Eastern Europe

While thin wall plastic containers and glass jars remained the most popular packaging types for sweet spreads in Romania at the end of the review period, the niche of other rigid containers continued to record strong growth within chocolate spreads.…

The use of PET bottles as a pack type for sauces, dips and condiments continued to gain momentum in 2022 for a number of reasons. Firstly, local consumers appreciate the transparency of this pack type as they can see the texture, colour and…

Despite another low retail unit volume decline in 2022 in line with greater mobility outside of the home, demand for processed meat and seafood packaging remained above pre-pandemic levels, driven by urbanisation in Romania. With consumers’…

Metal food cans remained the most popular packaging type for processed fruits and vegetables in 2022, driven by their strength in the largest retail unit volume category of shelf stable fruits and vegetables. Nevertheless, the use of glass jars in…

Plant-based dairy continued on its dynamic growth trajectory towards the end of the review period, albeit from a low base. While plant-based dairy has been available in Romania for some years, the pandemic and associated health trends accelerated…

While other leading pack types, such as flexible aluminium/plastic and flexible aluminium/paper, continued to lose ground within meals and soups packaging in 2022, thin wall plastic containers witnessed an increase in pack type share. This was…

PET bottles witnessed an increase in pack type share within dairy packaging in 2022. This was because PET bottles are lightweight and shatter-resistant, ensuring both cost-effective transportation and reduced risk of breakage. The material's barrier…

In 2022, demand for the leading pack type within confectionery, flexible plastic, continued to grow. This was because confectionery products are often sensitive to moisture, air, and light, and flexible plastic packaging can provide a barrier against…

While flexible packaging remained the most popular packaging format for overall baby food in 2022, driven by prepared baby food, board tubs displayed an increase in pack type share within the category for several reasons. Firstly, as board tubs are…

Glass jars is the dominant pack type in jams and preserves, which remains the main sweet spreads category – but thin wall plastic containers are growing in popularity as a cheaper alternative, with this latter pack type again recording double-digit…

There was a sharp acceleration in the rate of growth in demand for sauces, dips and condiments packaging during 2020, as consumers spent more time at home and prepared and ate more meals and snacks there. This continued in 2021, with the COVID-19 and…

Metal food cans continue to be the main packaging format used in both shelf stable meat and shelf stable seafood in Poland. Canned seafood, particularly fish, is a low-acid meal ingredient or solution that rapidly promotes the growth of microbes if…

Due to their robustness and long shelf life, metal food cans remain the dominant pack type in shelf stable fruit and vegetables, in which shelf stable vegetables account for the bulk of demand. However, alternatives to metal food cans, including…

In recent years, there has been a marked shift in the range of products available on store shelves in Poland, with plant-based milks now available in almost every shop, offering a wide selection. Similarly, once hard to find, plant-based yoghurts and…

Inflation and rising interest rates kept the Polish light vehicle market subdued in 2022; however, the next five years should bring it back on a moderate growth path. The electric vehicle fleet, albeit lagging behind Western European countries, is…

Flexible plastic remained the dominant pack type in soup in 2022, helped by its strong usage in dry soup, the biggest category, although folding cartons are also widely used in dry soup. Flexible plastic packaging comes in a variety of shapes and…

After dairy packaging unit volumes grew at their fastest rate in almost a decade in 2020, with COVID-19 the main driver of this, with slightly above-average growth also being seen in 2021, sales continued to increase in 2022. Cheese, one of the main…

Flexible plastic remained the dominant pack type in confectionery packaging in 2022. Flexible plastic continues to be chosen by manufacturers since it provides an excellent barrier against external contamination, such as dust, moisture or sunlight,…

In 2022, dried baby food was only offered in three pack types: flexible aluminium/plastic, flexible plastic and folding cartons. However, flexible aluminium/plastic was the dominant packaging format in this category, as it is easy to open, reseal and…

Although Estonia enjoys substantial economic freedom and tackles corruption effectively, state finances are deteriorating but remain sustainable. The economy is experiencing recession and stagflation, whilst its highly open nature creates risks for…