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 2023, sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks all started to rebound from the double-digit declines recorded in retail volume sales in 2022. During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, fruit snacks, snack bars and sweet biscuits posted only…

Strongly increased sugar prices and electricity outages in late 2022-2023 increased the cost of manufacturing and negatively impacted consumers’ ability to afford or justify the prices of sugar confectionery. As a result, consumers tended to reduce…

All snacks categories are projected to see good-to-strong retail volume growth over 2023. However, sales bases have been lowered significantly by the slump in 2022, and market sizes at the end of the review period are expected to be lower than in…

Savoury snacks can be said to have suffered most from the effects of the war in Ukraine in terms of production, supply and consumer behaviour. This is partly reflected in savoury snacks recording the highest decline in snacks in retail volume sales…

Like other packaged food categories, ice cream suffered in late 2022 and 2023 from electricity outages. These energy problems had strong negative impact on the manufacture and storage of frozen goods. While ice cream is set to register strong retail…

The demand for gum in Ukraine suffered heavily in the wake of the Russian invasion of the country in 2022. This was partly because consumers in Ukraine looked to save money, and they tended to make fewer impulse purchases, which included perceived…

During times of economic uncertainty, chocolate confectionery tends to cede ground to sugar confectionery in Ukraine. This is largely because of the higher prices of chocolate confectionery amid strong pressure on consumer incomes. Towards the end of…

Sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks saw strong double-digit current value growth in 2023, supported by stable consumer demand and rising unit prices. Inflation remains high fuelling much of the current value growth. Rising consumer demand for…

Sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks achieved a better performance in retail volume terms in 2023, despite the ongoing issue of inflation. Consumers are opting for healthier options such as fruit snacks and snack bars, as well as more…

Healthy eating is taking a higher priority with consumers increasingly shunning sugar confectionery due to its high sugar content and limited value-added properties. As a result, retail volume sales are declining for the fourth consecutive year in…

In 2023, sugar confectionery faces further decline in retail volume sales, as consumers reduce consumption amid the growing focus on health and wellbeing. Consumers are opting for higher nutritional value snacks and less sugar in their diet, which…

Snacks continues to make a robust recovery in 2023. Consumer demand for snacks is stabilising and the category is much closer to pre-pandemic sales in retail volume terms, which should be reached in 2024. Snacks is among the most dynamic packaged…

Snacks continues its strong recovery in 2023, thanks to a period of stable consumer demand in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the post-pandemic period. Despite the rising costs of living, snacks have remained a popular option on the household shopping…

Savoury snacks is witnessing moderate volume growth in 2023 as the category recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Inflation and rising energy prices caused by the war in Ukraine have driven up unit prices and is a major cause of supply chain…

Savoury snacks continues to grow moderately in 2023 in retail volume terms, due to stable consumer demand in the post-pandemic period. Rising unit prices and inflation are the main contributing factors to the double-digit current value growth.…

Consumer demand for ice cream remains strong in 2023, even after the category’s full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The scorching heat in 2023 has led to high demand for ice cream driving up impulse purchases. Inflation and rising unit prices…

Ice cream is enjoying robust growth in 2023, with retail volume and current value sales surpassing pre-pandemic sales thanks to a strong rebound in consumer demand. More frequent new product launches and the premiumisation trend is stimulating ice…

Gum continues to gradually recover from the pandemic in 2023, although retail volume sales are still declining marginally. Gum increasingly has a bad name, due to its high sugar content and bad environmental reputation in terms of disposability, and…

In 2023, gum saw minimal decline in retail volume terms due to diminishing consumer demand for products in this category. Health and wellness trends and changing consumer preferences are diverting consumers away from gum and towards healthier snack…

Chocolate confectionery is witnessing a more upbeat performance in 2023, with retail volume sales returning to growth. There has been a significant number of new chocolate products launched in 2023, which has captured consumer interest and boosted…

In 2023, chocolate confectionery is witnessing low and stable retail volume growth, despite the ongoing inflationary pressures in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As seen during past financial crises, affordable treats, such as chocolate confectionery, can…

The current value sales of sweet biscuits in 2023 are driven by rising unit prices, while overall volume sales experience a decline as consumers reduce their spending. However, snack bars have seen an increase in volume sales, fuelled by the growing…

Sweet biscuits, snacks bars and fruit snacks is expected to be the strongest performing snack in 2023, with healthy constant value growth, as well as modest volume growth. That being said, inflation is expected to still be an issue, though its growth…

In 2023, the landscape is seeing high demand, benefiting from its alignment with the growing health and wellness trend, while some brands continue to provide affordable snack options. This has become increasingly important for consumers in 2023, as…

The sweet biscuits, snack bars, and fruit snacks category in Poland witnessed a trend of innovations and novel flavours that helped to maintain sales volume towards the end of the review period. Brands such as Dobry Squad, San, and Baron introduced…

The sweet biscuits, snacks bars and fruit bars category is showing slower growth in 2023, following a relatively strong performance during the pandemic years. While other areas on the snacks landscape saw a decline in sales during the pandemic,…

Sugar confectionery is expected to register moderate constant value growth in 2023, but volume growth will be marginal. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the meteoric rise in inflation and tightening…

Private label sugar confectionery has gained increasing popularity among Slovak consumers in 2023, driven by the worsening financial situation due to rising living expenses and food prices. The demand for larger pack sizes and the growing preference…

Consumption of sugar confectionery is generally stimulated by activities outside of the home, including sharing in groups. As such, the elimination of COVID-19 restrictions aided sales. However, this positive change was balanced by high inflation and…

There was a growing trend of sugar confectionery shops becoming more common in Poland towards the end of the review period, with these replacing traditional mobile sweets stalls. One factor that contributed to this trend was the increasing presence…

Sugar confectionery is registering a good performance in 2023, despite the ongoing threat of price inflation. On balance, sugar confectionery is not a popular choice of snack in Lithuania, and in terms of volume sales it is ahead of only gum in…

Snacks is expected to register moderate constant value growth in 2023, but volume growth will be minimal. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the meteoric rise in inflation and tightening monetary policy is…

In 2023, snacks is grappling with the challenges of elevated inflation, a common issue affecting various industries. Rising production costs and commodity prices have resulted in significantly higher retail prices, driving up the value of snacks…

The role of snacks remains significant in 2023, with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in 2022 leading to increased consumption occasions. Students have returned to schools, and most companies are requesting workers to return to offices. This is…

The snacks market in Poland has been significantly affected by the elevated rate of inflation and low consumer and business confidence, which have negatively impacted sales growth. Declining real incomes, coupled with an already low saving rate, put…

Snacks is witnessing a rebound in retail volume sales in 2023, following a sizeable decline in 2022 caused in large part by the downturn in ice cream sales. The sharp rise in price inflation seen in 2022 is slowing somewhat, but its impact continues…

Savoury snacks are expected to register healthy constant value growth and more modest volume growth in 2023. Those savoury snacks with a healthier positioning also register higher volume growth, with nuts, seeds and trail mixes registering the…

In 2023, savoury snacks faces dynamic unit price growth due to rising production costs. Increasing prices of inputs and energy resulted in multiple price increases for many brands throughout 2022 and 2023. To mitigate the impact, manufacturers such…

With consumption occasions, including socialisation and group sharing, the performance of savoury snacks in 2023 benefits from the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. However, the boost in growth aligned with socialising has been counterbalanced by…

In Poland, meat snacks experienced a notable resurgence towards the end of the review period despite these products already having a long-standing presence in the market. This revival was not only limited to traditional meat snacks, but also…

Savoury snacks is expected to see retail volume sales stagnate in 2023 due to the negative impact of price inflation, which is forcing consumers to rethink purchasing decisions. As in 2022 when inflation soared, manufacturers continue to apply heavy…

Ice cream is expected to register healthy constant value growth and more modest volume growth in 2023. Continuing economic uncertainty as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the meteoric rise in inflation and tightening monetary policy is…

The year 2023 witnesses a significant increase in unit prices for ice cream, driven by the earlier rise in input costs during the summer of 2022. As production took place in late spring when prices were still reasonable, the full impact of the cost…

In 2023, ice cream continues to be impacted by seasonality, with the weather having a significant impact on sales. The warm season starts in April-May when retailers begin to offer increasing volumes of ice cream, especially single-portion products.…

The ice cream market in Poland experienced significant disruptions due to the rise in operational and production costs seen towards the end of the review period. These costs were often passed on to consumers, or businesses sought ways to cut costs by…

Ice cream sales are bouncing back in 2023 following a disastrous performance in the year prior, when the summer was much colder than normal and impulse purchases reduced substantially. Consequently, ice cream manufacturers were unable to fulfil their…

Gum is expected to register some volume growth in 2023, as consumers lead busy lives and often use gum as a breath freshener. In addition, gum is particularly popular among smokers, to remove any bad breath. The return of tourists in large number is…

The elevated inflation in 2023, along with rising production costs, is expected to significantly impact gum as a product area not only in 2023 but also in the future. As prices rise, consumer spending on non-essential items such as gum slightly…

Current retail volume growth in 2023 results from completely eliminating COVID-19 restrictions since 2022, with students returning to school and workers in the workplace. With more time spent outside of the home, socialising and meetings have revived…