growth in North Macedonia. Much of this growth was fuelled by inflation which led to price increases. Despite lowering birth rates and inflationary pressures, baby wipes…

Throughout 2023, players in retail tissue in Romania contended with persistent challenges stemming from inflation and escalating prices of raw materials and energy. These factors compelled some players to adjust their pricing strategies, passing on a…

In 2023, the tissue and hygiene landscape in Poland recorded positive, double-digit retail value growth, driven by rising price points. As such, while value sales were high, retail volume was challenged in areas viewed as unessential, including…

Tissue and hygiene in Macedonia was challenged by high inflation for the second consecutive year in 2023. Although, the rate of inflation is lower compared to 2022, it remained well above normal levels in Macedonia. High inflation has stifled volume…

Inflation in 2023 influenced Romanians' shopping behaviour for retail tissue. Unit prices continued to rise due to increased costs associated with raw materials and energy, as well as the trend towards premiumisation. This led to further polarisation…

In 2023, retail tissue in Poland registered double-digit retail value growth, the result of high inflation and rising price points. As manufacturers faced increased production costs, these were passed on to consumers, resulting in higher unit prices.…

Retail tissue in North Macedonia witnessed limited volume growth in 2023, due to the lacklustre performance of toilet paper. Consumption has been impinged by cost of living pressures and significant price increases across all retail tissue products,…

Retail adult incontinence in Romania witnessed a notable surge in sales during 2023, reflecting a robust upward trajectory fuelled by heightened consumer awareness. As societal perceptions surrounding incontinence products continue to evolve, there…

In 2023, the ageing population in Poland drove sales in adult retail incontinence goods, which saw positive, double-digit retail volume and value growth. As the number of older adults in need of special health assistance rose, this was accompanied by…

Consumer demand for retail adult incontinence products in North Macedonia remained stable despite the cost of living challenges facing consumers in 2024. These can be essential products for the elderly as well as those struggling with lifestyle…

The persistently high inflation rates in 2023 prompted Romanian consumers to adjust their purchasing behaviour, adopting a more cautious approach towards nappies/diapers/pants. With the economic landscape presenting challenges, consumers sought…

In 2023, nappies/diapers/pants in Poland recorded positive retail value sales, driven by rising price points. As such, despite these positive results, retail volume sales declined. The falling birth rate is negatively impacting sales opportunities in…

In 2023, nappies/diapers/pants in North Macedonia is under pressure from declining retail volume growth. The falling birth rate is directly influencing sales, as fewer babies are born in the country. The migration of younger adults is also an issue…

Despite the challenging economic climate, the demand for menstrual care products in Romania saw a steady increase in both value and volume sales throughout 2023. This growth can be attributed to a more educated and informed consumer base, which is…

In 2023, the menstrual care landscape in Poland recorded double-digit retail value growth and positive retail volume sales. The rising demand for menstrual care is linked to positive demographic trends, which have expanded the consumer base. The…

Menstrual care in North Macedonia saw volume sales decline in 2023 as consumers made cutbacks in the face of higher costs of living. Consumers chose to economise and prioritise only essential purchases of menstrual care due to pressure on disposable…