Staple Foods

Staple foods saw high retail current value growth in India in 2023, on the back of favourable macroeconomic factors and changing consumer preferences regarding food choices. Favourable macroeconomic factors such as high GDP growth and rising median…

Rice and bread remained the most popular staple foods in 2023. The demand for options like pasta, breakfast cereals and processed meat and seafood remained largely limited to more affluent urban dwellers. Further significant rises in unit prices and…

Staple foods in Singapore continued to experience marginally higher average unit prices from the lingering effect of the inflationary wave in 2022. Climate change and geopolitical risks further impacted global food production and supply chains,…

Staple foods overall benefited from consumer purchasing power beginning to rise in 2023 as Indonesia’s economy started to rebound following difficult years during and immediately after the pandemic. Sales volumes were boosted by broadening consumer…

The ongoing inflationary process that has hit the Brazilian economy in the past few years started to cool in 2023, as various food categories experienced a deflationary process for many items throughout the year. The Brazilian market context can been…

In 2023, staple foods in Taiwan was affected by the resumption of travel and eating out as key trends with the lifting of Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions. Thus, demand shifted back from retail to foodservice as a result of less time spent at…

The challenging economic conditions in Austria, including inflationary pressures and fluctuating consumer purchasing power, influenced consumer spending habits and preferences in 2023. As prices rose across various categories, consumers sought more…

In 2023, Tanzanian consumers grapple with soaring food prices, particularly for staples like bread, driven by global wheat price hikes and local production challenges due to prolonged droughts. The government supports local brands, raising custom…

In 2023, Uganda's staple food landscape has witnessed shifts as consumers favour smaller pack sizes, aligning with cost-conscious preferences. Retailers respond by importing compact versions of multinational brands, catering to the demand for…

After a very turbulent period for staple foods in 2022, with geopolitical changes in the region driving up prices on most grocery products, volume sales have picked up in 2023. The Uzbek economy has improved with retail prices in a number of…

Staple foods in Latvia in 2023 is enjoying a period of modest recovery, following the significant price inflation of 2022. Although some growth has been observed, it is primarily a rebound from the previous year's downturn. The industry overall…

The sharp price growth in staple foods seen in 2022 has moderated in 2023. Retailers are trying to reduce further oscillations by introducing heavy discounts and gradual price changes. Whilst Croatian consumers remain extremely price sensitive due to…

Staple foods continues to witness positive growth in 2023, in current value terms, due to high inflation and elevated retail prices. The consumption of staple foods has slowed, resulting in a slight decrease in retail volume sales for the full year.…

Staple foods is expected to register healthy current value in 2023, despite continuing economic uncertainty because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, supply chain disruptions, the rise in inflation and tightening monetary policy. While inflation is…

Instability in Iraq’s financial sector and has led to instability in supply chains and this combined with the efforts of the Iraqi government to control the distribution of staple foods. Since early 2022, the public distribution system (PDS) has been…

In 2023, packaged staple foods in Ireland saw a significant shift in consumer behaviour and industry dynamics. Traditional favourites such as potatoes, bread, meat, eggs and fish remain the most commonly consumed staple foods. However, increased…

Staple foods in Colombia in 2023 is significantly influenced by food price-related issues, inflation, and the country's GDP evolution. The historically high inflation experienced in 2022 continued to be a major concern for all stakeholders in staple…

Staple foods in Japan is set to grow in current value terms in 2023, largely driven by unit price increases due to inflation and increases in production costs. Although many manufacturers had already implemented price increases in 2022, the costs of…

Staple foods in Thailand is seeing an overall positive performance, in both value and volume terms. That said, the category continues to be affected by inflationary pressures which are pushing up prices, alongside the cost-of-living crisis which is…

Inflation continues to be high in 2023 and as such though staple foods is expected to register current value growth, both constant value and volume sales are expected to fall marginally. This fall in volume sales is also due to a declining…

Turkey implemented an economic programme in May 2023 to help navigate the delicate equilibrium between domestic demand and export priorities, as articulated by the financial authorities of Turkey. Practically, this indicates the policies set forth…

In 2023, despite a stabilisation in the unit price growth of staple foods, the purchasing power of Slovaks failed to recover. Factors such as higher interest rates, rising oil prices, and more expensive services continued to significantly limit their…

In 2023, the foodservice industry has shown further signs of recovery, leading to stabilised sales of staple foods, while retail sales have reverted to pre-pandemic patterns. However, due to global political and economic instability, Denmark has…

Staple foods in Spain has experienced stagnation in retail volume terms, albeit with a slight improvement compared to the decline seen in the previous year. The lack of movement in retail volume terms largely relates to the significant impact of…

In line with the waning impact of the pandemic in Chile as the country eased its restrictions, consumers were optimistic that the economic situation would improve significantly. However, this was quickly followed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,…

Retail volume sales growth for staple foods in Algeria in 2023 is set to be weaker than 2022. These results have been impacted by ongoing economic hardship, impacting household incomes in Algeria, as well as the rising cost of imported materials in…

As the staple foods market in Côte d’Ivoire was recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was hit by high rates of global inflation. This had a marked impact on prices in certain product categories. In this context, consumers switched…

In 2023, Qatar faces significant challenges following the end of the World Cup and the positive effects that had on the industry. Post-event, manufacturers are navigating efforts to sustain sales levels. For example, many food production companies…

In staple foods, noteworthy retail volume and current value growth are expected in 2023, which can be attributed to an increase in the number of people cooking at home due to the rising cost of living. Growth in volume consumption has been coupled…

Staple foods in Oman has experienced consistent growth throughout 2023, despite the escalation in prices attributed to inflation and other heightened production costs. Certain categories are deemed indispensable to Omani households, yet Omanis remain…

Retail sales of staple foods in Malaysia recorded continued growth in volume terms in 2023. This was in spite of rising food prices, thanks to the weakening of the local currency, the ringgit, against the US dollar, which brought about higher import…

Staple foods in Lithuania has been less impacted by the economic uncertainty than other packaged food categories in 2023. The price inflation of 2022 due to the rising cost of logistics, raw materials and packaging, slowed significantly in 2023,…

In 2023, staple foods in Germany faced significant challenges marked by high price increases across various product categories. Despite these economic pressures, staple foods like pasta, rice and bread retained their indispensability in the daily…

Peru has been contending with a steady escalation in prices since 2021, a situation exacerbated in 2022 and 2023, affecting a wide array of consumer goods and services. The country's significant reliance on imported products and supplies means that…

Staple foods saw a decline in both retail and foodservice volume sales in 2023, despite most categories being considered essential by local consumers. Poor economic conditions, exceptionally high inflation and limited consumer spending power forced…

Staple foods in 2023: The big picture

Overall, 2023 was a challenging year for the staple foods sector in Italy, characterised by stagnation in retail sales volumes. However, the market saw considerable current value growth driven by persistent inflationary pressure. During the second…

Retail volume growth is being seen across the board in staple foods in Slovenia in 2023 as demand continues to increase steadily in the year. Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat is the fastest growing category in volume terms, with sales…

Panama’s sales of staple foods are buoyed by extensive urbanisation, the rise of modern grocery retailers and wider product selection. However, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resumption of pre-pandemic lifestyles, Russia’s invasion of…

The energy crisis and high inflation continues to impact staple foods in 2023. Consumers are trying to save money either by reducing the amount of products they buy or switching to more affordable options, including private label. Retailers are…

In 2023, the Polish government implemented new regulations aimed at supporting bakeries and pastry shops amid escalating gas prices. Effective from April 7, these regulations broadened the eligibility criteria for purchasing gas at a regulated price…

Many producers of staple foods are facing challenges in balancing the rising cost of energy, ingredients, packaging and logistics in 2023. While the prices of many products are rising some of the leading grocery retailers have played a major role in…

As the threat of and restrictions related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis eased and lifted towards the end of the review period, Finnish consumers were again able to move freely and resume their pre-pandemic purchasing and consumption habits. As…

Staple foods has faced a challenging year in 2023, as many consumers in Hong Kong have shifted their spending from retail to foodservice. After three years impacted by the pandemic, consumers have been eager to dine out and experience travel, which…

In 2023, the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer a strong factor in the performance of staples foods, with the category now being impacted by global inflation. However, as Angola is a country that benefits from exports, the country is benefiting from…

Pakistan’s economy continues to struggle and the government secured a further USD3 billion bailout from the IMF in July 2023, avoiding an impending default. Inflation continues to be very high and is being driven by several factors, including…

In 2023, the Kenyan staple foods market is navigating through a period of high food inflation, leading to significant increases in unit prices. This economic environment has prompted consumers to prioritise essential grocery items while curtailing…

Staple foods overall is recording a decline in total volume but an increase in value, primarily due to rising prices, in Portugal in 2023. The foodservice sector has recovered to its 2019 sales levels, significantly aided by tourism. However, on-site…

Kazakhstan has strong trade links with Russia and its war in Ukraine is negatively impacting the economy and leading to high inflation. While skyrocketing international oil and gas prices is boosting the local economy, its usual outflow to the global…

The staple foods market was characterised by strong price rises in 2023. Following increases in the prices of dairy, all major players announced price increases in the packaged food market. The price of supervised breads increased for the second time…