The consumption of soft drinks and mineral waters has decreased dramatically in Hungary

The drop in sales continues to impact the Hungarian retail sector significantly. According to the Central Statistical Office’s data, in June 2023, the volume of turnover in national retail trade decreased by 8.3% when compared to the same period last year, after adjusting for calendar effects. In food and mixed retail trade, the turnover volume decreased by 4.8%, and within that, the sales volume of food-related mixed stores dropped by 5.2%. Despite this category accounting for 75% of the overall food retail, it too faced a significant decline.

Due to the rising prices, it’s evident that people are spending less in stores, and amid challenging economic conditions, more individuals are being forced to forgo their favorite products such as soft drinks and mineral water. Interestingly, this product category is influenced by factors like temperature and events. Warmer summers, for instance, tend to increase fluid intake, and during sports events or gatherings, people purchase more beverages. However, the summer of 2023 has not seen major periods of heat thus far: a third-degree national heat alert was issued only once (between July 15 and 19), indicating that the daily average temperature of 27 degrees Celsius was surpassed for three consecutive days. A second-degree heat alert occurred only three times: June 21-23, July 10-12, and most recently, August 21-24.

These combined factors suggest that consumers are purchasing soft drinks and mineral water more cautiously this year, which is a result of the collaboration between economic conditions and unusual weather circumstances.