In 2021, Hungarian consumers spent approximately 16 billion U.S. dollars on food and beverage products. Considering favorite brands, both international and domestic companies play an important role in forming the country’s FMCG landscape. Despite the fact that world-famous Kinder and Coca-Cola are the leading FMCG brands in Hungary, domestic labels – such as Balaton, Sport, and Márka – are also well received by consumers. In terms of dairy products, Hungarians have a preference for domestic brands, namely Mizo and Pöttyös. However, when it comes to beverages, most consumers choose products manufactured by global companies.
In 2021, Lidl and Spar were the two leading FMCG retail chains in Hungary, with revenues exceeding two billion euros. Coop, a Hungarian supermarket chain, had the highest number of stores, measuring at more than four thousand units. However, based on the results of a survey conducted in 2020, discount stores were Hungarians’ first choice for grocery shopping. Supermarkets and hypermarkets ranked second and third, respectively. During the same year, discount stores accounted for a 30 percent share of Hungarian households' FMCG spending. A further 20 percent of FMCG expenditure was generated in hypermarkets.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as restrictive measures introduced to curb the spread of the virus, affected Hungarians' FMCG shopping habits. Average basket values increased as a consequence of decreasing grocery shopping frequency. Moreover, many consumers have adopted a habit of shopping for groceries online. A survey conducted in 2021 revealed that one in five Hungarians started buying food products online because of the pandemic, while another 25 percent began purchasing shoes and apparel from the internet. Nevertheless, Hungarians still prefer traditional FMCG distribution channels. The share of e-commerce in FMCG retail sales remains very low, at 0.9 percent as of June 2021.
