NielsenIQ – Food retail at the close of 2021

Despite the ominous forecasts of many market participants, organized food retailing closed positively at + 1.3% in 2021, while FMCGs as a whole show a relatively more moderate trend, at + 0.7%, very close to the estimate NielsenIQ had made earlier this year.

Regarding the sub-categories of fast-moving consumer products, Food & Beverage is the only large category, which showed a positive trend of + 1.6%, while the categories related to Personal Care Products and Household Products noted decrease in their sales in value by -1.7% & -2.4% respectively.

The total of Bazaar categories (clothing, electrical appliances, books, tools, garden items, car items, home equipment, etc.) showed the most positive, double-digit trend at + 14.9%, while Fresh and Weighted products developed marginally positive with + 0.3%.

Small shops gaining ground

Regarding the different typologies of stores, the large halls over 2,500 sq.m. (hypermarkets) continued in 2021 to show the largest increase of + 8.1% in their sales. Smaller venues, up to 400 sq.m. ,  followed the growth rate, although much more restrained, at + 1.5%, which means that buyers chose the smaller stores for their convenience, but also their daily shopping.

Observing the performance of the different geographical areas in which NielsenIQ subdivides the market, it is worth commenting on the fact that all the sub-geographical areas showed positive trends – with the Peloponnese being higher at + 4.5% – with the exception of Attica, the which moved down to -0.4%.

Turn to… alcohol

In terms of categories, in Food & Beverage, several of the categories of alcoholic beverages showed particularly high growth rates compared to last year (Vodka + 18.4%, Rum + 16.5%, Whiskey + 13.3%), while also very categories such as Herbal Drinks (+ 20.9%), as well as frozen vegetables (+ 16.5%) showed high percentages of sales growth.

Dip in antiseptics

Regarding the categories of personal hygiene and care, the two categories that recorded the most negative trends in their sales in 2021 are antiseptics (-37.9%) as well as hand washing soaps (-17.7%), This is partly due to the rationalization of their use, in relation to 2020. Using a similar logic we can explain the also very strongly negative trend of house cleaners (-13.9%), as well as the category of bleach (- 12.6%).