Eastern Europe

In 2022, construction grappled with rising interest rates and living costs, affecting residential, industrial and commercial sectors. Government commitments to infrastructure drove demand. Despite cost surges, solid demand allowed passing expenses to…

A low corporate tax rate and better finances are leading to enhanced economic freedom in Croatia, although corruption continues to be an issue and politics is moving to the right. Adoption of the euro could boost investment and tourism, but the…

Although Estonia enjoys substantial economic freedom and tackles corruption effectively, state finances are deteriorating but remain sustainable. The economy is experiencing recession and stagflation, whilst its highly open nature creates risks for…

In 2022, dried baby food was only offered in three pack types: flexible aluminium/plastic, flexible plastic and folding cartons. However, flexible aluminium/plastic was the dominant packaging format in this category, as it is easy to open, reseal and…

Flexible plastic remained the dominant pack type in confectionery packaging in 2022. Flexible plastic continues to be chosen by manufacturers since it provides an excellent barrier against external contamination, such as dust, moisture or sunlight,…

After dairy packaging unit volumes grew at their fastest rate in almost a decade in 2020, with COVID-19 the main driver of this, with slightly above-average growth also being seen in 2021, sales continued to increase in 2022. Cheese, one of the main…

Flexible plastic remained the dominant pack type in soup in 2022, helped by its strong usage in dry soup, the biggest category, although folding cartons are also widely used in dry soup. Flexible plastic packaging comes in a variety of shapes and…

Inflation and rising interest rates kept the Polish light vehicle market subdued in 2022; however, the next five years should bring it back on a moderate growth path. The electric vehicle fleet, albeit lagging behind Western European countries, is…

In recent years, there has been a marked shift in the range of products available on store shelves in Poland, with plant-based milks now available in almost every shop, offering a wide selection. Similarly, once hard to find, plant-based yoghurts and…

Due to their robustness and long shelf life, metal food cans remain the dominant pack type in shelf stable fruit and vegetables, in which shelf stable vegetables account for the bulk of demand. However, alternatives to metal food cans, including…

Metal food cans continue to be the main packaging format used in both shelf stable meat and shelf stable seafood in Poland. Canned seafood, particularly fish, is a low-acid meal ingredient or solution that rapidly promotes the growth of microbes if…

There was a sharp acceleration in the rate of growth in demand for sauces, dips and condiments packaging during 2020, as consumers spent more time at home and prepared and ate more meals and snacks there. This continued in 2021, with the COVID-19 and…

Glass jars is the dominant pack type in jams and preserves, which remains the main sweet spreads category – but thin wall plastic containers are growing in popularity as a cheaper alternative, with this latter pack type again recording double-digit…

While flexible packaging remained the most popular packaging format for overall baby food in 2022, driven by prepared baby food, board tubs displayed an increase in pack type share within the category for several reasons. Firstly, as board tubs are…

In 2022, demand for the leading pack type within confectionery, flexible plastic, continued to grow. This was because confectionery products are often sensitive to moisture, air, and light, and flexible plastic packaging can provide a barrier against…

PET bottles witnessed an increase in pack type share within dairy packaging in 2022. This was because PET bottles are lightweight and shatter-resistant, ensuring both cost-effective transportation and reduced risk of breakage. The material's barrier…

The briefing examines how the furniture industry is performing globally and in the largest countries in terms of furniture output. The report also provides data for production, market size, imports, exports, industry costs, industry profitability and…

While other leading pack types, such as flexible aluminium/plastic and flexible aluminium/paper, continued to lose ground within meals and soups packaging in 2022, thin wall plastic containers witnessed an increase in pack type share. This was…

The global economy is facing weaker growth and increasing fragmentation, as a result of rising geopolitical tensions, especially due to the war in Ukraine and the US-China strategic rivalry. Protectionism, industrial policy and a focus on resilience…

Plant-based dairy continued on its dynamic growth trajectory towards the end of the review period, albeit from a low base. While plant-based dairy has been available in Romania for some years, the pandemic and associated health trends accelerated…