Retailing

The vending channel witnessed a better performance in 2023 as sales began to normalise in the post-pandemic era. Whilst pre-pandemic consumption levels have not yet been reached, sales are moving closer to this point. One of the limitations to growth…

In 2023, sales through vending in Mexico (in machines situated in a public environment) registered healthy growth for a third consecutive year in current value terms, confirming that the pandemic is a thing of the past. Although growth was slower…

In 2023, vending in Colombia experienced slowed growth as a result of price increases and the cost-of-living crisis. Prioritising essential products, many Colombians spent less on on-the-go snacks and drinks, slowing down the category’s performance…

Following two consecutive years of dynamic, double-digit value growth as a result of pandemic-related restrictions easing, leading to greater mobility outside of the home, vending in Chile recorded sales declines in 2023, as consumers looked to rein…

Vending remained the smallest retail channel in Brazil in 2023, but continued to see solid current value growth. Most vending machines are located in semi-captive areas such as apartment buildings, offices, and university campuses, amongst others. A…

In 2023, vending in Argentina registered exponential retail current value sales growth, although this can be explained mainly by the very high inflation rate in the country. Vending remained a small channel in the country, and insignificant compared…

Supermarkets in Peru felt the direct impact of the weakening economy in 2023, with current value sales declining for the second consecutive year. Since the Peruvian economy entered recession in 2023, over half of Peruvian families have been left…

In 2023, supermarkets in Mexico registered growth in current value terms, and even saw a more dynamic rate of increase than in the previous year. In fact, during 2022 supermarkets saw a performance well below other channels, such as discounters, as…

Supermarkets in Colombia saw further growth in 2023 as consumers are visiting stores more frequently and spending less per visit rather than doing large bimonthly shops in hypermarkets. Growth has been further supported by frequent discounts and…

Despite recording a marginal decline compared to the previous year’s dynamic performance, value sales via supermarkets in Chile remained significantly higher in 2023 compared to pre-pandemic levels, and indeed above any other grocery retail channel…

Supermarkets maintained growth in both current value terms and in terms of outlet numbers in Brazil in 2023. Grupo Mateus was one player that contributed strongly to growth in this year. The group’s growth trajectory began in Balsas, in the state of…

In supermarkets in Argentina, Asian concepts, the main competitors to chains, continued to experience a deep crisis at the end of the review period. As a result, some Asian supermarkets closed their businesses in Argentina and moved to Bolivia,…

Even though some small local grocers have been forced to close, this retail format continues to grow in Peru. The closeness these retailers have with their customers, often as family providers, and the strong tradition they have in the Peruvian…

In 2023, small local grocers saw only moderate current value growth in Mexico, and in fact during the review period overall, the channel experienced the worst value performance amongst grocery retailers, seeing a value decline. The expansion of…

In 2023, small local grocers in Colombia continued to lose ground as they have become less attractive as a format for price-sensitive consumers. 2023 has been an economically challenging year and, according to DANE figures, retail sales declined by…

Despite increasing competition from smaller supermarkets and convenience stores, small local grocers in Chile remained an important grocery retail channel in 2023, with value sales continuing to rise. The popularity of this channel is supported by…

Small local grocers and food/drink/tobacco specialists maintained current value growth in Brazil in 2023 and remained fairly stable in terms of outlet numbers. In food/drink/tobacco specialists, the Cacau Show, Kopenhagen, and Chocolates Brasil Cacau…

Small local grocers in Argentina continued to cede some ground to or lose competitiveness with regard to modern grocery retailers like supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores and discounters during 2023. In a context of very high inflation,…

Inflation and ongoing price increases significantly impacted the retail industry in 2022. High price rises led to changing consumer behaviours, with a drop in demand as many were looking to delay significant purchases, reducing and adapting their…

Retail in Peru has experienced a sustained increase in prices since 2021, but the situation has worsened in recent years with inflation soaring and remaining high in 2023. Although local brands are well established in Peru, many of the final products…

Retailing in Paraguay maintained its bounce back in 2022 from the previous year after the market declined in 2020 due to the global pandemic. The full removal of COVID-19 restrictions and the rollout of vaccines facilitated a greater degree of…

Retailing rebounded strongly in 2022 in a continuation of the previous year. The reopening of society and the resumption of pre-pandemic lifestyles were enabled by the rollout of vaccines and the waning of the virus, all of which reduced fears of…

After a challenging 2022 due to high inflation, retail sales in Mexico saw healthy growth for a third consecutive year in current value terms in 2023, confirming the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are far behind. In fact, based on the Consumer…

Retailing in Honduras continued to recover in 2022 in the wake of the pandemic. The industry proved highly resilient despite inflation and high levels of poverty in the country. Modern grocery retailers continued to make inroads due to their…

The retail sector in Guatemala continued to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, although at a slower pace than in 2021. Despite this, it still grew at a rate higher than inflation. The buoyancy of the retail sector was largely driven by…

In 2022 retail in El Salvador rebounded. Stronger macroeconomic indicators and a full return to pre-pandemic lifestyles boosted consumer demand, especially among wealthier shoppers. However, high inflation, widespread informal retailing and a…

Retail in Ecuador posted strong growth in current value terms in 2022, building on the strong recovery posted the previous year. With COVID-19 fears subsiding and most of the remaining restrictions being lifted locals and foreign visitors were more…

Consumers were impacted by high inflation and rising prices in 2022 and increasingly opted to reduce their spending or seek out promotional deals to budget effectively. Dominicans sought out retailers and channels that offered the greatest return on…

Retailing in Costa Rica was challenged in 2022, with rising inflation and price hikes impacting consumer buying habits. In addition, high levels of unemployment in the country continued to impact household budgets, shaping purchasing decisions. This…

The Colombian economy began to recover in the second half of 2021, and growth reached 7.5% by the end of 2022, fuelled by fiscal stimulus, increased oil prices and a boost in food and beverages exports, which registered a 24% increase. However,…

A slow year in 2023 was a significant challenge for retail in Chile. Elevated inflation and steady price rises continued to impact the retail industry, leading to a steep drop in demand from consumers, who looked to postpone purchases as much as…

Despite multiple challenges in 2023, retail in Brazil maintained current value growth. 2023 began with the return of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as President of the Republic of Brazil and, shortly thereafter, the attacks of 8 January occurred, with…

The country continued to emerge out of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2022. With the relaxation of restrictions on movement and socialisation, shoppers returned to physical stores, driving the ongoing recovery of sales in categories that were…

In 2023, current value sales in retail in Argentina experienced triple-digit growth, although this was primarily driven by very high inflation, which remained a chronic issue. Inflation reached a triple-digit rate during 2023 and the country…

The make-up of e-commerce in Uruguay and the current retail environment has resulted in third party merchants holding considerable value share in the channel. Beyond those third party merchants, grocery retailers have a strong share. Henderson &…

In 2023, rising inflation, combined with political uncertainty and economic recession has curbed retail e-commerce sales in Peru to some extent. However, this channel is still in developing in Peru, with retail e-commerce accounting for only…

Retail e-commerce in Mexico demonstrated outstanding double-digit current value growth over the review period, and 2023 was no exception, with growth across most categories. Indeed, the growth rate experienced by e-commerce in Mexico was amongst the…

Prior to 2020, e-commerce in Guatemala had been experiencing steady growth over the years, but adoption rates remained relatively low. However, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a surge in e-commerce sales, particularly among more affluent consumers…

Historically, online spending by Ecuadorians has been primarily focused on services and entertainment. However, consumption patterns in this area changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, with people increasingly choosing to purchase…

While higher retail prices and lower spending power led to more conscious consumption in 2022, special promotional days provided a welcome boost to value sales throughout the year. Black Friday hosted between the 24 and 27th of November was such an…

While e-commerce sales saw significant growth in 2021, in 2022, growth was boosted even further, with strong double-digit value retail growth recorded. Online sales are well developed in Costa Rica in regional terms but remain immature in global…

In 2023, retail e-commerce in Colombia recorded further strong despite the government eliminating the VAT-free day. Growth was, however, slower in the year due to a retailer-driven shift to physical stores. This shift was supported by sale events,…

Following robust double-digit value growth over much of the review period, a trend already emerging prior to the pandemic, e-commerce sales in Chile started to stabilise in 2022 in line with greater mobility outside of the home, although they…

The Americanas scandal of accounting inconsistencies, which emerged at the start of 2023, undoubtedly caused a certain amount of noise in Brazilian retail; felt in both offline and online sales, both of which saw a slowing of growth in 2023. However,…

Before the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, e-commerce purchases of goods were largely made via foreign websites, such as Amazon or other similar sites. However, with the development and strong promotion of domestic e-commerce…

Retail e-commerce In Argentina was the most dynamic channel in retailing. However, higher, exponential retail current value growth in 2023, compared with 2021 and 2022, was mainly due to very high inflation, which reached a triple-digit rate. While…

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, restrictions on travel and socialising heavily impacted certain non-grocery retailers, as consumers were confided to the household. With the risk of COVID-19 reducing, the government has lifted restrictions on…

Pharmacies in Guatemala saw robust year-on-year sales growth in 2022. However, when viewed in constant terms (i.e., adjusted for inflation), the sales growth rate slowed from the previous year. This can be attributed to the circumstances of the…

According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas y Censos (INEC), consumer appliances and electronics experienced a reduction in prices over 2022, when compared to 2021. This was in part due to a normalisation of production thereby ensuring there…

Non-grocery retailers posted a strong rise in current value growth in 2022 supported by a rebound in demand as consumer lifestyles shifted back to greater normality post-pandemic. Inflationary pressures have undoubtedly pushed up retail prices, but…