Costa Rica

Bottled water was fortunate not see the high unit price increases experienced by other soft drinks categories in recent years, leading to steady consumer demand and robust growth in volume terms. Both the off- and on-trade channels enjoyed growth in…

Current value sales are expected to increase, along with a slight increase in volume sales. While there is still economic uncertainty, as a result of rising inflation, the growth in inflation is expected to ease. That being said, consumers are…

Costa Rica registered healthy volume growth in alcoholic drinks in 2022. Part of the reason for the positive performance was increased socialising, as society fully opened up post pandemic lockdowns. The FIFA World Cup in December also contributed to…

Soft drinks faced a difficult year in 2023 as high levels of inflation were exacerbated by the appreciation of the Costa Rica Colón vis-à-vis the US dollar. Inflation led to unit price increases across a range of soft drinks categories, although…

Inflation has taken its toll on hot drinks in Costa Rica, striking the coffee category especially hard in 2022. Conditions were exacerbated by the swift and unexpected appreciation of the colon vis-à-vis the dollar, which created a set of challenging…

In 2023, consumers are enjoying their newfound freedom following the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions. As such, this has led to an increased use of foodservice, with consumers eating out at restaurants, having parties, and drinking with friends.…

Following low value sales in 2021, direct selling saw a positive boost in 2022, despite rising price points and inflation. The most positive aspect has been the strong recovery of beauty and personal care sales, the largest part of the category.…

Despite the inflationary climate in Costa Rica, the RTD tea category did not experience the same sudden price increases as other soft drinks. This benefited the category in terms of both volume and value growth as consumers did not feel as compelled…

As Costa Rica confronted some of the highest inflation registered in decades, the energy drinks category saw a notable increase in unit prices. Nevertheless, energy drinks has managed to see a solid performance overall. Penetration of energy drinks…

Inflation continues to impact consumer shopping habits in 2023, with consumers seeking out low prices and private label in the staple foods category, as they look to make grocery budgets stretch further. The government has implemented aggressive…