The world is ours – but how much will the baggage fee be?

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2025/11.

Tünde Turcsán
managing director
YouGov Shopper Hungary

Uncertainty is coupled with a high degree of mistrust due to the changes occurring on a daily basis. Financial anxiety is paralysing shoppers and is pushing all other issues into the background. With inflation twice the EU average, Hungary remains in the top 5 of the European Union in this respect, and 47% of Hungarian households feel that they are just about making ends meet. Although purchasing power is growing, it is still only 62% of the European index. FMCG sales grew by only 3.6%, which is below the inflation rate. The growth of private labels seen in previous years has slowed down a bit, but the value share of these products remains 44-45%.

Drugstores are booming

Alongside discount supermarkets this is the second channel that has been able to acquire market share in terms of value. This is partly because of the increase in the proportion of households visiting drugstores, but also due to the growth in average spending per purchase: this hike is quite significant at around 7%, which is twice the growth rate of the total FMCG market. Lidl has the most loyal customer base – its customers spend 23% of their total FMCG expenditure in this chain – the highest ratio on the Hungarian market. SPAR and Penny Market follow Lidl in this ranking. The proportion of larger baskets has increased a little and they currently account for 33.1%, while really large purchases have a 5.4% share.

Generational differences

Although confidence in private labels, which are a very important communication and sales tool for retailers, is high across all age groups, the proportion of PL purchases (41%) is slightly lower among shoppers under the age of 40 than the national average. The difference is mainly evident in the food category: younger people buy fewer private label foods, while those over 40 follow the national trend in this respect. Seven out of ten households only buy what is absolutely necessary, 54% plan to spend less on food, 58% pay particular attention to prices when shopping and 77% search for products on special offer. Although 46% of households generally buy the products they are used to, another 45% are open to trying new products depending on the category and 8% say they are completely open in this regard. Willingness to try new products is highest in the case of dairy products (41%).

Shop assistants should be nice

The checkout process is a particularly important factor in the shopping experience: while it influences customer satisfaction by just 25% in the EU, in Hungary it accounts for 41% of customer satisfaction. Store staff behaviour is also crucial: helpful, friendly employees who welcome shoppers with a smile and expertise significantly increase loyalty. Shoppers also appreciate the digital services offered by retail chains, especially those that provide real help with everyday decisions. In today’s market environment the “one-size-fits-all” approach no longer works. Following globalisation local characteristics have become important again, so international marketing strategies must also be adapted to the needs of the given country, region or city.