Latin America

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…

2023 witnessed another strong performance for Ecuador’s soft drinks industry as the challenges of previous years have largely been overcome. The entire industry has endured significant setbacks stemming from negative public perceptions of a series of…

The year 2023 witnessed significant growth among soft drinks players, primarily influenced by a notable rise in the country's average temperature. This increase was largely attributed to the onset of El Niño at the year's commencement and in the…

Sports drinks continues to grow from strength to strength and in 2023 is expected to register double-digit volume growth. One factor driving this healthy growth is an expanding consumer base. Not only are sports drinks consumed by athletes looking to…

In the post-pandemic era, Costa Ricans have resumed sports and exercise regimes, including group activities and competitions. Sports drinks has benefited from this return to normalcy as consumers use them to fuel during sports and/or refuel after…

The increases seen in sales of sports drinks in Ecuador in recent years can be attributed to a confluence of factors that reflect a broader shift towards a more health-conscious and active lifestyle. This multi-dimensional transformation in consumer…

The year 2023 marked substantial growth for hydrating beverage brands, propelled by a notable increase in the country's average temperature due to El Niño at the year's onset and in the latter half of the year. These weather patterns intensified the…

The tea category did not experience the marked price increases seen in coffee. Instead, tea unit prices increased at a more modest pace, with the category poised to see prices fall in the coming years, in line with the consumer price index. Overall,…

Bottled water has emerged as one of the top-performing categories in 2023. Even in the face of challenging conditions in 2022, it demonstrated impressive resilience. In 2023, bottled water continues its upward trajectory by capitalising on…

Off-trade demand for carbonates in Chile is improving in 2023. Following an abnormal year in 2021 and a more normalised performance in 2022, the category is experiencing a rise in volumes in 2023. Like most categories in 2022 and 2023, carbonates has…

As Chilean families see an increase in their incomes and new products emerge in competing categories, concentrates, often regarded as a budget-friendly option, are generally losing popularity. Powder concentrates, the primary format in the category,…

Retail demand for cooking ingredients and meals experienced a slowdown in 2022 during a period of high inflation. Throughout the year, the intensification of a phenomenon locally known as the “hourglass” effect was evident. It divided consumers into…

The recent trajectory of edible oils in Brazil brings with it dynamics influenced by both the consumption of a product predominantly manufactured abroad, such as olive oil, and by its commodity-like characteristics, as seen in soy oil. The average…

Energy drinks has emerged as one of the most dynamic categories in Chilean soft drinks in recent years. With astounding growth over the review period, the category has gained a strong following, not only in the off-trade channel but also via…

In 2022, price increases posed significant challenges for juice producers. The surge in inflation rates, reaching a 30-year high in Chile, impacted various categories, including juice. Within the category, supply chain disruptions and the…

Economic uncertainty in 2022 impacted access not only to high-value products in Brazil but also to basic items for various consumer groups in the country. The inflationary process triggered by macroeconomic policies, combined with external shocks to…

OKF Cappuccino is the leading brand of RTD coffee in Chile, and while traditionally it was available in various mainstream retailers and pharmacies, this scenario has changed significantly in 2023. OKF Cappuccino, along with some minor brands, is no…

RTD tea in Chile does not necessarily follow its hot drinks counterpart. In contrast to the sluggish growth of regular tea in 2023, RTD tea continues to record substantial volume growth. While RTD tea has faced inflationary pressures like its hot…

Despite the easing of the consumer price index throughout 2022, Brazilian consumers continued to pay high prices for food items. Like other categories, sauces, dips and condiments has experienced a period of widespread price increases that persists…

Demand for soft drinks is growing despite the challenges faced in 2022 and in the first half of 2023, characterised by high inflation and weakened demand. Major categories such as carbonates and bottled water have demonstrated resilience, while…

Sports drinks has witnessed an impressive performance over much of the review period, with off-trade volume sales recording double-digit growth in 2021 and 2022. While volume sales in 2023 have marginally declined, overall demand remains…

Amid the constraints imposed by the impacts of the pandemic, rising inflation, the devaluation of the Brazilian real against the US dollar, and successive restrictions in various global supply chains, players have had to concentrate their efforts on…

Sales of split air conditioners in Argentina witness a peak during summer, yet the decision to purchase such appliances is seldom impulsive. Consumers typically accumulate savings or opt for credit options to finance these relatively costly…

Following a strong uptake for air treatment products during the first two years of the pandemic as Chileans spent considerable time at home, retail volume sales started to marginally fall in 2022, with even stronger declines in 2023. This performance…

Although Guatemalans have been eager to resume pre-pandemic habits, the consumption of water in bulk 5-gallon format continued to rise in 2023. Due to the increased awareness of healthy lifestyles and practices, household water consumption has become…

In 2023, carbonates continued to witness retail price increases, although to a lesser extent than in previous years. Commodities such as sugar continued to show volatility in international markets. By April 2023, sugar had reached its highest price…

Guatemalans are heavy coffee drinkers with this beverage being a dominant choice irrespective of social status. In addition, local coffee production is well-developed. Indeed, the microclimate present in Guatemala allows players to produce unique…

Powder concentrates witnessed a slowdown in the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The product was becoming obsolete, with younger generations of consumers put off by the lack of convenience as it needs to be prepared before consumption. In…

Argentina grappled with an economic downturn in 2023, largely triggered by the worst harvest in over a decade due to a historic drought spanning 2022-2023. The agricultural sector, a linchpin of the local economy and accounting for over half of…

Consumer appliances in Chile is witnessing a normalisation of demand in 2023 following several years of fluctuating growth rates. The first two years of the pandemic resulted in a surge in sales for many categories due to prolonged home seclusion.…

The sales volume of dishwashers in Argentina continued its upward trajectory in 2023. However, considering the category's low penetration rate in Argentina, the growth witnessed during this period remained relatively moderate.

After achieving dynamic volume growth in 2021, driven by greater access to financial liquidity for local consumers, demand for dishwashers notably declined in 2022. Struggling to maintain their international supply chains due to higher container…

Retail volumes of energy drinks continue to show sustained growth in Guatemala. The product is increasingly associated as a source of energy for workers who perform physical activities, such as construction workers, farmers, or workers on night or…

In 2023, the sales volume of food preparation appliances once again witnessed an increase, marking the fourth consecutive year of positive performance in the product area. All categories, including blenders, food processors, juice extractors, and…

Despite a marginal drop in sales in 2022, food preparation appliances in Chile remains a highly popular category with local consumers and has returned to growth in 2023. Still spending considerable time at home due to hybrid/remote working measures,…

Home laundry appliances, along with refrigeration appliances and dishwashers, represent the costliest appliances consumer appliances. These appliances typically have a relatively prolonged average replacement cycle. Especially in the case of…

After record growth in 2021, driven by greater financial liquidity available to Chileans through various government initiatives to support the local economy, demand for home laundry appliances notably declined in 2022. Since many Chileans had already…

Guatemala’s economic challenges have been exacerbated by high inflation levels in recent years, with locals becoming more price sensitive as a result. In 2023, Guatemala also experienced political upheaval, as the progressive Bernado Arévalo was…

Leading brands in the juice category continued to witness sustained growth in 2023, in retail volume terms, aided by their positioning as a healthier choice of beverage. Brands such as Del Frutal from Alimentos Maravilla SA, with their single serve…

Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, many individuals chose to relocate to smaller cities or semirural regions in pursuit of achieving a better work-life balance. Concerns about mental health associated with densely populated metropolitan areas…

After experiencing a strong decrease in 2022 due to the ending of the government’s pandemic-related financial support that drove up sales the previous year and greater mobility outside of the home as restrictions eased, meaning less time spent…

Despite its negative performance in the past decade, microwaves continued to be very popular in Argentina in 2023, maintaining a relatively substantial sales volume. The category's enduring appeal is attributed to consumer awareness and the…

Demand for microwaves was already declining in Chile prior to the pandemic, with this major appliance already present in over half of local households. Historically, there has also been a lack of important innovation to attract consumers. Access to…

The reduction in time spent at home in the post-pandemic era has translated into weaker sales of chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks and other plant-based powdered drinks in 2023. Schools have resumed in classes on a full time basis, and the…

Despite positive sales in certain categories, imported brands encountered significant challenges in meeting consumer demand. Bureaucratic hurdles related to imports created scenarios where retailers struggled to offer various models from different…

Due to the lower price points of personal care appliances and the fact that the purchasing process tends to be much quicker than it is for more expensive consumer appliances, category sales have rebounded from the previous year’s decline.

Local consumers have become accustomed to living with inflation rates that rank among the highest in the world. Besides structural and monetary causes, inflation is also influenced by people's beliefs about future price trends. Economists refer to…

After registering two consecutive years of double-digit volume growth during the pandemic, retail volume and value sales of refrigeration appliances in Chile notably declined in 2022, as local consumers changed their purchasing habits. Without access…

RTD coffee is a small, yet stable category in Guatemala which continues to witness steady retail volume growth in 2023, although there has been a slow down due to price increases. Coffee prices have risen in international markets and this has equally…

Off-trade RTD tea volume sales have been growing steadily in Guatemala. Some consumers consider RTD tea to be a healthier option than soft drinks, such as carbonated drinks. Tea in general has a wholesome image in Guatemala, which has had a…