The organised food retail market continued to grow in turnover (+6.4%) in the first nine months of 2026 (data from the start of the year to 27 September 2026), compared with the same period last year, with growth this year driven mainly by sales volumes.
At category level, this trend has been driven by both fresh products (+7.5%) and, primarily, packaged food and drink (+5.8%).
The major household FMCG categories, meanwhile, posted more modest growth in sales by value, at 4.6%, while personal hygiene products as a whole grew by 5%.
Deflationary trends were evident in both of these major non-food categories. By contrast, average selling prices rose for food and drink compared with the same period in 2025.
Store formats and regions
At store-format level, all formats posted growth, with Hypermarkets continuing to record an impressive increase of 8.5%. However, Superettes (stores of 100–400 sq m) posted the fastest growth, at 8.8%, suggesting that sales are likely shifting to this format from the “traditional” channel — namely, convenience stores and kiosks — as they offer relatively lower prices, flexible opening hours and a tailored product range.
Geographical analysis of the data shows that growth is broad-based, with the Ionian Islands and Aegean islands (+9.2%) and Crete (+7.5%) recording the largest percentage increases in sales, undoubtedly also due to higher tourist numbers, particularly during the summer months.
Promotional activity and private-label products
In the first nine months of 2026, promotional activity fell by a further 5 percentage points compared with the end of 2025, reaching an all-time low of 39.5% for branded FMCG products, reflecting the ongoing impact of the code of conduct on suppliers’ promotional strategies in the sector.
As for the performance of private-label products in the market, despite continued pressure on household disposable income, private-label products’ share of the FMCG market as a whole edged down to 24% year to date, from 24.4% at the end of 2025.