Wound care is a highly seasonal category in Germany, with sales greatly depending on the weather and time spent outside. Therefore, the emergence of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown had a marginally negative impact on demand for wound care in 2020. School and gym closures, and social distancing, which also resulted in fewer team sports as well as home seclusion, strongly featured in Germany up to the beginning of the summer. The pandemic resulted in fewer activities outside which…

The outbreak of COVID-19, leading to social distancing and home seclusion, translated to lower demand for products that were not deemed essential and could be substituted, accompanied by general attitudes towards healthy nutrition or diet. Weight management and wellbeing for instance, continued to generally decline in current value terms, as a result in waning demand for the largest and most impactful category of meal replacement, which was related to increased consumption of home-cooked…

Pre-pandemic, sports nutrition had continued to experience increasing demand in Germany. A good market environment and favourable consumer behaviour had led to these products becoming increasingly accepted as mainstream beyond sport enthusiasts had fuelled further growth. Part of the latter trend has been supported by an expanding base, with some products within the largest value category of sports protein products, including sports protein RTD and protein/energy bars, being positioned as…

Contact bans, movement restrictions, school closures, reduced social interaction and financial woes as a result of the pandemic have all resulted in heightened stress levels, having a negative impact on the physical and mental health of many German consumers in 2020. As consumers sought ways to alleviate stress and address resulting sleep problems, demand for products targeted to resolve these issues therefore rose in 2020, including sleep aids. There is industry consensus that 2020’s…

Whilst continuing to decline, smoking prevalence amongst German adults remains fairly high. The outbreak of COVID-19 and health concerns related to tobacco consumption did not appear to have a significant impact on demand for NRT smoking cessation aids or to have been given much consideration by the smoking population in Germany as a reason to quit smoking, despite the amplified lung problems that COVID-19 may cause. In fact, due to increased stress and anxiety levels related to the unstable…

Certain herbal/traditional products in Germany were impacted by new consumption patterns linked to the pandemic to some degree in 2020. The growing level of anxiety resulted in greater demand for herbal/traditional sleep aids, while sales of herbal/traditional cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies benefited from greater enthusiasm amongst consumers to treat flu-like symptoms such as coughs and sore throats, particularly when these are mild cases, with natural remedies, as they are…

The positive growth trend experienced by eye care in Germany over the review period was further supported by the pandemic-induced lockdown in 2020, resulting in home seclusion, and therefore greater amounts of time spent in front of computers and televisions. This scenario has led to a greater prevalence of eye dry and eye strain amongst both adults and children due to work and study from home policies. This trend has had a particularly positive impact on demand for the larger category of…

In 2020, digestive remedies did not strongly benefit from the pandemic, due to restrictive movement outside of the home during the initial lockdown, reducing the pace of life including work from home policies, and limited foodservice occasions. Traditionally, demand for digestive remedies is driven by regular travel, and the busy, stressful lifestyles of many Germans, including frequently eating out with the consumption of rich foods leading to indigestion or acid reflux.

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Demand for a number of dermatologicals continued to increase in 2020 due to the growing level of self-medication in Germany. Skin allergies are becoming increasingly common, mainly due to changes in the environment and lifestyles. However, one of the most noteworthy factors specific to 2020 has been the significant use of certain hygiene products which are aggressive on the skin, especially in relation to the pandemic. Overzealous use of disinfectants and extreme hand washing has exacerbated…

The emergence of COVID-19 in Germany has had a fairly positive effect on demand for cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies in 2020 as consumers wanted to feel secure about being able to treat themselves at home when suffering from various cold and flu symptoms during the lockdown, which limited the need to visit a doctor. The initial months of lockdown saw a significant spike in purchases as consumers panicked, resulting in a notable stockpiling trend to hold a substantial ‘’health…

2020 has proven to be a fairly turbulent year for consumer health in Germany following the emergence of the pandemic. After the ‘’hamster’’ (stockpiling purchases) period in March due to various lockdown restrictions by the government in an effort to curb the spread of the virus, it was followed by a slump, with the market subsequently entering a ‘’normalisation’’ phase. During the year, sales have therefore, been fluctuating with notable shifts in various categories.

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After double-digit growth in sales in March 2020, sale of analgesics in Germany suffered a severe contraction in April as the ‘’boom’’ effect of stockpiling products wore off. In the initial stages of the pandemic, local consumers stocked up on various OTC products including analgesics, resulting in a significant rise in sales of many products for a number of weeks. This was also a positive time for bricks-and-mortar pharmacies, as the official lockdown had not yet been announced and…

Open loop pre-paid cards continued to grow in popularity in Romania in 2020, with transactions and usage rising strongly in line with the overall shift away from cash as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Open loop pre-paid employee benefit cards is dominated by meal vouchers, which used to be provided in paper form. These cards are offered by three specialised issuers (Edenred, Sodexo and Groupe Up), as well as two banks (Unicredit and Banca Transilvania). MasterCard is the leading operator…

With cash usage in decline throughout Austria, credit cards continue to gain a growing share of consumer payments. In addition, the massive rise in e-commerce following the COVID-19 outbreak has also helped to support this trend. Although consumer spending was negatively impacted by the pandemic and resulting restrictions, the portion of payments accounted for by credit cards has increased as consumers continue to move away from cash. Online shopping and delivery are already well-developed…

Overall consumer expenditure in Austria has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak and consequent widespread decline in demand for services, tourism and foodservice throughout the country. Consumer payments were already shifting away from cash before the pandemic, in line with ongoing technological development and rising demand for convenience. As a result of hygiene-related concerns, along with recommendations from leading health authorities and retailers during the peak of the…

The pet humanisation and premiumisation trends continue to boost growth for Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Following its 2019 global relaunch, Hill’s Pet Nutrition focused on the brand’s purpose. Revived packaging sought to create a stronger human connection and boost sales. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased the adoption of online shopping worldwide, which fast tracked an already fast-growing channel. The company launched two initiatives to expand its e-commerce business.

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The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has seen a strong increase in both retail volume and current value sales of processed meat and seafood in Sweden. Home seclusion has encouraged more consumers to cook and eat more frequently at home, with popular full meal ingredients like processed meat and seafood receiving an extra boost. At times of crisis or turbulence, consumers often turn to traditional Swedish meals, and the exigencies of COVID-19 mean they have more time to prepare them.…

Ukraine’s economy has contracted significantly in 2020, with real GDP declining by 6% compared to a 3% rise in 2019. Inflation has increased by 5% and unemployment has jumped from 2019’s 8% rate to 10% in 2020, as a result of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. Purchasing power has dropped and consumers are focused on low-cost solutions, prompting a return to the popularity of bulk size packaging formats and family value packs of products in a range of categories. Price-sensitivity…

COVID-19 has contributed to UAE’s economic decline of 4.5% in 2020, following a rise of 1.7% in 2019. Private final consumption has fallen by 4.2% in real terms, and measures to contain the spread of virus have hampered spending and pushed up unemployment figures. Consumer caution has led to conservative spending and a shift away from single-serve offerings in food and beverages towards multipack solutions. Bulk packs of water have seen plummeting demand in offices and other institutional…

Heineken has a broad geographic reach and a diverse product offering, led by a strong flagship brand. Emerging market expansion is a key strategic focus, but the mature Western Europe region remains significant to the company. Heineken, like all alcoholic drinks players, is having to rapidly adapt to the change in consumption occasions driven by COVID-19. Where do the opportunities lie?

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