Western Europe

Consumers have resumed their more active lifestyles outside the home since quarantine limitations were lifted, which has also affected their product preferences. This change has also had an impact on the ice cream category, with more people beginning…

The gum category suffered a significant setback due to the COVID-19 health crisis in 2020, particularly as it heavily relies on impulse purchasing. Many consumers opted for online shopping amidst pandemic-induced lockdowns, which led to a steep…

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant negative impact on chocolate confectionery in Belgium, particularly in terms of gifting chocolate formats. With the closure of many non-essential stores and the cancellation of social events such as weddings…

Numerous developments have been witnessed in sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks, given the current economic climate and new regulations. The cost-of-living crisis has forced consumers to rethink their spending and reduce unnecessary…

Sugar confectionery recorded mixed results in 2022, with certain types benefiting from the recovery of on-the-go purchases, while others were severely hit by the implementation of the HFSS regulation, effective since October. Mints and medicated…

In 2023, the UK’s economy continues to be challenged by strong inflationary pressures. Similar to other food industries, snack manufacturers are having to address multiple shortages in the supply chain, in addition to increasing costs of…

Savoury snacks was one of the most severely affected categories by the supply chain crisis in 2022. The rising production costs due to the energy crisis, labour shortages, and the increasing price of raw materials across the entire supply chain led…

Dairy ice cream has seen some of the highest price increases within dairy products, pushing local consumers to review their purchases and limit spending on their sweet impulses. In addition to these economic challenges, current HFSS regulation is…

Following two consecutive years of sales decline, gum showed the first signs of recovery from the impact of COVID-19 in 2022. With local consumers gradually returning to their pre-pandemic habits and spending greater time outside of the home, gum…

The UK’s economy was challenged by strong inflationary pressures in 2022. Similar to other categories in snacks, chocolate confectionery manufacturers were challenged by multiple shortages in the supply chain, which led to increasing costs in…

Sweet biscuits is projected to see growth in retail volume and current value sales over 2023, led by filled biscuits and cookies. Growth is expected to be much faster in current value than quite modest volume terms. Sweet biscuits is severely…

Sweet biscuits saw a stagnant performance in 2023, in both volume and constant value terms. The market is already highly mature, with very limited scope for increasing consumption. Growing health concerns also played a role in dampening demand, as…

Sugar confectionery continues to recover from the sharp drop in retail volume and current value sales during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis in 2020. Thus, in 2022, sugar confectionery closed with a positive growth performance in both retail volume…

Sugar confectionery saw further progress in 2023, with retail volume sales exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Growth was boosted by the revival of children’s birthday parties and other social occasions, which led consumers to embrace sweets as an…

The production and supply of snacks in Italy continued to be affected by the war in Ukraine in 2023, and the prospects for the forecast period are uncertain in economic and political terms. In this vein, the sharp increases in consumer prices…

Snacks saw a muted performance in retail volume terms in 2023, as the cost of living crisis continued to squeeze household budgets. While France was less affected by inflationary pressures than many of its neighbours, due to government support…

All savoury snacks categories are set to record positive growth performances in 2023, in both retail volume and current value terms. Indulgence, a long tradition of consumption and complements to the popular aperitivo/aperitif support sales of…

Savoury snacks saw a mixed performance in 2023, with more economical subcategories such as potato chips seeing stronger volume growth, alongside nuts and tortilla chips. By contrast, more expensive products, such as

Unpackaged ice cream is predicted to continue to grow at a good pace in foodservice volume terms over 2023, and exceed the pre-Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic level in 2024. The easing of the COVID-19 threat and lifting of pandemic restrictions, and…

Ice cream represented the most buoyant category of the French snacks market in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. Sales were boosted by hot summer weather, combined with new product launches, which encouraged consumer purchases. Ice…