Market News
NGM: The minimum wage will increase by 11 percent in 2026, and the guaranteed minimum wage by 7 percent
As of January 1, the minimum wage has increased by 11 percent, the guaranteed minimum wage by 7 percent, and the amount of numerous social benefits will also increase in...
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The first Hungarian IT teacher would be 110 years old on January 2: Mihály Kovács taught computer science before PCs
On the 110th anniversary of the birth of Piarist monk Mihály Kovács, the Hungarian Province of the Piarist Order, the János Neumann Computer Science Society and the Doctoral School of...
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New Year’s Eve: shortened opening hours in stores – general store closure on January 1
Opening hours vary greatly from chain to chain on December 31st, with many stores closing earlier than usual. Stores are typically closed on January 1st. The year 2026 will start...
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Tejföl is only a name for live flora: new categories for sour dairy products will be introduced from 2026
From January 1, 2026 (three days after promulgation), a regulatory change may take effect that clarifies what the name “sour cream” (tejföl) can mean on the Hungarian market. Under the...
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Sausage prices before New Year’s Eve: cheap entry, expensive premium – how big is the gap on the shelves?
On New Year’s Eve, demand for frankfurters rises sharply, and this period highlights just how split the category has become: between lower-priced products—typically private-label and poultry-based—and premium, higher-meat, pork-based frankfurters,...
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Hungarian wine industry in danger
The year 2025 will not simply remain a difficult season in the Hungarian grape and wine sector, but also a warning: while climate risks (primarily drought) make production increasingly unpredictable,...
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How to prepare for the holidays with your four-legged friend
The holiday season is not only exciting for us, but also for our special four-legged companions. The hustle and bustle of Christmas, the crowds of guests, the trips, and the...
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7 billion New Year’s Eve Super Lottery: traffic has increased, lottery operators are preparing for longer opening hours
Interest in the New Year’s Eve Super Lottery has increased manifold: in the draw to be held on January 1st, at 0:20, 7 billion forints are at stake, which is...
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HUN-REN: South coast ports could become an ecological “trap” in winter – risk of oxygen deficiency and fish kills
According to HUN-REN’s Balaton Limnological Research Institute, the large, dredged and heavily sheltered marina basins built in recent years along Lake Balaton’s southern shore can act as wintering refuges where...
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2025 was a black year for the Hungarian food industry: product lines under pressure on multiple fronts
Price increases, margin freezes, import pressure and cost shocks simultaneously strained the Hungarian food industry in 2025. Meanwhile, production risks did not subside in the product pipelines, and the regulatory...
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The GVH imposed fines of more than 3.7 billion forints on 29 companies in 2025
While the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) granted more than 3.3 billion forints in fine reductions to companies that cooperated and sought to comply with the law in 2025, the office’s...
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Hungary’s economy in 2025: recovery from slowdown, weaker forint and the increasing importance of corporate strategic decisions 2026 will be a test of resilience
The year 2025 confirmed that the Hungarian economy is gradually recovering from a period of deep slowdown caused by record high inflation, tight monetary policy and a weaker European economic...
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NAK: it’s worth buying Hungarian sausages on New Year’s Eve too
It is worth buying Hungarian sausages on New Year’s Eve, because the products of domestic producers can be checked – the National Chamber of Agriculture (NAK) told MTI on Monday....
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Pop Mart shares hit by news of weakening Labubu demand
Pop Mart, which sells Labubu figures, fell by 6.2%, the most in weeks, after international media reported that demand for Labubu had fallen, Bloomberg reported. According to reports, the selling...
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MOHU Budapest: the usual waste collection schedule will be in place on the last day of the year and the first day of the new year
MOHU Budapest Zrt. informs the public that it will continue to collect municipal and selective waste in Budapest and the agglomeration settlements during the New Year holiday period as usual....
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Digital overhead is an increasingly serious item in the family budget
A few clicks and your monthly bill is already tens of thousands of forints. The combined costs of video content, music, games, mobile internet and other digital services have now...
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These will be the most anticipated electric cars of 2026
The popularity of electric vehicles continues to grow, thanks to increasingly affordable purchase prices, extensive education on propulsion and government incentives, and 2026 holds exciting new developments in the segment....
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Crowds return to stores: margin cap and year-end preparations drive retail traffic
Retail activity shows no sign of slowing after Christmas. According to feedback from retail employees and trade union representatives, store traffic remains exceptionally strong in the period between the holidays,...
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The second big rush in department stores comes between the two holidays
In the days following Christmas, stores almost run the same business as before the holidays, as people exchange clothes and products they received as gifts in droves. There are also...
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Pensioner food vouchers can be redeemed until December 31st
There are only a few days left for pensioners to use the food vouchers distributed in 2025: the vouchers cannot be redeemed or exchanged for cash after December 31st, and...
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Fodder fruit sold as a premium: double quality in Romania, reputational risk in the region
The Romanian National Consumer Protection Authority (ANPC) has drawn attention to an increasingly serious market and consumer protection problem: poorer quality citrus fruits regularly appear in Romanian retail, which according...
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Has the bejgli become a luxury treat? The price of the holiday classic has not wanted to go down for years
Despite partial price easing for several basic ingredients, the total cost of baking a traditional Hungarian bejgli at home remained stubbornly high at the end of 2025. Over the past...
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Authorities seize expired gyro meat in Budapest: inspections tighten in the street food sector
Hungary’s food safety authority has seized approximately 110 kilograms of expired gyro meat from a Budapest fast-food outlet during a year-end inspection, according to the National Food Chain Safety Office...
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First eye drop to improve public health gets green light in the United States
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved VIZZ, a vision-improving eye drop containing aceclidine, which can improve near vision for up to 10 hours. The product is...
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Trillion-dollar moves in the home loan market – what was the highest loan amount in 2025?
The average amount of K&H home loans disbursed this year was 28.5 million forints, while the average for the Otthon Start Program, which started in September, is 35.6 million forints....
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China would increase its grain production capacity by 50 million tons
China is planning a significant capacity expansion in grain production: according to the announcement of the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s production potential would be increased...
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The New Year’s Eve fireworks fair is back: temporary sales will start in department store parking lots at the end of December
New Year’s Eve fireworks vendors will appear in the parking lots of large department stores this year as well: pyrotechnic devices can be purchased at Tesco and Lidl stores between...
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The first Eastern European non-alcoholic beer turns 50
Half a century ago, in 1975, the first non-alcoholic beer, Pitó, was brewed in Czechoslovakia, which was considered a pioneer not only in the Eastern Bloc, but also only the...
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Sausage: pork prices are already going down, but they won’t be cheaper in stores – a significant correction may come in the spring at the earliest
Despite the downward trend in pork prices, the consumer price of sausages is not expected to decrease significantly by the end of 2025: the current store offering was typically made...
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The era of cheap coffee may be over
The world market price of coffee will be at a near-record level in 2025, and according to market analysts, the chance of the market returning to its previous, low price...
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