Staple Foods

In 2023, processed meat, as a product area, faced heightened competition from a gradually recovering foodservice industry, despite the weak purchasing power of Slovak households. This shift is driven by the convenience factor and the emergence of…

Processed meat and seafood is witnessing slower volume growth in 2023, compared to previous years, with momentum driven by the recovery of tourism and some stabilization of price hikes. Nonetheless, price increases have had a negative impact on…

2023 witnessed a robust recovery for sales of shelf stable fruit and vegetables in Ukraine after the category fared better than most other categories of packaged food during 2022. Retail volume sales of shelf stable fruit and vegetables declined over…

In 2023, processed food, in general, experienced a slight boost due to a challenging year in agricultural production. A cold spring adversely affected or significantly delayed plant growth in gardens, compelling consumers who traditionally relied on…

The volume decline experienced by the category in 2023 can be primarily attributed to the surge in the average unit price at the shelf, driven by persistently high inflation and an overall rise in food prices that outpaced inflation. The enduring…

In 2023, Poland is seeing a significant expansion in processed fruit and vegetable offerings as players cater to growing consumer demand for convenience, health-conscious options, and varied flavour profiles.

Shelf stable vegetables in Hungary has continued to witness steep unit price hikes in 2023 due to inflationary pressures fuelled by the global recovery from the pandemic, the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the devaluation of the forint.…

In 2023, shelf stable fruits and vegetables retained their position as the leading category within processed fruits and vegetables, in volume terms. Positive growth was also witnessed in shelf stable fruits and vegetables, primarily due to strong…

Shelf stable fruit and vegetables is enjoying strong growth volume growth in 2023, as Estonians spend less time canning fruit and vegetables at home. Shelf stable tomatoes is witnessing the highest demand, since these are more frequently used in…

Breakfast cereals recorded a positive sales performance in retail volume terms during 2023 after the category registered significant declines in retail volume sales over the course of 2022. One of the main reasons for the substantial declines seen in…

With the lifting of pandemic restrictions and the restoration of consumer mobility, Slovaks are now leading more hectic lifestyles, spending less time at home and opting for breakfast at home less frequently than in 2021 or 2022. This, coupled with…

The growth in the volume sales of breakfast cereals in 2023, despite significant price increases, can be attributed to reduced price sensitivity among mostly higher-income urban professionals. This demographic group, committed to a healthy lifestyle,…

In 2023, breakfast cereals in Poland is experiencing substantial growth, primarily fuelled by an increased consumer focus on health and wellness, the appeal of ready-to-eat products, and rising disposable incomes. As health consciousness rises,…

Like other companies across packaged food in Hungary, breakfast cereals manufacturers have adjusted their packaging strategies in 2023 in an effort to better navigate soaring inflation and the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. Most notably,…

In 2023, breakfast cereals has maintained steady volume growth, aided by some moderation in unit prices. The category's enduring strength continues to stem from the prevailing convenience trend, as modern consumers place a premium on the ease and…

Hot cereals witnessed the fastest growth in retail volume and current value terms in 2023. Consumers consider hot cereals to be healthier and more nourishing than RTE cereals, as they contain beneficial vitamins. With the adoption of healthier eating…

During 2023, demand for bread continued to increase in Ukraine as government efforts to regulate the price of bread ensured that many of the products in the category remained affordable for the majority of Ukrainians. Indeed, the low average unit…

In 2023, commodity prices of wheat experienced a significant decrease from the heights of 2022. However, this reduction did not translate into lower unit prices in retail stores. The main contributing factor was the persistent increase in other…

Bread continues to hold a central role in baked goods in Romania, acting as a traditional and indispensable component of meals. The performance of baked goods in 2023 closely mirrored the trends observed in the bread product area. Despite the…

In 2023, baked goods in Poland has witnessed significant innovations, reshaping traditional baking practices. Notable player Dan Cake Polonia introduced an array of novel hamburger buns, including a bistro variant infused with natural sourdough and a…

With inflation in Hungary remaining the highest in the EU, unit prices for packaged and unpackaged leavened bread have continued to rise at double-digit rates in 2023 despite a reduction in grain prices on international commodity markets.…

Baked goods is a key staple in Georgia due to the strong popularity of unpackaged leavened bread, which continues to post solid volume growth in 2023, despite rising prices. Demand for this product is supported by the fact that it is an essential…

In 2023, frozen cakes, sweet pies and tarts demonstrated the fastest current value growth in baked goods. Demand for these types of frozen baked goods is growing alongside the faster pace of life in Estonian society, although it remains a niche at…

Retail volume sales of staple foods in the Czech republic suffered a decline in sales in constant value terms in 2023, in the face of the rising cost of living, which curbed consumer spending. The country’s post-pandemic recovery was also derailed by…

The sharp price growth in staple foods seen in 2022 has moderated in 2023. Retailers are trying to reduce further oscillations by introducing heavy discounts and gradual price changes. Whilst Croatian consumers remain extremely price sensitive due to…

Staple foods continues to witness positive growth in 2023, in current value terms, due to high inflation and elevated retail prices. The consumption of staple foods has slowed, resulting in a slight decrease in retail volume sales for the full year.…

In 2023, staple foods witnessed a slightly better performance in volume terms, even though consumer demand is beginning to stagnate in response to the country’s population decline, which is reducing the potential consumer base. Most staple food…

Retail volume sales of rice, pasta and noodles continued to decline in 2023. This was in the context of a high rate of inflation, which impacted the cost of living and caused consumers to rationalise their spending. While foodservice volumes saw…

Plain noodles are key ingredients in many Asian dishes and are therefore seeing strong demand as this cuisine continues to be popular amongst Croatians. Demand also continues to be supported by noodles’ quick preparation time. In addition, given the…

The rice, pasta and noodles category in Bulgaria remained flat in 2023, with only a marginal decline in retail volume sales. Rice continues to be the most significant category, both in value and volume sales, since it has a highly versatile…

In 2023, rice, pasta and noodles continued to see retail volume growth stabilise, as consumer demand normalised in pasta and rice after the fluctuations caused by the pandemic. Nonetheless, with the help of soaring unit prices due to inflation, rice,…

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat achieved minimal retail volume in 2023, although current value growth remains robust. Consumer demand has slowed down due in part to the country’s negative population growth. Rampant inflation has…

While current retail value sales of processed meat see double-digit growth in 2023, volume decline is attributable to higher unit prices, with the increasing cost of raw meat, animal food, energy and transportation being passed on to the consumer.…

Czechs continued to reduce their meat consumption in 2023, with a growing number of consumers identifying as flexitarian, vegetarian or vegan. This was tied to the high price of meat, due to the elevated rate of inflation, as well as environmental…

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat reported slightly negative volume growth in 2023, due to the decline in demand for chilled processed red meat and frozen processed red meat and seafood, which are mainly sold in bulk over the counter.…

Retail volume sales of processed fruit and vegetables continued to decline in 2023. This was due in a large part to the still-elevated rate of inflation, which impacted the cost of living and caused consumers to rationalise their spending. Consumers…

Within processed fruit and vegetables, frozen variants are expected to see the strongest current retail value sales growth in Croatia in 2023. The popularity of these products can be attributed to many factors, including their long shelf life, which…

The consumption of processed fruit and vegetables in Bulgaria increased slightly in 2023, mainly due to the growing need for convenience amid busier lifestyles and rising urbanization. Furthermore, the growing number of people living alone is driving…

Consumer demand for processed fruit and vegetables remains stable in 2023, with robust levels of consumption across all categories. While consumer demand for shelf stable fruit is stalling, sales of frozen fruit and frozen processed vegetables…

Breakfast cereals recorded a decline in retail volume terms in 2023, as the cost of living crisis continued to impact consumer demand. Moreover, with wages decreasing in real terms, many consumers were forced to trade down to cheaper alternatives to…

Whilst the rising production and logistics costs of 2022 have eased, breakfast cereals prices continue their upward trajectory in 2023 as retailers seek to maintain high margins, with no government system to keep them in check. The category still…

Although a relatively small category in Bulgaria, breakfast cereals is reporting solid growth in retail volume and current value terms in 2023, due to the rising importance of health. Players are keen to develop healthier options, as with Dr Oetker's…

Consumer demand for breakfast cereals remains stable in 2023, despite the challenges posed by population decline in the country, which is limiting the potential consumer base. The shift towards healthier eating is driving volume growth, as…

Retail sales of baked goods continued to decline in 2023 in the face of the still-elevated rate of inflation, which impacted the cost of living and caused consumers to rationalise their spending. This translated into a movement away from packaged…

Following steep price growth in baked goods in 2022, wheat and flour prices stabilised in 2023. This is particularly important for bread as it is heavily dependent on flour prices. Croatians are strong bread consumers, and it was expected that volume…

The consumption of baked goods declined in 2023 as bread sales continue to follow the negative trend seen in the review period. Per capita growth in bread is limited due to Bulgaria’s declining population, which is falling well ahead of other…

In 2023, baked goods achieved moderate volume growth due to the strong performance of leavened bread, which is gaining popularity and shaping the development of the baked goods category. Despite rising prices, overall consumption of baked goods has…

In the upcoming years, consumers and businesses face an array of challenges, with rising income inequality being among the key ones. Nevertheless, addressing the income inequality through catering to the Bottom of the Pyramid and the Middle Class…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. In 2023, global inflation is expected to ease from its peak in 2022, but remaining significantly above-trend. Geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market are…

Now in its seventh edition, this report explores the top digital shopper trends that will redefine commerce the most in the year ahead. Some of the trends included in this edition touch on topics such as second-hand shopping, community group buying,…