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Although interest in the quality of products is increasingly growing, price remains very important for most Czechs regarding yoghurt and sour milk products. The influence of price on consumers? decisions impacted the performance of yoghurt and sour milk products significantly in 2013 and a similar development is expected in 2014. Because the prices of these products are rising, consumption is falling. In other words, although the unit price increases are driving growth in value sales, they are causing a decrease in demand for these products and thus a decline in volume sales. As a result of this development, yoghurt and sour milk products is expected to register only moderate current value growth of 2% in 2014, which is a similar pace to that in the previous year.

Luxury jewellery and timepieces are set to see the fifth year with a more than marginal increase in a row in 2014. On the one hand, the category thereby was able to benefit from the on-going quite positive economic situation in Germany (with the country so far being sheltered from the crisis and recession which is seen in many other Western European countries) with a growing target group and more positive attitude towards luxury goods in general and luxury jewellery and timepieces in specific.

Within soup it is expected that the shift from dry to wet soup will continue. Dry soup products are seen by many as inferior in terms of quality and taste, while readymade wet soups are considered to be fresher, superior in terms of taste and also better for your health as many consumers think that there are more nutrients in wet soups compared to dry alternatives. Dried soups also have the image as more old-fashioned. Dehydrated soup is mostly bought by older consumers and more traditional...

Vacuum cleaners remained a limited category in Brazil due to the fact that carpets are not very common. Consumers prefer tiled floors due to the hot climate and therefore use non-electrical devices to clean their homes. Most Brazilians are accustomed to sweeping and mopping their floor tiles on a daily basis. As a result, penetration rates in Brazilian households for products within this category are still low if compared to other countries.

The report provides in-depth industry analysis, information and insights into employee benefits in Slovakia, including:

Retail volume sales of home laundry appliances contracted by 1% in 2014, mainly due to two reasons. Firstly, the new Hamon law on the extension of the minimum product life warranty from six months to two years accentuated awareness and efforts in French households in favour of responsible consumption behaviour. Households were more inclined to seek a repair rather than buying a new appliance immediately. Secondly, the high penetration rate of automatic washing machines (at 93% of households in 2014) also hindered growth.

Champagne's direct correlation to economic dynamics has historically proven to be a double-edged sword. The category mirrors the state of economies and, at the same time, its narrow focus on Western markets increases downside risks in the case of a crisis. As dark clouds of fresh financial turmoil are gathering, will champagne's sparkle shield the category from a perfect storm of extreme discounting, other sparkling wine's cannibalising advance and Western Europe's conservative traditionalism?

Growing interest in home cooking amongst consumers in Denmark remains the key driver of sales growth within large cooking appliances in Denmark during 2014. More consumers enjoy watching TV programs dealing with food preparation at home and are influenced from these shows to have proper appliances for cooking at home. In 2013 for example, according to FEHA (Danish association of manufacturers and importers of household appliances), on average there were 126 weekly hours of TV shows dealing with food, and the same number of hours more or less is reflected in 2014. More consumers are inspired by these shows and wish to own the right appliances that will allow them to practice and perform home cooking themselves. Thus, large cooking appliances enjoys this trend and the category is expected to grow in 2014 by 2% in retail volume terms.

Vacuum cleaners in Saudi Arabia registered limited growth of 2% in retail volume terms and 7% in current value terms in 2014. Value growth was mainly driven by rising unit prices triggered by the premiumisation trend, which saw consumers shift towards more sophisticated and higher-priced models. This was in line with the healthy economy and rising disposable incomes in the country. Prices also rose in line with growing raw materials and petrol costs, rendering distribution and transport costs higher.

Unlike most Western markets, where flavour sophistication is a key trend, a back-to-basics trend is gathering pace in Greece. Most Greeks opted for snacks that offered value for money and seemed unwilling to try new flavours, especially when those products were more expensive. Private label continued to gain value share in line with this trend, while there was also a trend towards products with longer expiry dates, which again tended to be cheaper than ones that claimed to have less...

Sales of consumer appliances mounted a slight recovery during 2014 after static growth was recorded during 2013 due to lower general expectations of the performance of the Colombian economy. Colombia's GDP growth towards the end of the review period was lower than previous forecasts had anticipated and this had a negative effect on consumer confidence amidst widespread fears of becoming unemployed, while events such as industrial action and ongoing peace negotiations between the Colombian...

We hold a positive view on India's agribusiness sector, as the country will remain an agricultural powerhouse and is likely to maintain high levels of self-sufficiency for major food crops. Production growth of various commodities will be driven by strong government support and robust demand for manufactured foodstuff s. We see significant growth opportunities in sub-sectors such as dairy, coffee and livestock. However, India will be increasingly vulnerable to exceptional weather phenomen a owing to climate change effects and serious water shortages. Moreover, the country will remain prone to erratic government intervention, which seriously hampers its reputation as an international provider. As such, we see the partial liberalisation of the sugar industry as a first positive step that will incentivise production growth and investment in the sector.

Cheese in South Korea by Mintel Market Sizes provides you with annual year-end market size data, most recently updated in 2014. This market covers total hard/extra hard, semi-hard, soft, spreadable/processed cheese. It excludes cottage cheese, fromage frais/quark/curd/paneer and cheese dips. Market size is based on retail and non-retail sales. Market size for Cheese in South Korea is given in KRW and tonne with a minimum of five years' historical data. Market Forecast is provided for five years. Included with this snapshot is socio-economic data for South Korea. Population, Consumer Price Index (CPI), Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Exchange Rates.

Retail value sales of apparel and footwear specialist retailers registered a relatively dynamic performance with growth of 3% in 2014. Although Czech consumers were careful with their money due to the economic situation, apparel and footwear specialist retailers was relatively successful as it did not register a drop in retail value sales over the last four years of the review period. The main reason behind this growth (albeit rather moderate) was the fact that apparel and footwear specialist retailers (especially those chained) was successful in attracting consumers with a high level of discounts and frequent special price offers. In addition, sales in 2014 also benefited from the fact that consumer mood and confidence started to improve in tandem with a more hopeful economic situation during the year. As a result, retail value growth of apparel and footwear specialist retailers was stronger in 2014 compared to that of 2013 and also to the review period value average of 1%.

Cat food recorded slower current value growth in 2013 than in the previous year, which was due to the unstable political situation in Thailand that affected consumers? confidence regarding spending; however, current value growth of cat food is expected to increase in 2014 alongside the rising popularity of cats as pets among Thais. Their increasing popularity is due to cats being easy to take care of given their attention to cleanliness. In addition, the rising number of cat cafes also stimulated consumer interest in cats towards the end of the review period.

Retailing in China by Mintel Market Sizes provides you with annual year-end market size data, most recently updated in 2014. This market covers sales to consumers through all retailers including direct from suppliers. Market value is at total sales including sales tax via stores and directly. Market size for Retailing in China is given in CNY with a minimum of five years' historical data. Market Forecast is provided for five years. Included with this snapshot is socio-economic data for China. Population, Consumer Price Index (CPI), Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Exchange Rates.

Thai consumers do not prioritise gardening. People who live in suburban and rural areas usually have more living space and are closer to the natural environment than their counterparts in city centres. Urban dwellers are less likely to be close to nature as their home and work lives mean they are surrounded by buildings. Trees and green spaces are fading away from urban zones; therefore, consumers in these areas, including condominium dwellers, are turning to gardening in small spaces. The target audience for gardening is wide, ranging from low-income consumers who spend their free time working on their garden space to middle- and high-income consumers who can afford would pay landscapers and gardeners to tend to their green spaces.

2013 was a year of gold jewellery. Drastic drop in gold prices in April and June boosted demand for gold jewellery, which is an important accessory in traditional Chinese wedding culture. Many Chinese mainlanders flocked to the city for gold purchases, including bridal bangles, necklaces and earrings. Local residents also joined in the shopping spree.

In 2014 grocery retailers continued to be affected by the same trends which drove the category over the review period, the strongest of which was the expansion of modern grocery retailers value share at the expense of traditional grocery retailers. The fact that the economy failed to make any significant progress in 2014 and the consequences of the large-scale spring flooding of urban areas contributed most to the overall decline of value sales of grocery retailers.

Many Egyptian households have given up on the privilege of having several food preparation appliances due to the very ongoing political struggle in Egypt, which has led to a very tough economic environment and declining disposable incomes.

The Future of the Hot Drinks Market in Hungary to 2018 is the result of Canadean's extensive market research. The report presents detailed analysis on the Hot Drinks consumption trends in Hungary, historic and forecast Hot Drinks consumption volumes and values at market and category level, brand share and distribution channel data. This report brings together Canadean Intelligence's research, modeling and analysis expertise in order to develop uniquely detailed market data. This allows domestic and foreign companies to identify the market dynamics to account for Hot Drinks sales overall and to know which categories and segments are showing growth in the coming years.

In 2014, 85% of households in France were equipped with a microwave; a relatively high penetration rate which contributed to slowing down the volume growth rate to a negligible level. Whilst demand for freestanding variants was stable at 2.2 million units, sales of built-in microwaves grew at a slower pace than in the previous year, due to a contraction in housing construction and extension plans. Overall, sales of freestanding microwaves (93% share of volume sales) were sustained by the creation of new households and replacement prompted by some innovative launches.

In 2013, parents are paying more attention to quality in junior nappies. At this age, the nappies do not need changing as frequently, so parents are more willing to pay for higher quality products. They prefer thin nappies which have a greater capability of absorbing more, so tend to purchase well-known brands and avoid experimentation. On the other hand, the parents of new born babies are more price-orientated in their purchases. In this period of development, babies need their diapers changed frequently, which is connected with a significant expense, so parents buy lower-priced brands.

Over the review period, the upgrade in purchasing power allowed consumers to switch from fans to other air treatment products and air conditioners, and within air conditioners from window devices to split systems. In addition, the northeast region, which is particularly sensitive to income growth, contributed massively to growth, as sales are not seasonal, with a year-round warm climate. As a result, the category posted an 11% volume CAGR over the review period.

Dried processed food in the Netherlands is a category which is suffering from stagnant growth due to high levels of maturity. Volume growth in the category in 2014 was marginal, while value sales increased by just 1% in current terms. One of the major issues suppressing growth in the category is the maturity of demand, which makes manufacturers and retailers alike reluctant to invest in new product development and large-scale marketing and promotional campaigns as in most cases these companies...