Vitamins is a category that is not covered under health care insurance in the United Arab Emirates, along with dietary supplements, unless in specific high doses that make it more of a medicine that is required for specific medical conditions. In addition, vitamins are priced more freely compared to OTC products, which are regulated strictly by the government. Moreover, they also incur VAT of 5% as they do not fall under the required medicine criteria, making them less attractive to…

The vitamins category saw a much-improved performance in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Products offering improved immunity saw high demand as consumers adopted preventative strategies in relation to COVID-19. Stockpiling led to drugstores running out of stock, and due to shortages of larger brands, consumers expanded their purchases to include lesser-known offerings.

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Vitamin C was a big winner in 2020 as the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic boosted demand for vitamins in general and vitamin C in particular. This is because the strong reputation that vitamin C has for boosting immunity and helping people to ward off illness and/or recover quickly from viral illnesses led many people to stock up on these products as soon as the threat of contagion became apparent. Prior to the arrival of the CO-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, vitamin C was already becoming…

The COVID-19 pandemic increased demand for immune system-boosting products as consumers took a preventative approach to healthcare. All vitamins categories saw a higher level of growth in 2020 than in 2019. Vitamin C saw the strongest demand among consumers, and there were stock shortages for most retail and direct selling brands in this category. Changing lifestyles towards the end of the review period also led to increased demand for vitamins with specific positioning, and products…

Vitamins saw dynamic current value growth rates in the review period, but these are nothing compared with the even stronger double-digit growth expected in 2020. With the emergence of COVID-19 in the country in the first half of the year, many consumers were keen to ensure they were as healthy as possible in case they contracted the virus, and stockpiled supplies. Sales of vitamins therefore rocketed, but this purchasing behaviour also led to supply problems and product scarcity. As the…

After seeing very slow growth or even declines earlier in the review period, retail volume sales of soup have seen a notable increase during 2020, with an even higher current value increase, reaching double-digits. In particular in the first half of the year people were encouraged to work from home where possible to avoid spreading COVID-19. Meanwhile, schools were shut and students had to study from home due to the pandemic. This led to more lunches being consumed at home, and soup is quick…

With home seclusion and lockdown measures in place during 2020, breakfast cereals is set to see a boost in value and volume sales, moving from 1% value growth in 2019, to a prediction of 5% for 2020.

Euromonitor International's Breakfast Cereals in Australia report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data 2015-2019, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading…

Value growth for baked goods is set to increase from 3% in 2019 to a prediction of over 5% for 2020, with volume growth moving from 2% to a prediction of 4%. This increase is set to be impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19, with the lockdown period and consumers staying at home more often, boosting sales of foods eaten within the home. This was particularly the case for those working or studying from home, who demanded easy lunch options as well as snacks. With consumers spending more time at…

Although soup is a highly traditional type of food in Lithuania, especially during winter, the vast majority of soup consumed in the country is home-made. Indeed, there is very little tradition of the consumption of commercially manufactured packaged soup, with per capita sales remaining low in 2020. For this reason, soup will register steady growth in percentage terms, rising from a low sales base. Among the main factor spurring growth is the increasing demand for convenience among an…

Although soup is a highly traditional type of food in Lithuania, especially during winter, the vast majority of soup consumed in the country is home-made. Indeed, there is very little tradition of the consumption of commercially manufactured packaged soup, with per capita sales remaining low in 2020. For this reason, soup will register steady growth in percentage terms, rising from a low sales base. Among the main factor spurring growth is the increasing demand for convenience among an…

Processed fruit and vegetables benefits from the convenience of having a long shelf life, with the perception of freezing as a healthy way to process fruits and vegetables remaining the main driver of the category in 2020. Additionally, the COVID-19 lockdowns and foodservice closures have seen consumers in Russia stockpile processed (and especially frozen) fruit and vegetables, further boosting the category. Such products lend themselves well to home-cooking, which has been on the rise in…

Overall retail volume growth has risen by 4% in 2020, up from a 2% rise in 2019. The highest proportion of volume sales is accounted for by dehydrated soup, which is nearly twice as large as frozen soup – the second-biggest area within the soup category. Chilled soup leads volume growth by some way, as it has done throughout the review period, though growth has slowed from 2019’s rate of 22% to 12% in 2020. Dehydrated soup is seeing the slowest rise of 3%, along with shelf stable soup, with…

Breakfast cereals has benefited from the lockdown with these products offering a quick and convenient option at breakfast time. Prior to COVID-19 there had been signs of consumers increasingly looking for healthier breakfast alternatives such as yoghurt and bread, as well as products which can be consumed on the go, such as cereal bars. However, the lockdown forced consumers to refocus their priorities, with many seeking out foods with a long shelf life and which provide convenience. Being…

Myasnaya Galereya ZAO continues to lead overall in the highly fragmented company landscape of ready meals in 2020. Ostankinskiy MPK OAO’s Ostankino brand leads brands, just marginally ahead of Raviollo from CJ Raviollo Rus 000. Exactly the same pattern with the same players is seen in frozen ready meals. E-Commerce sales have surged ahead with a 94% spike in growth, following a 58% rise in 2019, as Russian consumers have rushed to order their ready meals online during the pandemic.

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Rice, pasta and noodles benefits from lockdowns and closures of foodservice establishments due to COVID-19 in 2020, as such products lend themselves perfectly to stockpiling. Dried pasta, in particular, remains incredibly popular in Russia, and remains the largest sub-category in rice pasta and noodles. Dried pasta is a quite mature category in the country, and remains a major staple food, perceived as an essential commodity and a cheap side dish, as well as an independent meal. Traditional…

In 2020, sauces, dressings and condiments has seen stronger retail volume growth than in any other year of the review period, along with double-digit current value growth. The retail growth rates of sauces, dressings and condiments have improved as many people worked and studied from home, especially in the first half of the year, as a result of the measures taken to control the COVID-19 pandemic. More time at home meant cooking and snacking more at home, which reflected in an increase in…

Hot cereals holds a significant volume share in breakfast cereals, also seeing the second highest value growth in 2020, just a couple of decimal points behind flakes. Hot cereals has also been positively impacted by lockdowns caused by COVID-19, with consumers eating leisurely breakfasts at home more often and also snacking during the day. Hot cereals are seen to offer a healthy option, along with being comforting to eat and easy to prepare. Hot cereals are expected to continue to be popular…

Overall retail current value growth has leapt from 2019’s 4% to 8% in 2020 in sauces, dressings and condiments, with table sauces remaining the largest area. Within table sauces, mayonnaise accounts for the biggest proportion of value share. The highest value growth in the category continues to be seen in soy sauces, but all areas are outpacing their 2019 rates and some of the largest leaps have been in stock cubes and powders, ketchup, mayonnaise and tomato pastes and purées. In retail…

Leavened bread is a major sub-category in baked goods in Russia, however it continues to post declines in volume in 2020, along with slowing growth in value sales. COVID-19 is having a negative impact on the category, due to the short shelf life of bread and consequent lack of consumer stockpiling which is observed in other types of staples. Additionally, there were some hygiene concerns and distrust regarding unpackaged baked goods, as they are often sold in open spaces with a high chance…

Processed meat and seafood is expected to see strong growth in 2020 having seen retail volume sales stagnate the previous year. Stuck at home for much of the year due to COVID-19 consumers have been preparing more home cooked meals, with meat and seafood being a staple ingredient of most traditional Mexican dishes. Furthermore, with consumers advised to avoid making unnecessary trips outside the home many households looked to stockpile products such as frozen processed meat and shelf stable…