In the first half of 2026, Nestlé in Ukraine increased its sales in the country by 19.3% in value (in hryvnia) and by 10% in volume, to 56,000 metric tons, while the entire Ukrainian FMCG market in the categories where the company operates grew by 15% in value and 6% in volume during this period, according to Roman Yanovich, CEO of Nestlé in Ukraine and Moldova.
“This is a signal to invest,” he said, commenting on these results at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday, and explained that overall, the Nestlé Group increased its global sales by 3.6% in the first half of this year, meaning that Ukraine is a growth driver for the company.
According to him, in the first half of 2026, the company invested 5 billion UAH in its operations in Ukraine, of which 200 million UAH went toward developing factories in Ukraine and 4.8 billion UAH toward developing product categories.
“Having invested 5 billion hryvnia in the first half of the year, we plan to invest an amount comparable to last year’s—10 billion hryvnia—by the end of 2026 to ramp up production and maintain the growth momentum we’ve achieved,” said the CEO.
He clarified that investments in factory development are expected to total 1 billion hryvnia based on this year’s results.
According to the CEO, in the confectionery category, sales growth for all players in the Ukrainian market in January–June of this year was 18% in hryvnia and 6% in volume; for prepared foods, 12% and 2%, respectively; for instant coffee, 16% and 4%; infant formula—20% and 7%, other children’s foods—20% and 10%, and animal feed—20% and 10%.
According to him, the market for coffee capsules is growing particularly rapidly—by 30% in value and 16% in volume. This market is small but has the potential to double or triple in size, Yanovich noted.
The CEO noted that Nestlé currently holds approximately half of the Ukrainian ketchup market under the “Torchin” brand and the cocoa market under the Nesquik brand, as well as one-third of the sauce market under the “Torchin” brand.
He added that as part of global campaigns, products under the Felix and ProPlan brands in the pet food category and KitKat in the confectionery category are currently being actively promoted in Ukraine, while local campaigns focus on the “Svitloch,” “Torchin,” and “Mivina” brands, as well as Dolce Gusto coffee capsules and Nesquik.
In addition, during the briefing, company representatives announced plans to expand this year’s culinary product line—which already includes more than 100 items—by approximately 20%. The “Asian line” is growing at the fastest rate—20–25%—while the category of instant noodles in cups is seeing triple-digit growth.
According to Yanovich, there is potential for improvement in the “Svitloch” brand and the coffee business, where the company aims to move up from second place to first, a position currently held by Jacobs.
The CEO stated that due to the increase in enemy shelling of warehouses, logistics is currently the top priority; therefore, the company has developed a plan to deliver goods directly to the supermarket chain without involving its distribution centers in the event of a critical situation.
He cited a labor shortage as another problem, which forced one of the company’s facilities to raise salaries by 30%. At the same time, Yanovych noted that although the company had considered options for hiring foreign workers, it is still trying to recruit staff specifically from among Ukrainians.
Yanovich also reported that in the first half of 2026, charitable donations totaled over 120 million hryvnia, and since the start of the full-scale war, the company has provided charitable aid totaling over 2 billion hryvnia.
Nestlé began operations in Ukraine in 1994 with the opening of a representative office. In 1998, it acquired a controlling stake in CJSC “Lviv Confectionery Factory ‘Svitloch,’” and since 2018, it has owned 100% of the company’s shares. In May 2003, Nestlé Ukraine LLC was founded in Kyiv, and by the end of that year, Nestlé had acquired 100% of the shares in Volyn Holding.
In 2010, Nestlé SA acquired Technocom LLC in Kharkiv, a manufacturer of instant foods under the “Mivina” brand. In 2012, Nestlé Business Service (NBS Europe) was established in Lviv; it is one of Nestlé’s seven service centers worldwide and provides support services to Nestlé divisions in more than 40 countries.
During the war, Nestlé invested EUR43 million in the construction of its fourth factory in Ukraine—in Smolygiv, Volyn Oblast—for the production of pasta, which opened in April 2025, and plans to increase its investment in the facility to EUR70 million by the end of 2027.
Nestlé’s business in Ukraine encompasses the following segments: coffee and beverages, confectionery, prepared foods (cold sauces, seasonings, soups, instant foods), infant and specialized nutrition, ready-to-eat breakfasts, and pet food.
FMCG, INVESTMENT, NESTLE, SALES, UKRAINE
