Latin America

In 2023, the retail volume sales of cigarettes posted an eighth annual consecutive decline. There were several driving forces behind this negative industry trend. On one hand, this was caused by a decline in smoking prevalence and a lower number of…

Cigarettes in Peru continued to suffer from persistent illegal trade in 2023. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the advance of the illicit market - essentially composed of smuggling – has been relentless, with illicit trade in 2023…

Faced with legislative pressure to raise prices and with the growth of the illicit market in Mexico, category leaders such as British American Tobacco opted to expand their portfolios through the addition of lower-priced products to their brand…

Cigarettes are set to decrease over the forecast period due to increasing regulatory and socioeconomic pressures. Consumers are increasingly trading down or preferring the illicit market. International brands are well placed to capture growth via…

Guatemala registered another decline in smoking prevalence over 2023, hindering sales of cigarettes. Traditional cigarette smokers have been increasingly migrating to reduced risk alternatives, such as heated tobacco devices, whilst many have taken…

Cigarettes saw volume sales fall significantly in Ecuador in 2023. The illicit market continued to deepen its penetration within the Ecuadorian market during the year. The high tax levied on the legal industry has caused a substantial price gap…

The cigarette market in the Dominican Republic continued to decline in 2023 in volume terms due to rising health awareness, resulting in more smokers quitting and fewer new cigarette consumers. Sales have also been impacted by the shift to e-vapour…

Despite a significant reduction in domestic inflation, average unit prices for cigarettes in Costa Rica continued to rise in 2023. Indeed, official sources indicate the consumer price index (CPI) for these products increased at a faster rate than in…

In 2023, sales of cigarettes in Colombia returned to a declining trend following a slight increase in the year prior. The downward trend is not only caused by lower smoking prevalence, but the shift towards alternatives like e-vapour products.…

Retail demand for cigarettes in Chile continued to decline in 2023. Cigarette smuggling has became a major issue for Chilean tobacco. A study, conducted by British American Tobacco and the MIDE Center at the Catholic University of Chile, revealed…

Cigarettes saw a strong retail volume increase in Brazil in 2023, although this was mainly due to a switch from illicit trade, rather than a strong increase in demand for tobacco products, with a decline in smoking prevalence. In 2023, cigarettes in…

In 2023, cigarettes in Bolivia witnessed a notable surge in the presence of smuggled brands. These products, previously predominant in provinces and rural areas, made significant inroads into urban markets, particularly in kiosks, popular markets,…

In 2023, cigarette sales in Argentina experienced a notable retraction, primarily driven by the country’s ongoing economic crisis, which significantly impacted consumer purchasing power. The weakening economy led to a moderate decline in cigarette…

Tobacco in Latin America was recording positive value growth in 2022, driven by the still dominant cigarettes category, but with e-vapour and heated tobacco products recording more dynamic growth. However, the development of these next-generation…

Historically, cider/perry has struggled to establish itself in alcoholic beverages, primarily competing on price. This has led to its reputation as an economical, basic product available in large, accessible formats, lacking sophistication. As the…

In a difficult year for alcoholic drinks in Peru, cider/perry was one of the few bright spots with the category seeing double-digit growth in total volume terms for the second year running. The main reason for this was due to the fact that the…

Despite the negative trend in overall alcoholic drinks consumption, cider/perry showed a slight total volume increase in Mexico in 2023, although growth was driven by off-trade sales, as on-trade sales turned to decline. Total volume growth was…

Cider/perry has a niche profile in Guatemala with it being sold mainly through modern retail channels, with only limited shelf space and visibility. Brands such as Arbor Mist, Eva and Wells have narrow portfolios of three to four flavours and have…

Consumption of cider/perry is low in the Dominican Republic and in 2023, it was even lower, with volume sales falling significantly. There was increased price sensitivity, as the economy spluttered, particularly in the first half of the year., and…

In 2023, demand for cider/perry declined in Colombia where consumption of cider is very low and by far the smallest of the five main alcoholic drinks categories. Most local consumers are not aware of this product, because of its limited availability…

Cider in Chile experienced only low total volume growth in 2023, with increases for both channels. Climate change emerged as a significant factor hampering growth. The production of cider relies heavily on the cultivation of apples, and the category…

It is important to understand consumer behaviour during times of high inflation, especially in Brazil, including the inflationary situation in 2022. Inflation has been a long-standing issue in Brazil, and the memory of high inflation during the 1990s…

Cider/perry in Bolivia posted a decline in total volume sales in 2023, with demand contracting at the off- and on-trade levels after having increased at a robust pace in 2022. The downturn was mainly attributable to contraband trade, particularly the…

Despite the economic crisis, cider sales exhibited positive growth in Argentina in 2023. This growth was driven by an increasing number of consumers regularly choosing cider over sparkling wine and beer. Significant investments were observed from…

In 2022, chocolate confectionery sales surpassed their pre-pandemic levels again in volume and real value terms and were expected to continue seeing positive growth in 2023. While impulse channels such as kiosks, which are included under small local…

In Peru, chocolate confectionery continues to be impacted by high temperatures in 2024, thanks to climate conditions persisting from 2023, when there was barely any winter. 2024 began with El Niño and has seen high-temperature records in several…

Over 2024, chocolate confectionery in Mexico is expected to see moderate retail volume growth, only slightly below the increase posted in 2023. While slowing, the rate of inflation in Mexico remains significant and continues to affect manufacturer,…

Chocolate confectionery has been struggling in 2020, hit by quarantines and closures as well as the loss of impulse and on-the-go consumption occasions due to Coronavirus (COVID-19). Some of this has been offset by increasing at-home consumption,…

Chocolate confectionery is witnessing slower retail volume and current value growth in 2023, with higher unit prices and inflationary pressure restricting consumption. The initial boost provided by the return of impulse occasions and social…

The consumption of chocolate confectionery is heavily reliant on purchases made in the traditional channel, where a significant proportion of sales is driven by impulse buying. With the pandemic now behind them, consumers have been able to return to…

Despite higher unit prices and worrisome inflationary pressures, chocolate confectionery enjoyed modest retail volume growth in 2023. Many Dominicans are confronted with lower purchasing power as the cost of living remains above average.…

Chocolate confectionery has enjoyed robust growth during the review period, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The upward trend continued in 2023, as the desire to indulge with chocolate confectionery remains high. Lingering concerns regarding the…

Chocolate confectionery in Colombia is projected to see further strong, if slower, growth in retail current value sales over 2024. Retail current value sales are being spiked by a still relatively high inflation rate, as retail volume sales decline.…

Chocolate confectionery in Chile faces significant challenges due to further price increases driven by rising costs of cocoa. Cocoa is a fundamental ingredient in chocolate production, and fluctuations in its price directly impact production costs…

Tablets remained the leading format within chocolate confectionery in terms of retail value in 2023, having overtaken boxed assortments earlier in the review period. Moreover the former led growth within the category, continuing the trend of the…

Chocolate confectionery recorded moderate retail volume growth in 2023. While the market increased in impulse sales with the return of children to schools in 2022, growth did not continue in 2023 as young students showed increased interest in impulse…

Chocolate confectionery in Argentina registered an increase in retail volume sales in 2023, albeit modest and slower than the increments for gum and sugar confectionery. However, the demand for chocolate confectionery fell much more slowly than for…

Antofagasta and Iquique emerge as Chile's most economically dynamic cities, with Antofagasta displaying the greatest promise for future economic expansion. Nevertheless, Chilean cities will face persistent challenges. In the short term, these…

Films targeted towards children, or those featuring iconic childhood characters, significantly influence childrenswear trends. Licensing has always been essential to boost sales in this category, especially with the regular release of children’s…

Size changes, also known as growth spurts, play a significant role in promoting purchases in the childrenswear category in Colombia. As children rapidly grow, parents and caregivers frequently need to update their children's wardrobes with new…

Childrenswear continues to experience a decline in value sales in 2023, a pattern consistent with the preceding year, and it remains one of the most heavily impacted categories within the broader apparel and footwear industry in the country. This…

As Brazil navigated the economic landscape in 2023, the nation was at a turning point of recovery and resilience. While inflation presented new prospects of stabilisation, optimism for the future was limited by the effects of the pandemic and global…

US childrenswear firm Carter's Inc recently began producing its Carter's and OshKosh brands at a facility in Argentina’s La Rioja province. Focused on garments such as t-shirts and leggings, this factory is the company’s first in Latin America and…

Per capita cheese consumption in Uruguay is among the highest in Latin America and the world, due to its long tradition of cheese production. After a soft contraction in 2022, retail volume sales is expected to achieve positive growth in 2023.…

While current value sales of cheese is expected to grow in 2023, constant value sales are expected to fall. This weak performance is reflected in the economy, which contracted in the first half of 2023. An unpopular government, bad weather, high…

Cheese has been the most dynamic category in dairy in current value and retail volume terms in 2023. The shift from unpackaged to packaged formats is an important driver of this trend, but also the positioning of cheese as an affordable source of…

Retail value sales of cheese slowed markedly in 2021, following the year-earlier growth spike due to Coronavirus (COVID-19), but remained at higher levels than prior to the pandemic. Although the pandemic has hit some consumers’ disposable incomes,…

Cheese is expected to be one of the strongest performing dairy products in 2023, with double-digit value growth, as well as healthy volume growth. Lower-income buyers continue to consume unpackaged soft cheese (usually unbranded), which is available…