Store check: Ethnic markets in Berlin – Part 3: Slavic and Eastern European food markets

In addition to many Turkish and Asian markets, there are also several Slavic and Eastern European food markets in the German capital. We will be focusing on these in the third and final part of our new series, ‘Store Check: Ethnic Markets in Berlin’. How do brands from Eastern Europe approach branding and how do they design their packaging? What are the typical types of packaging? Are there any product-specific features? To answer these and other exciting questions, we visited the Ledo markets in Wilmersdorf and Schöneberg. We present our findings regarding various product groups below.

Porridge and cereal products

Porridge is not only popular in the West, but also in Eastern Europe. Some of the brands represented by Ledo in this sector use a clear visual brand identifier – usually in the form of a coloured bar or other coloured area in the upper third of the packaging. Green seems to be a very popular colour. The colour element used runs like a common thread through the entire range of the respective brand.

Another striking feature is the brand logo, which is usually prominently placed in the top left-hand corner – preferably with white lettering on a red background and/or in a round design, as in the case of Uwelka. The consistent combination of brand name and logo creates a consistent appearance – for the respective brand (positive), but also overall on the shelf, because almost all brands use this concept (negative). Incidentally, this applies not only to porridge, but also to other cereal products, such as couscous or bulgur.

To differentiate between varieties, most brands use the food shot principle. This means that the varieties are often communicated solely through the image of the product. The typography is predominantly clear and easy to read in a modern serif style. Information on preparation and icons are also functional and clearly visible – resulting in a very clean design overall.

With its traditional-inspired design, the Zhitnitza brand stands out a little from the crowd. It uses a graphic field, banderoles and a seal look. To differentiate between the individual varieties, only the colour varies – a classic solution that works for relatively small ranges, but quickly becomes confusing with an extensive product range. Added to this are design inconsistencies, such as realistic photography and illustrated tractor graphics, which result in an uneven appearance.

The Wyshniy Gorod brand uses a similar concept to Zhitnitza. Although it manages to implement this in a slightly more harmonious way, it also has clear weaknesses: Above all, the unmotivated colour change between blue and cream shows that the product differentiation has not been thought through consistently.

Overall, the packaging design of Eastern European porridge and cereal products ranges from a modern interpretation of tradition to conventional approaches, as we also find on the shelves of traditional German supermarkets.

Seeds, snacks and sweets

In the seeds section – for example, sunflower or pumpkin seeds and mixtures – we encountered a wide variety of design solutions. The spectrum here ranges from simple, traditional designs to modern, narrative concepts. Here are a few examples:

– Jinn’s packaging is visually reminiscent of crisps packaging. A cartoon-like ghost acts as a mascot – a humorous idea, but poorly executed from a technical point of view, as inappropriate 3D effects, uneven gradients and an inconsistent style noticeably detract from the design quality.

– In contrast to Jinn’s packaging design, Swoj’s is much more sophisticated. The name refers to cultural heritage and is authentically communicated through natural motifs, such as plant illustrations that visualise the origin of the kernels. The brand also uses colour blocking to create contrasts between the front and side surfaces. The choice of colours – such as green with orange accents – conveys dynamism without appearing overloaded.

– Other brands try to give their products a premium look with metallic foils, embossing or gold tones. However, the effect usually remains superficial because the typeface and food shots generally do not match the suggested value. For example, we saw packaging with gold-coloured foil and a zip closure that was intended to look classy, but poor 3D illustrations and generic typography made it appear cheap rather than high-quality.

– We were impressed by a newspaper-style packaging design by Tambovskij-Volk – presumably inspired by the old sales tradition of wrapping seeds and snacks in newspaper. The chosen typography and stamp details pick up on this idea and contribute to a successful blend of nostalgia and modern storytelling.

– Speaking of nostalgia: classic products and shapes such as pralines, gingerbread and filled waffles clearly dominate the snacks and sweets sector, with packaging usually decorated with traditional ornaments. Babaewsky – Belotschka and the well-known old brand Laima are at the forefront.

– Only a few brands dare to try to introduce modernity. One example is Brownie: with transparent elements, overprinting and a minimalist logo design, the brand has a contemporary look and stands out from the crowd. The colourful, almost Asian-inspired gloss effects of Jubiletta are also among the ‘outliers’. But despite a few modern accents, the overall impression in the snacks and sweets category remains: emotional yes, innovative no.

Tea and other hot beverages

Loose teas in metal tins, usually containing 250 grams, are among the typical products found in Eastern European grocery stores. Based on our impressions from visiting Ledo stores in Berlin, Impra is the market leader. The packaging of this brand appears high-quality but not modern – it remains rooted in the classic premium concept with ornaments and ‘historical’ motifs.

In contrast, Curtis displays a colourful, playful design language with many colours and metallic effects, as well as a partially ‘perfumed’ look. Although this is striking, it is not necessarily stylistically consistent.

Overall, tradition is absolutely at the forefront in the tea and other hot drinks section – modern influences are rare. The Maiskij brand with its Ivan Chay is a prime example of a successful classic implementation: the combination of textured illustrations, leaf-shaped windows and gold finishing gives a high-quality, detailed and culturally rooted impression without appearing old-fashioned.

Sugar and sugar alternatives

When it comes to sugars and sugar alternatives such as stevia, we noticed packaging designs that were visually misleading: coffee iconography often dominates so strongly here that the purpose of the product is hardly recognisable. The designs appear arbitrary and outdated, without clear differentiation.

Alcoholic beverages

A wide variety of design solutions can be found in Eastern European supermarkets for alcoholic beverages. Some products feature plastic, three-dimensional design elements – for example, bottles decorated with reliefs, angel figures or architectural ornaments. This pompous aesthetic is reminiscent of Byzantine or Baroque symbolism and is intended to signal value.

At Nemiroff Vodka, Art Nouveau-inspired labels with historical typography and rich colours combine nostalgia and brand identity to create an appealing whole.

The packaging design of the Georgian wine brand Mtavruli also stands out positively: The concept, featuring white surfaces, Georgian script and traditional dancers, creates a minimalist, elegant and culturally distinctive look. Storytelling works here as it should – the label tells the story of Georgian wine, which began more than 8,000 years ago, in a modern and authentic way.

In contrast, the Polish beer brand Warka remains very conventional. It uses the national colours of red and white as well as metallic surfaces, without any design innovation.

Like some other product categories, Ledo’s range of alcoholic beverages is characterised more by tradition than by differentiation.

Preserves in glass and metal packaging

Transparency is a key design element for glass preserves. Especially in the case of pickled vegetables, the product itself serves as a means of brand communication. Many labels are either semi-transparent or shaped and positioned in such a way that the natural colours of the contents are shown to their best advantage, while at the same time making it easy to differentiate between varieties. This strategy is both aesthetically appealing and functionally clever, because the minimalist concept saves printing ink and suggests sustainability.

Premium products in glass jars, such as caviar, feature opulent designs in royal or navy blue and gold – usually with high-quality metal closures, seals and embossing. The design clearly reflects the very high price – in some cases over £500.

Contrasts reign supreme on the shelves for classic metal tinned foods: the spectrum ranges from high-quality illustrated tins to completely outdated designs. Monolith is a positive example. The brand impresses with its extremely effective graphic illustrations, for which it uses only two colours – such as gold and magenta – depending on the variety. In contrast, the design of Zolotnyi Produkt Best Time seems outdated – the stylised animal illustrations are more reminiscent of pet food than delicatessen products.

In general, tinned food often exaggerates tradition and makes almost excessive use of value terms such as ‘premium’ without the design living up to this claim.

Pouch bags and spices

Stand-up pouches are ubiquitous in Eastern European food markets – whether for ketchup, mayonnaise, oils, sauces or ready meals. Their large front surfaces offer plenty of space for design, which can be extremely advantageous for brand presentation; however, in our opinion, the brands represented do not make sufficient use of this opportunity – or rather, they overdo it: the excessive use of colours and food shots, combined with a lack of structure, creates a strong visual overload on the shelf. Brand hooks are rarely clearly defined and differentiation is achieved almost exclusively through product images.

Spices are sold either in simple transparent, unprinted bags or in shiny foil packaging with simple stickers – functional, but outdated in terms of design. The design is practical and price-oriented, while emotional or brand strategy elements are almost completely absent.

Fish, meat and delicatessen

There is also a lack of innovative solutions in packaging design for meat and fish products. The design remains predominantly classic and functional – in short: conservative. Typical features include strong, dark colours, serif fonts and realistic food shots.

However, there are a few newer packaging formats, such as stripes and snacks, which are designed to appeal to a younger target group and use brighter, fresher colours – such as blue for fish products.

Overall, however, the focus is once again on recognisability rather than differentiation. Modern minimalism or individual brand expression are largely absent.

Fast food

Unlike in Asian food markets, instant meals are rare at Ledo. The few brands in this product segment mostly adopt Western codes à la Maggi or Knorr without further developing them in terms of design. However, a few brands also play charmingly with nostalgic motifs, as shown by the packaging with its modern illustration of a grandmother.

Dairy products

Dairy products are among the largest and most important product ranges. The selection ranges from kefir and various yoghurts to all kinds of cheese products, classic fresh milk and lactose-free varieties. Compared to typical German food markets, there are more varieties to choose from and more large-volume containers. For example, kefir is available in 1-litre bottles.

But as diverse as the varieties and sizes are, the visual design of the packaging for dairy products is uniformly conservative. Hardly any brand dares to deviate from the ‘norm’ in terms of design. Colour coding, such as purple for lactose-free products, is the only recognisable differentiation.

Some brands, such as Jovi from Poland, are clearly based on older designs from Western brands such as Danone.

Another striking feature is that the shelves are still full of plastic packaging that is not necessarily PPWR-compliant and is likely to be banned in the future – for example, vacuum films for smoked cheese.

All in all, the packaging is very functional and not very emotional – transparency and proximity to the actual product are obviously more important to brands than creative branding.

Frozen foods, confectionery and drugstore products

Why are we grouping frozen foods, confectionery and drugstore products – three completely different segments – together in one section? The reason is that these three groups are the only categories in the Eastern European food markets we visited where we saw significant developments in design. Here are a few examples:

– Bergers, Ukrajinka, Dobryak and Katjuscha are strongly rooted in tradition and communicate a sense of homeland through folkloric illustrations.

– The Latvian dairy brand Karums relies on iconic colours such as orange and humorous elements such as smileys – friendly and, although not necessarily innovative, recognisable.

– Tarta, a brand in the snack and ready-made dessert sector, combines pastel colours and clean lines to create a modern design that appeals to younger consumers looking for on-the-go products.

– Drugstore products are surprisingly modern overall: minimalist, natural and with medical-looking typography. Brand names such as Propolis or Valerian refer directly to ingredients and effects. This category positions itself between pharmaceutical and naturopathic – similar to Kneipp in the German market.

Conclusion

The Eastern European food markets in Berlin convey a culturally deeply rooted, strongly

tradition-oriented image. Instead of branding and differentiation, the understanding of design is more functional and trust-based. While Western markets, especially the UK and DACH, focus primarily on brand identity and disruption according to the motto ‘brand first’, homogeneity and recognisability are at the forefront here. The key characteristics at a glance:

– Cultural depth and national pride: often communicated through illustrations, colour codes and language

– Tradition and reliability: decisive design values in almost all categories

– Functionality over emotion: clear, legible labels, little storytelling

– Low brand differentiation: hardly any brand architectures, little visual hierarchy

– Innovation only in young segments: frozen foods, snacks, confectionery, drugstore

Authentic but conservative in design: this is how one could succinctly summarise the packaging design prevalent in Eastern European food markets. The concepts are rich in cultural codes but poor in modernity. As a packaging design agency, we therefore sense exciting opportunities to reconnect tradition and contemporary clarity.