North America

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…

2023 is likely to go down as the first generally “normal” year of the 2020s. While 2022 saw most companies return to at least some form of hybrid working, the emergence of the Omicron variant early in the year had a significant effect on the overall…

Premium and luxury cars is set to see current value growth of 6% to total CAD14.8 billion in 2023. This growth is as a result of elevated demand from higher-income consumers exhibiting resilience in the face of macroeconomic challenges. Wealth…

Value sales of premium and luxury cars rose by 6% to total USD130.1 billion in 2023, although this was more subdued growth after two consecutive years of double-digit increases. As the pandemic cased to have an impact and consumer returned to their…

Premium beauty and personal care in Canada witnessed robust growth in 2023, driven by consumers' heightened focus on self-care, health, and wellbeing. Despite the lingering stress and economic turbulence induced by the pandemic and high inflation,…

In 2023, premium beauty and personal care continued to outpace the current value growth rate of overall beauty and personal care in the US, as well as its mass counterpart, maintaining double-digit growth. However, premium beauty and personal care…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

Retail volumes continue to marginally fall in 2023, as competition from processed foods threatens demand for pulses in the US. Evolving lifestyles and inconsistent daily routines continue to make it increasingly unappealing for consumers to take…

2020 saw a surge in demand for ready meals packaging, as fears of supply chain disruption led consumers to stockpile ready meals, with frozen ready meals in paper-based cartons proving to be particularly popular. Frozen pizza was also a standout…

The year 2023 saw a notable downturn in the sales of refrigeration appliances, primarily influenced by the sluggish state of the housing market. This downturn marked a continuation of the negative trend observed in 2022. Despite the decline in volume…

Refrigeration appliances is set to see a weak year in 2023, as several categories are expected to face retail volume decline, after a period of robust expansion during the pandemic, primarily fuelled by the heightened consumer demand for food storage…

Educational efforts from brands and retailers, coupled with the ageing Canadian population, have significantly contributed to a positive outlook for retail adult incontinence in 2023 and beyond. As demographics shift and the population ages, there is…

In 2022, prompted by increased costs throughout the supply chain and a high inflation environment in the US, players in the hygiene space and beyond were forced to raise prices for their products. Adult incontinence was not exempt from these external…

The growth of retail e-commerce slowed down in Canada in 2023. However, the channel saw sales continue to rise in both current and constant value terms, with retail e-commerce having become a regular feature in the shopping patterns of a broad range…

In 2022, as the rate of inflation in the US hit the highest level seen in decades, consumers were forced to look for ways to ration their spending. This had a significant impact on the retail industry, as US residents cut back on purchases of…

The retail market in Canada showed remarkable resilience and growth in 2023, despite the challenges posed by the enduring impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the high rate of inflation, and supply chain disruptions. Canadian consumers continued to spend…

In 2022, the annual rate of inflation in the US rose to the highest level recorded in 40 years. As a result, rising costs firmly supplanted the COVID-19 pandemic as US consumers’ foremost concern. With the prices of groceries and petrol rising…

In 2023, value sales of retail tissue in Canada recorded steady growth. The country’s annual inflation rate settled around 3.1%, a much steadier adjustment than the 40-year high of 6.8% that it witnessed in 2022, according to the Consumer Price…

2023’s tissue market saw a complex dance between rising costs and consumer spending. While raw material and manufacturing costs pushed up prices across all categories, particularly napkins, paper towels and toilet paper, volume sales continued to…

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…

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…

Off-trade volume and current value growth in RTD coffee was substantial and higher than that seen in 2022. This reflects the appeal of RTD coffee among Canadians and ongoing new product development. RTD Coffee has emerged as a drink for a modern…

RTD coffee in the US can be thought of as multiple distinct segments, instead of a single unified category. The first products to enter the market were coffee shop-style beverages that were sweetened. Starbucks Frappuccino is the leading brand in…

In off-trade volume terms, RTD tea recorded a healthier performance in 2023 than during the previous year of review. This reflects the appeal of RTD tea among younger Canadians, who consider it a healthier alternative to carbonates and sugary juices.…

RTD tea has historically been one of the most stable soft drinks categories in the US. It is a mature category with a wide variety of products targeted towards different demographics, with varying levels of sugar content. Although individual brands…

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…

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…

Rising consumer awareness around incontinence and proper condition management, partnerships with direct-to-consumer platforms and the expanding 65+ year-old population in the US all contributed to healthy value and volume growth in the…

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…

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…

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…

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…

COVID-19 resulted in a sharp increase in demand for sauces, dressings and condiments packaging during 2020, particularly for rigid plastic and glass, which account for the bulk of packaging units for these products. Rigid plastic dominates packaging…

Savoury snacks in Canada is experiencing a slowdown in value growth in 2024. However, volume growth remains strong, indicating a rise in demand as prices stabilise after a period of inflation. Savoury snacks are increasingly viewed as a healthier…

With consumers continuing to struggle with the effects of inflationary pressure on discretionary spending, producers in savoury snacks faced retail volume declines in 2021 and 2022, with only a static performance expected in 2023. While price…

Self-serve services are gaining popularity, appreciated for offering a more convenient and efficient way to order food. Consumers can customise their orders at their own pace and pay for their meals without interacting with staff. This gives…

The major storyline for self-service cafeterias in the US in 2023 was its continued rebound as pandemic-era health restrictions receded. Self-service cafeterias was particularly hard-hit in the depths of the pandemic, due to logistical concerns about…

Skin care experienced robust growth in 2023, following a strong performance in 2022. This growth was primarily led by value, as price increases and premiumisation prompted consumers to be more selective in their purchases, seeking out products that…

The stickiness of health and wellness-oriented motivations amongst consumers has supported skin care’s resilience, allowing it to increase its growth rates in both retail volume and current value terms in the US in 2023. Dermocosmetics played a key…

Sleep aids is projected to post fast retail volume growth over 2023. The category saw spikes in demand in 2020 and 2021 as the stress and anxiety of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic increased the incidence of sleep disorders or complaints. While…

Maintaining the trend from 2022, sleep aids is expected to continue to face decline in retail current value and volume terms in 2023, further offsetting the strong growth surge seen in the category during the peak pandemic years of 2020 and 2021,…

Small cooking appliances experienced a decline in volume terms for the second consecutive year in Canada in 2023. This follows a period of high growth in 2021, indicating a market normalisation. Various factors contributed to this decline, including…

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…