Belgium

In 2022, current value sales in retail, both offline and online, recorded solid growth. However, inflationary pressures were a key contributor to this strong value increase. Overall, increases in the cost of raw materials, shipping costs, labour…

Surface care saw a sharp spike in sales in 2020 due to people spending a lot more time at home, but also due to heightened hygiene concerns resulting from the COVID-19 crisis. With the easing and then the lifting of restrictions in 2021 and 2022,…

Over the review period, sales of air care had been stagnating with consumers showing a preference for more natural solutions such as incense. However, the pandemic and the measures taken to contain it provided a major boost to category sales in 2020…

While the home care category benefited a lot from home seclusion during the pandemic, the category suffered in 2022, with the return to normal life. As people stayed at home less, they spent less time on cleaning, while the rising interest in health…

The circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, namely movement restrictions, strongly hurt vending sales in 2020 as there was significantly lower foot traffic in vending locations, such as those in travel and retail. The progressive lifting of…

Retail value sales of supermarkets recorded solid growth in 2022. However, inflation’s impact was clear here. Overall, increases in the cost of raw materials, shipping costs, labour wages and energy have led to substantial price increases across…

The double-digit growth recorded by consumer foodservice in 2021 in terms of current value sales and transactions was followed by another dynamic performance in 2022. While the industry continued to rebound from the drastic losses experienced in 2020…

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the measures taken to contain it had a positive impact on sales of toilet care in 2020. With consumers working and studying from home they were using the toilet more frequently and thus this boosted demand for toilet…

COVID-19 had a strong and largely positive impact on home care in Belgium in 2020, resulting in dynamic retail volume and current value growth for the category overall. Some categories such as dishwashing and surface care significantly benefited from…

Sanitary protection continued to decrease in Belgium in 2022, with declining volume sales being the result of the ageing population. The number of women going through menopause increases every year, and these consumers eventually move from sanitary…

Discounters was the fastest growing channel in grocery retailing in 2022. In an inflationary environment, for certain consumer groups, value proved to be the most important factor when doing their grocery shopping. Following such strong growth in…

Bleach witnessed a remarkable turnaround in fortunes in 2020 with it seen as an affordable and effective home care solution. This dynamism was short lived however with sales tumbling in 2021 and 2022 as restrictions were eased and then lifted, and…

Proximity and convenience proved to be key factors behind the very strong growth of convenience stores in 2020. Following such a performance, and in the context of the progressive lifting of restrictions related to COVID-19, convenience stores’ value…

Sales of polishes had been on a downward trajectory for over a decade when the COVID-19 crisis hit Belgium with many consumers no longer investing in polishes. The category experienced an unexpected turnaround in fortunes in 2020 due to people…

Following a notable surge in demand for much of retail tissue due to stockpiling tendencies amongst consumers during the pandemic, the category returned to declining demand in 2021. While the home seclusion trend remained due to ongoing remote…

Hypermarkets only marginally benefitted from the economic circumstances in 2022. This was mostly due to competition from discounters and supermarkets which offer lower prices. In an inflationary environment, with consumers seeing their purchasing…

Mobility in Belgium started recovering in 2021, after a decline during the pandemic, as all restrictions were lifted. However, internal combustion engine vehicle sales are continuing to decline, as climate-conscious consumers benefit from attractive…

After a boom in sales of laundry care in 2020 due to people having more time to do the laundry and washing their clothes more often to help ensure good hygiene, sales declined in current value and retail volume terms in 2021 and 2022. As people…

Global warming has been creating environmental changes and conditions that have naturally had a significant and largely positive impact on demand for home insecticides in Belgium. Indeed, the warmer climate is attracting more mosquitos and exotic…

Direct selling managed to perform positively in 2022. The lifting of pandemic-related restrictions and social conditions returning to normal benefited direct sellers as they could organise home parties again and resume door-to-door direct selling.…