Middle East

Retail sales of chocolate confectionery in Israel saw modest growth in volume terms in 2023, following the declining performance of the previous year. Growth was boosted by an improvement in the fortunes of leading chocolate confectionery company…

Retail volume sales of chocolate confectionery are recording stronger growth in 2023 compared to the previous year, due to the growing population, the rise in impulse purchases outside of the home, and the focus of players on expanding the presence…

The number of health-conscious consumers in the United Arab Emirates is rising, resulting in increasing demand for healthy snacks. The perception of a healthy diet has gradually changed in the domestic market. Local consumers used to consider sweets…

Gum saw an improved performance in volume terms in 2023, following a sharp decline in the previous year. The latter was due falling sales of Strauss Group’s Must, Bazooka and Elite brands, following a salmonella scare in one its factories in April…

Gum sales were negatively impacted by the pandemic in 2020 due to lockdowns in Saudi Arabia and limited mobility outside of the home. In addition, local consumers were more focused on purchasing essential commodities such as medicine and groceries,…

Gum in the United Arab Emirates is mainly consumed on-the-go and out of the home, which resulted in a significant drop in sales in 2020 through to early 2022 due to lockdowns, social distancing measures and limited mobility. Nevertheless, as…

The ice cream market in Israel continued its positive momentum in 2023, despite the fact that the leading players increased their prices at the end of the previous year. The indulgence trend continued to have a very strong impact on the market,…

Sales of ice cream in Saudi Arabia were negatively impacted in 2020 by the emergence of the pandemic, which led to lockdowns, school closures (with children in general one of the main drivers of snacks in the local market) and limited mobility, with…

Demand for ice cream declined significantly during the pandemic due to the lack of impulse purchases and on-the-go consumption occasions. Ice cream is often consumed immediately after being purchased in the United Arab Emirates; however, due to…

Volume sales of savoury snacks saw minimal growth in volume terms in 2023, as the major players, including Osem Food Industries, increased their prices. In the face of these price hikes, and with fewer discounts available, local consumers looked for…