What do Hungarian shoppers want? Cheap, high-quality products made in Hungary!

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

Mekler Anita
szakértő
PwC

The Hungarian retail sector is influenced by lots of different factors: inflation and economic fluctuations diminish purchasing power, while supply chain disruptions pose a serious challenge to maintaining price stability and inventory levels.

Domestic worries

In Hungary 60% of consumers remain concerned about inflation, but fears about climate change are also significant, with this proportion rising from 78% in 2024 to 85% in 2025. Health risks are also a source of anxiety for many: more than half of respondents consider the risk of processed foods and pesticides in food to be high. What do Hungarian shoppers want? Very good quality at a very low price and with endless convenience, which reflects their price-sensitivity. This is a direct consequence of the fact that less than 25% of respondents are able to confidently pay their monthly expenses with some money left over in their wallets. The same ratio in the PwC Central and Eastern Europe region, (comprising Poland, Romania and Ukraine) is 27%. Another 60% are still able to pay their bills, but have no opportunity to save or put money aside.

Loyalty is a value

In Hungary 18% of consumers are particularly sensitive to various loyalty programmes, which is quite significant compared to other Central and Eastern European countries or on a global scale. In addition to this, around 90% of Hungarians consider these programmes to be crucial when choosing a store. The main motivating factors are discounts on future purchases (56%) and refund options (66%). Hungarian shoppers particularly like to buy domestic products: 43% would rather buy more expensive local products than cheaper foreign alternatives. The motivation for buying domestically manufactured products is that they shoppers think they are healthier (57%) and of better quality (48%). According to 35% of shoppers, domestic products are relatively easy to find. It is interesting that compared to the Central and Eastern European average (35%), only 18% of Hungarians feel proud to buy local products because it reflects their own values.

Brand switching

In Hungary brand switching is mainly driven by better quality and better prices. Nearly three-quarters of consumers (74%) are always looking for better value for money. Quality and health considerations are also important, reflecting the growing demand for healthy and locally sourced products. 20% of consumers prefer local brands and 31% switch brands because of special offers. Hungarian consumers choose ready meals (81% vs. 82%), takeaway (to-go) meals (68% vs. 72%) and restaurant meals (69% vs. 76%) to a slightly lesser extent than their Central and Eastern European counterparts. Hungarians are open to using GenAI, but the gap between generations is growing in this respect.