North America

Coconut water, led by Vita Coco, is rapidly expanding its presence in retail stores beyond core channels such as warehouse clubs. It is now more widely available in supermarkets, convenience stores, and via e-commerce channels. This growth is being…

The value of hot drinks in retail continues to grow. This is due to both an increase in sales volume and high unit prices, driven by inflationary pressures. Instant coffee and herbal teas are especially fast-growing categories in terms of volume…

The energy drinks category is highly competitive, but Celsius has been successful in capturing share. Unlike other leading brands, which were focused on revenue management, Celsius’s focus on reduced sugar products is expected to allow it to continue…

Concentrates are often seen as a more affordable option, driving trading across from juice. The primary appeal of powder concentrates in particular remains their affordability, offering consumers the most value in dollars per litre across…

In Canada, there is a great deal of competition in coffee, especially as players seek to make their products more sustainable amongst an increasingly informed population that cares about the social and environmental impacts of their consumption. As a…

After record-high inflation in 2022, consumer packaged goods companies have continued with necessary price actions in 2023. Most notably, carbonates has seen a unit price increase of around 10%. Companies have executed price increases using…

Sparkling flavoured bottled water continues to attract a high level of interest from consumers, as a natural sparkling soft drinks alternative. Sparkling flavoured bottled water is now a much bigger and more dynamic category than still flavoured…

Sweet spreads, often criticised for their high sugar content in products such as chocolate spreads, jams, preserves, and nut- or seed-based spreads, are undergoing a transformation. Companies are actively working to change the perception that these…

The segment of sauces, dips, and condiments is experiencing robust value growth, primarily fuelled by aggressive new product development activities conducted throughout the year. Manufacturers are introducing consumers to innovative products, with a…

The Canadian food market is experiencing a boost in meals and soups, primarily due to the surge in new product development activities. Canada's ambitious immigration programme, which has welcomed a substantial number of newcomers, has created a…

Edible oils are currently experiencing one of the most significant price increases within the food group. The surging prices have raised concerns among consumers, prompting some to reduce their consumption. These price hikes, combined with growing…

In 2023, the Canadian cooking ingredients and meals market is influenced by several key factors that are shaping the industry landscape. Firstly, food inflation has had a significant impact on the market, and Canada has been experiencing some of the…

A salmonella outbreak in 17 states in 2022 was linked to The JM Smucker Co’s production facility, resulting in massive recalls for the leader in sweet spreads. The company’s positioning not only as a B2C player but also as an ingredient supplier for…

Store cards is recording only low growth in Canada in 2023, for several reasons. A glaring limitation lies in store cards’ narrowed reward horizons, compounded by a restricted usability across disparate retail chains. This inherent constriction has…

At the end of the review period, much of sauces, dips and condiments has been characterised by the same price increases, decreasing volume sales, and increasing private label share seen in other packaged food categories. Mustard, facing inconsistency…

Pre-paid cards is seeing continued robust rises across all metrics in Canada in 2023, with growth in some areas outshining that of 2022. This is in large part thanks to a wave of innovation from card issues that is redefining the landscape. One of…

With the exception of the e-commerce-dominated meal kits category, in 2022 private label saw share growth across most categories in meals and soups, as consumers weathered inflated food costs. While unit price rises for ready meals look to be cooling…

In the wake of Covid-19 there was a notable shift away from cash transactions, while in 2023 (as in 2022) the retail value of personal cash transactions is rising rapidly. However, the surge has been fuelled by the inflation surges of 2022 and 2023.…

The woes of edible oils in 2022 have continued to play out in 2023, as unit price rises have easily outpaced the inflationary growth of packaged food prices at-large. Many of the edible oils available in the US originate from other regions globally,…

Canada's labour force shortage has placed mounting pressure on smaller businesses. Traditional checkouts are giving way to efficiency as s retailers scramble to optimise checkout speeds, and there is a growing trend of merchants leaning into…

In the latter half of 2022, Canada opened its doors, discarding travel restrictions and welcoming a surge of new students and workers from overseas. Canada's financial institutions greeted these newcomers with a generous $2,000 credit card limit, and…

The inflationary volatility of 2022 has continued into 2023, extending the impact on cooking ingredients and meals. Unit prices have climbed across categories in 2023, with edible oils seeing some of the largest jumps due to geopolitical strife and…

The primary challenges facing consumer lending in 2023 have been a continuation of 2022’s twin factors of higher inflation and increasing interest rates. While the story in 2022 was one of largely unchecked inflation affecting much of the US economy,…

Canada's credit landscape in 2023 is showing rises in lending, with more Canadians gaining access to lending products via traditional financial institutions and private lenders. At the same time, as the cost of living bears down on Canadians, thanks…

2022 and 2023 saw some of the most rapid increases in lending interest rates in US history. During the pandemic, many interest rates approached record lows, leading consumers to refinance debt, and leading to a generally free lending environment. In…

In 2023 the Bank of Canada has tweaked its prime interest rate several times. The impact on the housing market has been a rise in household mortgage debt. Consumers with variable rate mortgages or on the cusp of renewals have been struck especially…

Growth continues to slow for charge cards in Canada in 2023, with the category’s relevance fading rapidly. One reason is lack of availability, with American Express morphing many of its charge cards into the realm of traditional credit cards. For the…

Similar to 2022, 2023 is set to be a challenging year for staple foods. While most of the supply chain issues from the pandemic have subsided, commodities still present an issue, some to more elevated levels, due to the persistence of the war in…

In 2023, Canada faces the challenge of record-high food inflation, with the nation experiencing the highest food inflation rates in years, as evidenced by soaring food prices despite a general decline in overall inflation. This price surge…

Despite rising prices, rice saw retail volume growth above that of pasta and noodles in 2022, and this is set to continue in 2023, although all categories are set to see rising sales. As food inflation and fears of recession have continued, consumers…

Despite reaching record high price levels, the rice, pasta, and noodles category has experienced a modest dip in value sales. Consumers are becoming increasingly mindful of their dietary choices and are reducing their carbohydrate intake, opting for…

Following several years of price hikes due to supply chain issues, inflationary pressures, and lockdowns, much like other categories in staple foods, processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat has continued to experience unit price increases…

The relentless surge in food prices, driven by hyperinflation in 2022 and 2023, is reshaping the shopping habits of many Canadians. A considerable number of consumers are tightening their belts across various product categories, including meat. The…

With producers seeing little relief in production costs, categories across processed fruit and vegetables saw unit price increases leap by double digits in 2022. Little relief is expected in 2023, with unit price growth expected to remain in the…

Processed fruits and vegetables are experiencing an increase in value growth, primarily driven by rising prices. The years 2022 and 2023 witnessed some of the sharpest price hikes for fruits and vegetables. This inflationary trend has also impacted…

In 2022, hot cereals, and to a lesser extent muesli and granola, displayed the most resilience against the continued declines in retail volumes across breakfast cereals. Combining active on-the-go lifestyles with the aim of healthier eating,…

Breakfast cereals continues to witness a contraction in its growth. A negative perception surrounding breakfast cereals, largely due to concerns about their sugar content, is leading consumers to seek out healthier breakfast alternatives. This shift…

2022 was characterised by constant unit price increases across packaged food, and baked goods was no exception; and this trend has continued in 2023. This is set to lead to dynamic increases in current value terms across baked goods categories in the…

Retail volume sales of baked goods are contracting in growth as prices continue to soar to record levels. Rising prices are compelling consumers to down trade or turn to discount retailers for their grocery needs, including baked goods. Stores like…

Womenswear continues to experience both value and volume growth in 2023, building on significant gains from the previous year. The first half of 2023 witnessed robust sales as both consumers and the economy recovered from the pandemic's impact.…

Sportswear registers healthy growth in 2023, building on significant gains from the previous year. Growth moderates as consumer demand transitions back to standard drivers after the pandemic years, where athleisure and sportswear were favoured for…

Menswear witnesses moderate value growth in 2023, following exceptional gains recorded in the previous year. The first half of 2023 saw robust sales as both consumers and the economy continued to rebound from the pandemic's impact. Canada's later…

Jeans witness robust value gains in 2023, building on significant growth in the previous year. However, volume sales experience a subdued performance as consumers prioritise essentials and value due to high inflation rates, particularly impacting…

Sheer hosiery experiences a solid increase in 2023, rebounding from a slight dip in 2022. The growth gains momentum as employees transition back to the workplace under hybrid or back-to-the-workplace models. Unlike 2022, where remote work policies…

Footwear experienced robust growth in 2023, building on strong performances in 2022 and 2021, with all categories delivering value growth. Despite flat volume growth due to consumer pressures from high inflation rates for everyday necessities, such…

Childrenswear experiences solid value growth in 2023, continuing its recovery from the previous year. However, volume growth diminishes due to inflationary pressures, prompting consumers to focus on essentials. Back-to-school shopping in 2023, a…

In 2023, apparel and footwear sustained its growth trajectory, building on the momentum generated in the robust year of 2022. The first half of 2023 witnessed accelerated expansion as consumers actively engaged in refreshing and upgrading their…

Mask demand experiences a significant decrease in 2023 following the conclusion of most public mask mandates in 2022. Remaining mandates, including those in public areas of hospitals in Canada, also have come to an end in 2023. With declining…

In 2022, vacuum cleaners experienced a decline in its volume sales, and this is set to be followed by a year of only slow growth in 2023. This marks a trend towards normalisation after a period of robust growth witnessed in the first two years of the…

Volume sales of small cooking appliances are set to return to slight growth in 2023, after seeing a decline in 2022, as sales have been normalising following the exceptional demand seen in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic. Retail volume sales, and…