North America

In recent years, consumers have transitioned away from brand loyalty and fat avoidance and have developed a willingness to shop around for what meets their needs from a nutritional, functional, and taste perspective – no matter the brand. Fat content…

Despite a deceleration in inflation that led to lower prices and consequently slowed value growth, yoghurt and sour milk products continue to demonstrate a respectable performance in 2023. The category benefits from substantial consumption due to its…

While writing instruments saw a stellar recovery in 2021, surpassing the pre-pandemic (2019) level of volume and current value sales, 2022 proved to be a challenging year, with most categories returning to decline, and a similar pattern set to follow…

In 2023, writing instruments, including subcategories such as pens and pencils, registered stable current value growth thanks to high inflation and as consumers returned to pre-pandemic habits and norms. The back-to-school season was a key sales…

Wound care is set to see marginally better performances in retail volume and current value terms in 2023 compared with the preceding year, as people are participating in more sports and social events and returning to work outside the home, thus…

Wound care is projected to post by far its fastest retail volume growth rate of the review period in 2023, as well as its highest retail value (constant 2023 prices) growth since 2020. The category performance has benefited from the lifting of…

Following robust growth in 2021, womenswear in the US experienced a pronounced deceleration in both value and volume growth in 2022, and this slower rate of growth is set to be maintained in 2023. This slowdown can be attributed to the return to the…

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.…

Despite the easing of pandemic-related restrictions, established hygiene habits and the need for convenience have continued to drive demand for wipes, and this is set to continue. Consumers are still concerned about maintaining a clean and germ-free…

In 2023, baby wipes in Canada emerged as a resilient category within personal wipes, experiencing robust growth driven by multiple factors. Heightened awareness of hygiene, coupled with increased product accessibility and versatility, contributed to…

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.…

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,…

In 2023, overall current value growth in weight management and wellbeing is expected to exceed that seen in 2022. After the post-COVID-19 slowdown and high inflationary environment seen in the US in 2022, the category is set to experience slightly…

Meal replacement is set to see a much bigger drop in retail volume sales in 2023, compared with the strong decreases recorded over 2020-2022. Meal replacement struggles to gain traction as above-average inflation rates and rising prices force…

During 2023, wearable electronics generated slightly negative retail volume sales growth, with this representing the first time that demand has contracted since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, value sales continued to rise in current…

Wearable electronics experienced modest growth in retail volume terms in 2023. Demand continued to be impacted by a high rate of inflation, at least during the first half of the year, which led to more guarded discretionary spending. Continuing the…

Vitamins is set to maintain current value growth in 2023, and is also expected to continue to see steady growth over the forecast period. Sales are benefiting from consumers taking a more holistic approach to their health, with many people placing an…

Retail volume sales are expected to decline across single vitamins over 2023; at a faster rate than in 2022 as unit prices rise amid an inflationary climate. Even vitamin C, which maintained at least a slight increase in retail volume growth in 2022,…

In 2023, video games in the US saw insignificant current value growth. Nevertheless, video games software saw a stronger performance, and 2023 will go down in history as one of the biggest years for video games software. Major series titles such as…

In 2023, video games in Canada experienced marginal growth following a decline in 2022 driven by the post-pandemic environment. While video games hardware witnessed volume declines, video games software, particularly digital formats, saw positive…

The vending channel experienced healthy growth in current value terms in the US in 2023, and also maintained solid growth in value terms at constant 2023 prices. The continued normalisation of work and mobility routines post-pandemic benefited…

KioSoft launched KioVend vending machines in Canada in 2023, offering a wide range of ready-to-use snacks and drinks. While most vending machines are sold by aggregators who rely on third parties for payments, KioVend controls all aspects of its…

Despite expectations for deflationary trends as markets continue to emerge from post-pandemic conditions, fresh vegetables continue to experience rising costs. Labour, transportation, and raw materials, as well as global socioeconomic unrest, have…

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…

The transition to a hybrid work model, initiated by the Federal Government and increasingly adopted by various organisations, is reshaping the work landscape. As employees spend more time at home, the demand for vacuum cleaners is expected to rise.…

In 2021 and 2022, pandemic-related travel restrictions controlled the travel industry’s performance, and the removal of these restrictions led to robust sales growth. China’s decision in January 2023 to remove all remaining restrictions on…

Canadians continue to have a good appetite for travel with many determined to resume their travel activities after the government removed all COVID-19 restrictions in the second half of 2022. As a result, the travel industry is expected to continue…

2023 presented a challenging year for traditional toys and games in the US, with current value sales falling as the category normalised following pandemic demand. Excess inventory in late 2022, the result of weaker than forecast demand, meant that…

In 2023, the overall growth in retail value sales for traditional toys and games in Canada saw a decline, reflecting the impact of inflation on consumer spending habits. Categories like games and puzzles, which experienced a surge in demand during…

Traditional watches in the US witnessed a swift rebound in sales in 2021, surpassing initial expectations, driven predominantly by the surge in demand for high watches (over USD1,000). However, the momentum has since seen a notable deceleration…

Connected watches sustained their growth trajectory in 2023, boosting the performance of the entire category, which otherwise saw modest current value growth and volume decline. Smart wearables performed well thanks to their advanced features and…

In 2023, overall toys and games in the US saw a slight current value decline. However, whilst video games saw insignificant growth, traditional toys and games saw a notable decline. The decline for traditional toys and games reflected a category…

Traditional toys and games in Canada faced a challenging landscape in 2023, marked by declines across most categories as consumers tightened their belts amidst rising living costs. However, amidst the downturn, certain categories showed resilience.…

The strong recovery of international travel has continued in 2023. Despite persistently high inflation in the US and other key travel source markets, demand for international travel is very high in the US. Transatlantic travel between the US and…

In October 2022, the Canadian government removed all remaining COVID-19 related travel restrictions This led to strong growth of inbound and outbound travel, with this trend continuing into 2023. Household savings are high thanks to severely reduced…

In 2023, toilet care in the US witnessed a surge in value sales, propelled by sustained price increases. However, this upswing in value was counterbalanced by a decline in volume, primarily attributed to economic uncertainty and shifting consumer…

Toilet care experienced healthy growth in retail value terms in 2023, primarily driven by high inflation and rising prices. As such, while retail value rose, retail volume sales struggled, posting a decline in all product areas. Consumers have…

Tobacco in the US continued its declining trend in current value terms in 2023, as the public health fight against tobacco intensified after the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the failure from the Biden Administration to achieve a comprehensive ban on…

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…

After a year of high inflation and volume declines in 2022, 2023 saw an improving macroeconomic environment, with 2023’s average inflation rate of around 3% much softened from 2022’s 8%. Unit price increases came through in early 2023, with…

Despite the easing inflationary environment in 2023, certain product areas within the Canadian tissue and hygiene market continue to witness price boosts. On average, lower price increases are observed in Canada compared to the US. The inflation rate…

Tea is not the only beverage facing supply chain challenges. However, when compared with some other beverages in the US, tea is relatively better off, as it has not been affected by harvest issues, like coffee, nor is it heavily reliant on aluminium…

In 2023, tea continues to benefit from being perceived as a healthy beverage with many benefits, such as boosting immunity or supporting digestive health. As health awareness rises, more consumers are reducing their coffee consumption and…

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.…

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.…

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…

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…

While volume sales of sweet biscuits declined in 2022, inflationary pressures gave private label a jump in share in 2022; trends which are set to be maintained in 2023. Although more consumers have moved to shopping in discounters, some have moved to…

In 2023, sweet biscuits, snack bars, and fruit snacks continued their streak of growth, largely due to increased activities by manufacturers. The category's healthy performance led to Mondelez International Inc acquiring Clif Bar in 2022 to expand…

Recycling and reducing food waste is well-established in the USA, creating a strong opportunity for Zero Waste product development, while implementing the Can Be Recycled claim would be welcomed by locals. There is a solid opportunity for industries…