Eastern Europe

2022 was a tough year for alcoholic drinks in Croatia as high inflation impacted discretionary spending in the year. Fortunately, this was offset by strong growth in the on-trade channel as tourism was almost at its pre-pandemic level. Rising prices…

Cities are hubs for spending, with 80% of expenditure expected to be generated by urban areas in 2023. Spending growth in 2023 will, however, be sluggish, as cost of living challenges force consumers to be more conservative in their expenditure. Over…

Wine prices remained more resilient compared to other alcoholic drinks categories in 2022. This was thanks to a strong supply from previous years and fierce price competition from imported wine. This helped wine to stay competitive. Additionally,…

On-trade wine sales enjoyed a strong recovery in 2022, pushing overall wine volumes sales well above pre-pandemic levels. A significant recovery was seen in the Horeca channel as all COVID-19 restrictions were removed for the full year. There is a…

The grape harvest of 2022 proved to be mostly disappointing for vineyards, with extreme droughts negatively impacting overall yields. However, the warmer weather, comparable to Southern European regions, allowed wine makers to produce more speciality…

Wine saw healthy growth in total volume terms in 2022 with sales boosted by a further recovery in sales through the on-trade. With COVID-19 fears subsiding and restrictions lifted consumers started to return to their old pre-pandemic lifestyles which…

Wine in Romania witnessed a volume sales decrease in both off-trade and on-trade sectors in 2022, largely due to the reduction in purchasing power triggered by soaring inflation and the cost of living. The majority of the population found their…

Polish consumers saw a notable increase in the prices of products and services that satisfy basic needs in 2022 including food, utilities, and loan costs. This price inflation prompted a more cautious and analytical approach to discretionary…

Total volume growth was robust in 2022 thanks to the enduring popularity of wine among local consumers in North Macedonia, which is well known for its wine drinking and production. The impact of inflation on consumption and prices was moderate. Unit…

Wine in Bulgaria continued to increase in volume terms in 2022, mainly due to on-trade growth. However, wine consumption through consumer foodservice remained below 2019 levels because of inflation and huge price increases. As a result, most local…

Consumption of wine remains robust in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with strong total volume growth in 2022. Red wine remains a firm favourite among locals as red wines are considered the best accompaniment to traditional meals in Bosnia and Herzegovina.…

Non-alcoholic spirits increasingly found their way into the Czech market in 2022. Improving consumer awareness, a drive to try a new drinking experience as well as improving distribution helped to fuel demand. Additionally, sales were also backed by…

The spirits category recovered from the pandemic in 2022, with current value and volume sales surpassing 2019 levels. Inflation and higher unit prices were also drivers of current value sales in 2022. Despite making a strong recovery, sales of…

Spirits manufacturers are seeking opportunities in new industries following the saturation of the disinfectant market in 2021, which resulted in intense price competition. Leading local spirits company St Nicolaus Trade, for example, ventured into…

Spirits registered strong growth in total volume terms in 2022 with this being driven by the continued recovery of the on-trade channel after the negative impact of the pandemic. On-trade sales of spirits continued to recover in 2022 as Serbians…

In 2022, the volume growth of spirits in Romania primarily stemmed from the total elimination of restrictions pertaining to on-trade opening hours and capacity. The first half of the year, in particular, saw a redirection of savings accrued during…

The market for spirits in Poland has reached saturation point though it continues to evolve, adapting to emerging trends. In 2022, vodka, the largest product area, saw a decrease in off-trade volume sales but current value growth owing to inflation…

Total volume growth in spirits remains positive in 2022 as the category continued to recover from the pandemic. Moreover, the double-digit inflation that led to increased prices across many other consumer goods categories was less visible within…

In 2022, both off- and on-trade sales of spirits in Bulgaria increased. Current value growth by far exceeded volume growth due to a huge rise in average unit prices. Despite this, the premiumisation trend continued as Bulgarians increasingly favour…

Retail volume growth of spirits remained strong in 2022, as consumer demand continued to bounce back in the on-trade following the steep declines caused by closures during the pandemic. Nevertheless, rising inflation has impacted spirits resulting in…