North America

In 2023, Canada saw a significant decline in the production of traditional cigarettes, with January marking the third lowest monthly production on record. This decrease in production capacity in the tobacco manufacturing industry marks part of the…

Despite challenges in the wider tobacco category, cigars in Canada continue to attract a dedicated following among cigar aficionados and other tobacco enthusiasts. There is a growing interest in pairing cigars with craft beverages, such as whiskey…

In 2024, there has been continued value growth in contact lenses and solutions sales in Canada, primarily driven by the steady return of consumers to workplaces and out-of-home activities following the rollback of COVID-19 safety measures by Canadian…

Contact lenses and solutions in the US is set to maintain solid current value growth in 2024. Daily disposable lenses (DD) showed the most dynamic growth, with conventional lenses, frequent replacement lenses (FRP), and the related contact lens…

Eyewear in Canada is witnessing a resurgence across all categories in 2024, following a year of mixed performance in 2023. While 2023 saw robust growth in contact lenses and spectacles, driven partly by pandemic-induced factors as consumers caught up…

Following a surge in sales across contact lenses, spectacles, and sunglasses in previous years, eyewear in the US is set to experience slower, but positive, current value growth in 2024. With consumers embracing the “new normal” of the higher cost of…

From 2023, vape stores in Quebec are unable to sell flavoured products. They can only sell tobacco or flavourless e-vapour sticks. Volume sales of E-vapour products have declined by up to 70% in this region following the introduction of these…

2024 has seen a return to normalised growth for spectacles in Canada, following a strong 2023, which has been benefitting from the tailwind of consumers returning to workplaces and engaging in out-of-home activities after public COVID-19 safety…

In 2024, spectacles in the US is set to post mid-single-digit current value growth, with increases across all categories. Unit prices are expected to see slower increases as the inflated economic environment has stabilised in the US. Volume growth is…

Sunglasses in Canada resumed value growth in the first months of 2024 after experiencing a decline in 2023. This decline was primarily attributed to a normalisation of sales following a robust travel-induced recovery in 2022. Additionally, consumers…

Following the relaxation of pandemic-related restrictions, sunglasses in the US showed signs of recovery in 2021, and surpassed the pre-pandemic (2019) level of current value sales in 2022. This resurgence was fuelled by a return to outdoor…

Tobacco in Canada is undergoing significant structural changes with traditional cigarettes losing ground due to declining smoking rates and the switch to alternative vaping products. Cigarette production witnessed a significant decrease in 2023 with…

The briefing explores trends in the global structure amid rising economic and geopolitical uncertainty. As global economy evolves, countries and companies will need to find ways to diversify the supply of critical components. This will require…

This report visually explores everyday habits and behaviours which reflect consumers' beliefs and values, linking behavioural trends with purchase and consumption habits. 

This report visually explores everyday habits and behaviours which reflect consumers' beliefs and values, linking behavioural trends with purchase and consumption habits.

Consumer Lifestyles offers valuable insights into key consumer attitudes and current thinking, and their impact on purchasing and consumption habits; quantifying behaviours, preferences and motivations, and aligning them with broader trends.

Stand-up pouches are the most popular pack type in Canadian baby food, including both plastic pouches and aluminium/plastic pouches. They are viewed as offering a modern look, while being lighter and safer than glass, and enabling infants to feed…

Flexible packaging continues to be the dominant packaging in confectionery, with flexible plastic the main individual pack type thanks to its strong position in chocolate confectionery. Flexible plastic is also the most-used pack type for sugar…

In 2023, the pack type share of HDPE bottles continued to increase for goat milk packaging. HDPE is a food-safe plastic that does not leach harmful chemicals into the products it holds. This helps maintain the freshness and quality of dairy products…

Due to factors like recyclability and functional design, folding cartons continue to gain pack type share in frozen ready meals in Canada, having already become the most popular packaging format in the category over the review period, just ahead of…

While brick liquid cartons and gable top liquid cartons are still the biggest pack types in the category in unit volume terms, shaped liquid cartons are seeing strong growth and gaining share in the packaging of plant-based milk in Canada. Shaped…

Glass jars are popular for use in shelf stable vegetables packaging in Canada due to their exceptional preservation properties, visual appeal and environmental credentials. These qualities make them a popular choice for manufacturers and consumers…

Processed meat and seafood packaging had been in decline for a number of years before the pandemic resulted in a growth spike in 2020 in Canada. Since 2020, it has been back in decline, including another fall in its packaging unit volumes in 2023.…

While HDPE bottles, PET bottles and PET jars are the main pack types in mayonnaise in Canada, glass jars were gaining share in unit volume terms in this category over the review period, with this expected to continue over the forecast period. Glass…

Although PET jars still lead packaging in chocolate spreads, glass jars have been gaining unit volume share in this category. Glass jars are considered more environmentally friendly than plastic packaging as they are recyclable and can be reused.…

In 2023, the collective weight of inflationary pressures, waning consumer confidence, and persistent brand boycotts led total volume sales of alcoholic drinks in the US to drop to their lowest level in a decade. Bright spots existed in categories…

Total volume sales of beer in the US continued to decline in 2023. Bud Light, the long-reigning beer brand by volume in the US, saw a devasting loss in volumes in terms of actual sales and share in 2023, due to a pernicious culture war-driven boycott…

While overall cider/perry in the US marked 2023 with a loss of volume and value sales, and a loss of share in overall alcoholic drinks, advocates paint a rosier picture for the category’s performance and outlook. Much in the same way the larger…

In 2023, RTDs in the US maintained total volume decline along with current value growth. The common trend in alcoholic drinks of value growth and volume decline in 2023 aligns with the resonant message of premiumisation, particularly “less but…

2023 was a difficult year for spirits. Despite experiencing a period of high growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, the category faced an increasingly challenging environment due to both consumer and industry dynamics. Supply chain issues and rising…

Wine in the US maintained total volume decline and current value growth in 2023. Following 2022 and the rise of inflation, 2023 was marked by continued increases in unit prices across beverages, and wine was no different from other alcoholic drinks.…

Alcoholic drinks in Canada in 2023 presented a mixed picture. While overall volume growth remained modest, strong performances by Ready-to-Drink (RTD) beverages and non-alcoholic drinks masked a decline in traditional alcoholic beverage consumption.…

Beer, despite being the largest alcoholic drink category in Canada, continued to lose popularity in 2023. The country's younger population increasingly moved away from traditional beer, perceiving it as a drink for older generations. The category…

In 2023, cider/perry in Canada continued its downward trajectory. Although some growth was brought on by the on-trade sector, the off-trade segment saw a significant decline. The category struggled due to a lack of new product launches and faced…

RTDs remain the top performer in alcoholic drinks, driven by strong consumer demand. Though a relatively small segment, RTDs are experiencing explosive growth, particularly among Generation Z. This demographic embraces innovative flavours, prompting…

Spirits continued to show healthy growth in 2023, driven by strong performances in categories like tequila, vodka, and non-alcoholic spirits. The increasing demand for high-quality and innovative products fuelled significant new product development…

Wine in Canada performed slightly better during 2023 than during the review period; however, the overall growth remained flat. The category continued to face headwinds from other alcoholic beverages such as RTDs and spirits, which gained popularity,…

Consumer Lifestyles offers valuable insights into key consumer attitudes and current thinking, and their impact on purchasing and consumption habits; quantifying behaviours, preferences and motivations, and aligning them with broader trends.

The commodities country overview provides comprehensive data on production, consumption and price trends on key commodities markets. The commodities overview in Cambodia covers production and consumption trends in agricultural commodities, energy…

Although 2023 was an exception, aluminium/plastic pouches have generally been gaining share in baby food in packaging unit volume terms, with this expected to continue over the forecast period. Aluminium/plastic pouches are particularly widely used…

Growing eco awareness across the US is driving consumers to seek out products that provide more sustainable end-of-cycle outcomes for packaging and the reduction of plastic waste generation. In turn, packaging players are responding to this demand by…

In 2023, yoghurt remained the largest dairy category in the US in terms of packaging unit volume sales. Prominent players in yoghurt, such as Chobani, are turning to packaging to sustain consumer interest and set themselves apart from the…

Chilled ready meals are largely regarded as a convenience food as they contain prepared meals that require only heating before consumption. These meals are primarily packaged in specific ready meal containers, which are typically microwave-safe…

Plant-based yoghurt, following in the footsteps of the popularity of plant-based milk, is increasingly growing in the US from a niche to a mainstream product, attracting a growing eco- and health-conscious consumer base. Awareness around the growing…

Shelf stable fruit player GoGo squeeZ is constantly innovating its packaging in order to align with its sustainability goals, with initiatives such as transitioning its aluminium/plastic retort pouch packaging to use 100% recycled materials in 2020…

Within processed meat categories such as chilled processed meat, the naturalness of meat products is becoming increasingly important as US consumers are continuously growing more aware of the impact of their consumption both on their health and on…

The generation of plastic waste has been an important concern for players in the packaged food industry for a number of years now, with brand owners continuing to innovate their packaging to boost sustainability credentials and meet plans to reduce…

While nut- and seed-based spreads, such as peanut butter, continued to be predominantly packaged in PET jars in the US in 2023, flexible plastic continued to gain pack type share, as they are increasingly adopted by prominent players such as Jif.…

The commodities country overview provides comprehensive data on production, consumption and price trends on key commodities markets. The commodities overview in the US covers production and consumption trends in agricultural commodities, energy…

In 2023, the US held second position among developed nations in terms of average gross income. Over the year, per capita disposable incomes grew supported by accelerating economic growth, lower inflation and rising productivity. However, the country…