COVID-19 will not impact growth in value sales of sports nutrition in Serbia during 2020, despite some supply chain disruption and non-essential businesses like gyms being closed during the lockdown. In fact, value sales growth is set to accelerate during the year. This is because an increasing number of people in Serbia are working out regularly due to the growing trend of living healthy and looking good. Many of these want results, which makes sports nutrition attractive to them. While…

Current retail value sales of sports nutrition products fall in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 and the enforced lockdown restrictions. The temporary closure of all gyms, fitness clubs and other sports facilities during March and May 2020 significantly dampened demand for sports nutrition products, with these facilities facing particularly long lockdown restrictions. This steep reduction of physical activity and sports in Romania, due to lack of places to train, led to a reduced interest in…

COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in 2020 in Peru have reduced the number of people able to engage in physical activity, with consumers confined to their homes except for essential travel and to pick up medicine and food. There are a range of people who participate in sport and physical activity in Peru, with the serious athletes making up over a third of this group. For these people, the lockdown restrictions would not stop their training regimes, with indoor exercises and keep fit routines…

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, there was a reduced footfall in shopping centres after 13 March, when Norway’s partial lockdown was put in place. Despite e-commerce having a huge share in sports nutrition sales, this led to a significant decline in purchases, with sports nutrition set to record a drop of 1% in 2020, compared to growth of 10% in 2019. In addition, the closure of gyms and training centres across the country further hinder growth, with these being retailers of sports nutrition…

The government in Morocco imposed particularly strict lockdown measures following the outbreak of COVID-19, with lockdown lasting for three months. This significantly reduced the number of consumers taking part in sports and exercise as gyms and fitness centres were closed and group activities and events were no longer possible. This is expected to result in suppressed growth in sports nutrition in 2020 as consumers did not need to improve their performance and also limited their spending on…

After seeing solid current value growth during most of the review period, sports nutrition is expected to see a double-digit decline in 2020. This is due to various impacts from COVID-19. For instance, in an effort to control the spread of the virus, the government introduced PSSB measures, which involved asking people to stay at home as much as possible in affected areas, as well as the closure of non-essential businesses. The closure of shopping centres and gyms, which are important in the…

In 2020, sleep aids is expected to see only an insignificant rise in its current value growth rate from the previous year. This is mainly due to rising prices, since the volume growth rate is expected to slow. Sleep aids remains a small OTC category in Vietnam, as sales of these products are strictly controlled by the Ministry of Health. Although consumers can still buy small amounts of sleep aids in chemists/pharmacies without a prescription, the perception that OTC sleep aids can be…

During the economic crisis of 2014-2015, consumers’ incomes were eroded by the threefold local currency devaluation, and despite the fact that economic conditions in Ukraine improved at the end of the review period, many Ukrainians were forced to continue economising due to comparatively low incomes. The outbreak of COVID-19 caused further strain, with many Ukrainians stressed about the potential of falling ill and the economic uncertainty. The confinement to home during lockdown brought…

COVID-19 has had quite a major stress-inducing effect on Slovak consumers in 2020, boosting sales of sleep aids. Sleepless nights over health concerns, housing situations or precarious economic circumstances drove sales of sleep aids, with many consumers facing sleep problem for the first time. When consumers start looking for ways of ameliorating insomnia, they generally opt for products based on natural ingredients first that are recommended by friends and family and perceived to have…

Sleep aids was among the most dynamic products in 2020, with high stress levels caused by the uncertainty and economic difficulties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania causing a boon in sales. Particularly during the lockdown in the first half of the year, many Romanians suffered from insomnia caused by uncertainty about the impact of the global pandemic, unemployment and the lack of social interaction due to the stay at home restrictions. As a result, sales recorded strong…

Sales of wound care have slumped significantly in 2020, down by 8% compared to an increase of 3% in 2019. While this category was affected to some degree by lack of trade from mainland Chinese tourists, the primary reason for its short term decline was lower usage frequency among local residents. With the lockdown due to COVID-19, there were scant opportunities for pursuing activities that might lead to a minor wound, with few outdoor pursuits or sporting activities possible.…

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on analgesics, with value sales down by 7% in 2020, compared to growth of 4% in the previous year. This was due to the loss of trade from mainland Chinese tourists. Cross border trade from China typically accounts for 10-15% of Hong Kong’s analgesics sales. With cross border movement between Hong Kong and China facing restrictions from January and a virtual shutdown from late March, this trade has virtually vanished, damaging overall sales.

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The COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant impact on consumer lending in Turkey, with self-isolation and lockdown measures making it difficult for consumers to apply for loans. Consequently, many people postponed purchases of some non-essential goods, although various government programmes helped to support demand. Auto lending has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, while durables and home lending have proven to be more resistant. In March, the Turkish authorities announced a…

The number of debit cards has continued to rise in 2020 due to new account holders during the first quarter of the year and residents opening new bank accounts in other banks as they look for better card products and more flexible banking products and services. The COVID-19 relief programme and flexible repayment schemes on loans and balance transfers have led to better credit products. In addition, family members have opted for supplementary debit cards for family members to avoid using…

Pre-paid cards growth was limited by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. All types of pre-paid cards struggled to attract new users as a result of the impact of social isolation measures and other restrictions related to outside-home and tourism activities. In addition to the COVID-19 crisis, pre-paid cards are also facing growing competition from alternative payment formats, with a growing number of consumers preferring to pay via debit or credit card. In addition, mobile-based pre-paid cards…

Sales of eye care are in decline, down by 7% in 2020, compared to positive growth of 7% in the previous year. While the underlying drivers for eye care are still present, demand fell in the short term as a result of the pandemic, partly due to the absence of cross border trade from mainland Chinese tourists, and partly due to a decrease in internal demand.

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In India, personal charge cards have been issued only by American Express for many years. These cards target high-income consumers, offering various rewards programmes and quality services. Moreover, the in-built security features on the cards protect consumers from fraudulent transactions. Charge cards are, however, typically used for big ticket items, with the spend per transaction being significantly higher than for both credit and debit cards. As such, with discretionary spending under…

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a particularly severe impact on store cards in Canada, with value and volume transactions, the number of accounts and cards in circulation all witnessing severe negative impacts in 2020. This is a stark illustration of the deep impact the virus and the measures to control it are having on personal and household finances in the country. The closure of many physical stores during the epidemic has clearly reduced the opportunities to use these cards considerably,…

Closed loop pre-paid cards are primarily represented by merchant issued gift cards, followed by transportation cards and parking and toll cards. Given the closure of non-essential retail outlets for long periods as part of the government’s response to the COVID-19 epidemic, Canadians have been less disposed towards purchasing these cards as gifts for their family and friends. These cards are often purchased and used in-store and given the necessity for social distancing during the pandemic,…

After steady growth throughout the review period, total card transactions in Canada is expected to record its first volume and value declines on Euromonitor International’s records in 2020 as a direct result of the severe financial and economic impacts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. All financial cards are set to suffer falling values and charge cards and store cards faring particularly badly, with steep double-digit declines in spending anticipated over the year. Many non-essential…