Soft Drinks

Bottled water continues to be the most popular soft drink in Bosnia-Herzegovina and is expected to achieve moderate volume growth in 2023. A certain cohort of consumers are switching to bottled water from carbonates, as they look to be healthier, and…

Bottled water overall benefits from strong health and wellness trends, with consumers increasingly opting for bottled water's simple hydration and refreshment, particularly in restaurants. The category is rising steadily among health-conscious…

Bottled water is expected to register positive volume growth in 2023. Though tap water is of good quality in Croatia, bottled water is often purchased on-the-go, as well as by tourists. In addition, a certain cohort of consumers are switching to…

In Eastern Europe, the COVID-19 pandemic did not cause any surge in sales of bottled water through off-trade channels in 2020. However, the impact on off-trade channels varied by country as preferences and consumption habits of local consumers played…

Functional bottled water registered by far the highest retail volume growth in 2023. A still small sales base and increasing demand drove the performance of functional bottled water at the end of the review period, while leaving room for further…

While retail volume growth is expected to be positive for bottled water in 2023, it is one of the weaker performers among soft drinks in 2023. Volume growth through foodservice channels is also significantly lower than for other soft drinks, though…

The sales volume of both carbonated and still bottled water experienced a significant decline in 2023. This trend can be attributed to two primary factors. Firstly, notable price increases for bottled water forced consumers to re-evaluate their…

Despite a return to on-the-go consumption following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, off-trade volume sales of bottled water declined in 2023. Economic uncertainty is heavily impacting sales, while the outbreak of COVID-19 negatively impacted…

Bottled water is generally seen as a more “premium” niche in Lithuania, due to the high quality of the tap water in the country. This means that consumers do not typically add bottled water to their shopping lists as a necessity and, in this sense,…

Tap water in most parts of the country remains suitable for human consumption and in certain areas is of excellent quality despite ongoing concerns about overall environmental pollution. However, as health and wellness trends continue to impact soft…

2023 was another turbulent year for bottled water in Poland. Rising inflation and the increasing cost of materials had a strong impact on bottled water unit prices. As prices rose, the demand for bottled water declined in comparison to the last year.…

In 2023, the main drivers of growth for the bottled water landscape were consumers' reluctancy to drink tap water and the tradition of mineral water in the country. Nevertheless, the declining purchasing power in 2023 was reflected in a slowdown of…

Bottled water in Serbia experienced a volume sales recovery in 2023, driven by the return to pre-pandemic lifestyles, with consumers embracing on-the-go water consumption. Functional bottled water witnessed the fastest volume sales growth, attributed…

The demand for bottled water continued to suffer during 2023, as unfavourable weather conditions and weak purchasing power negatively impacted volume consumption. This was mostly visible in retail, as foodservice saw a late and slow recovery from the…

The bottled water category continues to grow in 2023, with demand patterns normalising after the fluctuations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. On-trade volumes have surpassed pre-pandemic levels as this channel is back to operating normally…

The demand for bottled water has remained stable, with moderate-to-minor changes in the review period. For example, in 2022 and during 2023 there have been slight increases in consumption. Even with high inflation and increases in prices in the last…

Sales of bottled water suffered heavy losses in retail volume terms in 2022 as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with a huge section of the population fleeing the country in search of safety. Nonetheless, bottled water saw a more modest…

Overall, volume sales are expected to stagnate in 2023, with the most popular cola carbonates expected to see volume sales fall slightly. Carbonates are a mature product area, with little room for further growth, and added to this, the population…

Carbonates in Bulgaria is witnessing notable shifts in 2023 due to persistent inflationary pressures impacting consumer spending habits. The rising cost of living has led consumers to curtail expenditure on non-essential goods, fostering a heightened…

Carbonates is expected to register only marginal volume growth in 2023. Carbonates are a mature product area, with little room for further growth, and added to this, the population continues to decline. Some consumers are also switching to other…

Reduced sugar cola carbonates demonstrated the fastest retail volume growth in 2023. As more consumers become health-conscious and aware of the potential negative effects of excessive sugar consumption, there is a growing demand for healthier…

Carbonates is expected to register healthy retail volume growth and even higher volume growth through foodservice channels. Foodservice in particular is buoyed by an increasing number of tourists, as well an influx of immigrants from Ukraine, Russia…

Regular cola carbonates, as a product area, experienced a more moderate decline in sales volume than non-cola carbonates in 2023, despite significant price increases. This can be attributed to the enduring popularity of cola flavour among consumers…

Off-trade volume sales stagnated in carbonates in Latvia in 2023, with a slight decline noted in retail volume as sales were challenged by rising inflation and increased price points. This led many consumers to reduce their spending on…

Carbonates continues to face challenges, due to the majority of drinks in the category deemed to be unhealthy due to their high sugar content. Added to which, the current economic conditions mean consumers are prioritising essentials over…

In 2023, carbonates achieved minimal off-trade volume growth as consumer demand was significantly impacted by the negative image that carbonates has gained amongst increasingly health conscious consumers, largely, though not entirely, due to the…

In 2023, retail volume sales of carbonates fell back into decline. Carbonates was still recovering from the sharp price increases caused by Poland’s sugar tax in 2021, when high inflation caused further price shocks for consumers. Although unit price…

Carrying the stigma of being unhealthy, off-trade sales of carbonates continued to decline in 2023. However, the on-trade channel has continued to record a positive performance, recovering from the impact of COVID-19, with consumers enjoying their…

As prices rise and disposable incomes decline, Serbians are reassessing their daily purchases, notably reducing consumption of non-essential items like carbonated beverages. Health-conscious consumers are shifting towards healthier alternatives and…

The demand for carbonates was negatively impacted by a cool early summer and cold weather in spring 2023. A further decrease in off-trade volume sales can partly be attributed from the recovery of the on-trade channel, which caused a shift in the…

Carbonates is growing steadily in volume terms and is the best performing category, as reduced-sugar products gain ground due to healthier lifestyles. Consumers are now more aware of the negative health effects of sugar and are seeking to lower their…

Substantial inflation experienced in 2022 and 2023 resulted in Czech households facing a tough economic situation, exacerbated by the rising cost of living. Rising prices of products caused Czech consumers to be wary of their expenditure and reduce…

Sales of carbonates suffered heavy losses in 2022, although there were several factors that prevented heavier losses and which have helped to support a return to growth in 2023. First, sales were supported by the presence of the core target audience…

The briefing introduces the Cities Households Necessities Spending Index. The index ranks 1,075 cities by household expenditure on non-discretionary items, namely food, housing, and clothing and footwear. This analysis focuses on 160 major cities.…

While concentrates are a sizeable product area in Bosnia-Herzegovina, they have been on a downward trajectory in recent years and this expected to continue in 2023, with a further fall in volume sales. Consumers prefer the convenience of RTD options…

In Bulgaria, liquid concentrates have emerged as a cost-effective option for soft drink preparation amid tightened household budgets. This shift towards more affordable alternatives has temporarily slowed the category's decline. However, concentrates…

Concentrates account for significant volume sales in Croatia, though it is a mature product area which has seen limited growth over the review period. In 2023, concentrates is expected to register muted volume growth, with the product area…

The powder format continued to register the fastest off-trade volume and current value growth in concentrates in 2023. The popularity of powder concentrates stems from their cost-effectiveness, portability, ease of preparation and long shelf life.…

Liquid concentrates demonstrated remarkable resilience amidst the inflationary pressures that affected other soft drinks. This can be attributed to their perceived affordability during the economically challenging period, leading consumers to shift…

Off-trade sales declined in 2023, with concentrates being a relatively small category in Latvia, which registered minimal growth over the review period. While its performance was positive in 2020, with people spending more time at home, sales began…

Concentrates is an uninteresting category in Lithuania, with low interest and few developments. One key reason for this is the unhealthy image of concentrates, due to the high sugar content in such products.

Concentrates registered decline in off-trade volume terms in 2023 as liquid concentrates sales fell due to diminishing consumer demand. At the same time, thanks to the significant unit price increases in the context of high rates of general…

In 2023, powder concentrates registered a significant price growth of 30%. Players had done all they could to prevent prices rising in 2021 and 2022. In addition, concentrates escaped the impact of the sugar tax, due to a loophole, and this meant…

Concentrates saw low levels of volume growth in 2023, being a mature landscape with little room for growth. In addition, due to sugar content, concentrates are not always perceived as healthy products, and the rising interest in health and wellness…

Powder concentrates persist as a traditional product familiar to many Serbians. The area boasts several robust local players in both liquid and powder concentrates, fuelling further development. The escalating prices and decline in disposable income…

Liquid concentrates maintained a larger market size than powder concentrates, underpinned by a stronger retail presence and heavier marketing support. Highlighting the advantages of liquid concentrates, such as ease-of-use and flavour variety, has…

Concentrates is enjoying solid growth in 2023, fuelled mostly by flavour innovations which are driving consumer interest in concentrates. Consumers have become more attracted to concentrates as they present good value for money in the persisting…

The demand for both liquid and powder concentrates was in decline prior to the review period. The downward trajectory continued through the review period, including 2023. With price increases in a highly inflationary climate, consumers reduced their…

Demand for concentrates is very limited in Ukraine, although the category did see a return to growth in retail volume terms in 2023 with these products benefiting from their affordability. Concentrates are mainly consumed by price-sensitive older…

Energy drinks is expected to register healthy volume growth in 2023. Energy drinks have a loyal fan base. Consumers lead increasingly busy lives and in particular younger people appreciate the boost from energy drinks, both for physical activities…