Finland

Volume sales of cigarettes in Finland continued to decline in 2023. Finns are very aware of the harmful impact of smoking, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is a clear polarisation taking place between those who smoke and…

In 2023, consumers in Finland returned to normal lifestyles, with more citizens working in offices and travelling, and with more mobility, vending witnessed solid value growth to surpass pre-pandemic levels. Also, local “vending hubs” and their…

Retail in Finland witnessed positive development in current value terms in 2023, although this was largely underpinned by retail price inflation. Grocery retailers saw a decline after a couple of years of solid growth, while non-grocery retailers…

Hypermarkets remains the leading retail (not only grocery retail) channel in Finland, with around a third of overall sales of grocery retailers in 2023. Hypermarkets has managed to maintain its extend its lead over supermarkets (the second biggest…

Direct selling has always been a marginal retail channel in Finland, and has in recent years seen a clear decrease – sales fell in 2023 for the seventh year in a row in current value terms. Even more worryingly, direct selling underperformed…

Retail sales of tobacco in Finland continued to fall in volume terms in 2023, consistent with the downward trend in smoking prevalence across the country. Finns are very aware of the harmful impact of smoking, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic,…

Finland has relatively strict animal welfare regulations compared to many other markets and these have been further enhanced. Starting from 1 January 2024, the rules for keeping an animal at home have become even stricter as authorities seek to…

While deodorant sales volume remained stable in Finland in 2023, the product area saw a healthy rise in value terms. This can be attributed, in part, to inflationary pressures pushing up unit prices. However, a more significant factor is the evolving…

Despite being a mature product area, wipes in Finland continued to thrive in 2023, propelled by the enduring appeal of convenience. The price increase during the year prompted consumers to adopt a more discerning approach, carefully evaluating…

Consumer foodservice in Finland experienced a contradictory year in 2023. On the surface, looking only at the figures, consumer foodservice in Finland performed strongly. By 2022, foodservice value sales had exceeded the 2019 pre-Coronavirus…

Skin care in Finland continues to shine, with retail value sales recording a nearly double-digit increase in 2023 compared to the previous year. However, a closer look reveals some interesting trends. Facial care emerged as the star performer in…

Colour cosmetics sales demonstrated resilience in Finland in 2023, maintaining positive growth momentum. As some consumers gradually resumed pre-pandemic levels of cosmetic usage, heightened engagement from companies incentivised consumers to explore…

In 2023, convenience retailers in Finland witnessed only marginal current value growth, with much of this fuelled by high levels of inflation. Sales have suffered from lower purchasing power caused by the rising cost of living, with consumers…

The year 2023 witnessed a consistent rise in unit prices, contributing to a decline in volume sales. However, since April 2023, home care has shown signs of recovery, buoyed by increases in consumer spending, particularly during the summer months…

Trading down did not have a significant impact on sales of cat food in 2023 despite price increases and a sharp rise in the cost of living. The quality of the cat food remains a top priority for Finns and thus they are generally reluctant to trade…

Oral care in Finland experienced positive value growth in 2023, but this was primarily due to inflation-induced price increases. Some categories, like power toothbrushes, witnessed a decline in volume sales as consumers opted to delay non-essential…

Fragrances in Finland, as a product area, experienced positive growth in both volume and value terms in 2023. This can be attributed in part to a return to pre-pandemic fragrance use habits and high levels of marketing activity from major brands.…

Surface care faces challenges during a period of price growth in 2023, with consumers focusing on essential purchases. Sprays, especially basic surface care sprays, remain the most popular format. However, disinfecting products experienced a notable…

High price increases in 2023 have negatively impacted the volume sales of insecticides. Consumers are now purchasing insecticides as needed, prioritising effectiveness in their selection process. Brand loyalty remains high in this category, with…

High price growth in 2023 results in decreasing volume sales of air care as Finns continue to cut spending on non-essential home care products. The declining demand for air care is also linked to a growing trend towards sustainability. Consumers…

In 2023, high inflation rates led to a second year of higher prices in supermarkets, which meant consumers in Finland had to be more careful regarding what they purchased. Even with inflation, current value sales declined in 2023, as consumers made…

Amidst external fluctuations, the landscape of menstrual care products in Finland exhibited resilience in 2023, with volume sales maintaining relative stability, underscoring the essential nature of these products. While a decline in towel sales…

Hair care in Finland experienced healthy value growth in 2023. However, this increase was largely driven by price hikes, with volume growth ranging from slightly negative to slightly positive. Consumers curtailed impulse purchases, leading to a…

Dishwashing has been adversely affected by price growth, leading consumers to adopt more economical practices. Users of automatic dishwashing machines are opting for full loads to maximise efficiency. Some consumers are downgrading from all-inclusive…

Inflation has led to price hikes in pet products and pet food but also in veterinary health care, with this influencing consumer purchasing decisions. Many providers of veterinary health care have been forced to increase their service fees making it…

The pet dog population remained stable in 2023 but households came under growing pressure due to high inflation and a rise in the cost of living. This was reflected in double-digit growth in current value terms in dog food but only modest growth in…

Sun care in Finland continues to show promise, with retail value sales reaching a near double-digit growth in 2023 compared to the previous year. However, this growth was driven primarily by rising product costs and a shift towards higher quality…

Despite facing challenges such as escalating prices, retail tissue in Finland exhibited a decline in 2023, with paper towels experiencing a more pronounced decrease compared to toilet paper. The latter, deemed a necessity, demonstrated greater…

The notable unit price growth in 2023 has prompted many Finns to optimise their consumption of toilet care products. Consumers are shifting away from in-cistern toilet blocks (ITBs) towards toilet liquids/foams due to their lower cost and the ability…

High volume price growth continues to impede the volume sales growth of polishes in 2023. Consumers are prioritising necessary home care products over polishes, leading to a decline in their usage. The popularity of non-wood materials for furniture…

Depilatories in Finland witnessed sluggish growth in 2023. Consumers, facing economic constraints, readily opted for private label or budget-friendly alternatives. This trend was particularly evident in the women's razor and blade area, where the…

Discounters in Finland registered stagnant current value growth in 2023, as inflation remained high and the Finnish economy weakened. Discounters proved a more attractive choice to consumers seeking affordable brands and private label. The location…

Laundry care has been adversely affected by rising prices, prompting Finns to adopt energy and water-saving practices. Consumers are prioritising full-capacity loads and opting for low-temperature washing cycles. Despite the overall decline, laundry…

Bleach records a decline in volume sales as safety becomes a major concern. Growing awareness of the harmful impact of bleach on health and the environment prompts health-conscious consumers to switch to less harmful home care products. Bleach is now…

In 2023, current value sales slowed in home products specialists as consumer confidence weakened and Finland entered recession. Consumers cut back expenditure on home improvements and home furnishings as household budgets were allocated to more…

Other pet food is a much smaller area of the market than dog and cat food, but despite various challenges the category sustained relatively stable sales during the course of the review period. Various small mammals are often bought as beginner pets…

Men's grooming in Finland experienced significant growth in retail value sales during 2023. However, this increase was primarily driven by inflation-related price hikes, with stagnant or slightly declining volumes.

Amidst the backdrop of continued decline in birth rates during 2023, Finland's nappies/diapers/pants market witnessed a marginal decrease in volume sales. However, this decline was counterbalanced by a surge in value, attributed to price escalations…

In 2023, self-service cafeterias continued to recover from the COVID-19 slump in transaction and current value terms, although the number of outlets saw another slight drop. While adversely affected by the closure of outlets based at petrol/gas…

In 2023, many categories within the bath and shower product area witnessed stagnant or moderately declining volume sales in Finland. This trend reflects consumers' immediate inclination towards cost-saving measures when faced with economic…

Small local grocers in Finland remained the smallest grocery retail channel in Finland in 2023. Its significance within grocery retailers has been on a slow decline for a long time, although there was a slight increase in value sales in 2022/2023 due…

Full-service restaurants continued to see faster current value growth than consumer foodservice overall in 2023, although the situation is not as bright as it seems. At the end of the review period, the gap in the growth rate was much smaller than in…

Variety stores in Finland witnessed a stellar performance in 2023, with current value growth reaching double-digits. Providing a wide offering of cheap products, variety stores have proved attractive to consumers in the economic downturn, as these…

Cafés/bars exceeded the 2019 pre-COVID-19 level in current value terms in 2023, one year behind consumer foodservice as a whole. Bars/pubs remained behind the 2019 level in 2022, despite strong growth. While inflation was a key concern in consumer…

The growing ageing population in Finland acted as a primary catalyst for the volume sales growth of adult incontinence products throughout 2023. Heightened consumer awareness regarding incontinence issues, coupled with proactive educational efforts…

Tissue and hygiene in Finland witnessed a notable change in 2023, marked by a slowdown in price increases. However, the lingering effects of previous hikes left consumers highly attuned to costs, driving a preference for more affordable options. The…

In 2023, e-commerce in Finland outperformed the overall retail category by a greater margin than in 2022. The move from offline to online continued to impact the sales of offline channels – blurring the boundaries between online and offline through…

Street stalls/kiosks both benefited and suffered from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. They benefited as they are typically used for takeaways; therefore, they were deemed less of a risk than indoor premises in terms of catching or spreading the…

As with consumer foodservice in general, limited-service restaurants continued to see strong current value growth in 2023, albeit spiked more by the high rate of inflation in the country than by bigger volume sales. Current value sales grew at a…

The market for cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco in Finland showed a mixed performance in 2023. On a positive note, cigars managed to maintain the broadly positive growth trend which had been in evidence since the start of the pandemic. The…