Bolivia

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the consumption of sugar confectionery products did not migrate to home consumption with the same frequency as other snacks such as ice cream or chocolate confectionery, which negatively impacted sales.…

The snacks market in Bolivia in 2023 benefited from the growth of impulse purchases in single portion formats, mainly in sugar confectionery, savoury biscuits and impulse ice cream. After COVID-19, consumers resumed their activities outside of the…

In 2023, savoury snacks was affected by inflationary pressure seen in international markets for certain ingredients. The impact on prices was greater for imported brands which suffered from a rise in the cost of ingredients such as edible oil, which…

With Bolivians resuming their normal activities outside of the home, ice cream was boosted by growth of single portion products, which are widely available near educational centres such as schools and universities. With the return of face-to-face…

Retail gum sales in Bolivia were contracting in volume before the pandemic as younger consumers have switched to other products such as gummies, or use their mobile phones to distract themselves and channel their anxiety. Gum was then hit hard by…

Chocolate confectionery recorded moderate retail volume growth in 2023. While the market increased in impulse sales with the return of children to schools in 2022, growth did not continue in 2023 as young students showed increased interest in impulse…

The popularity of Argentine wine imports has experienced a significant surge in 2022, building on a trend that began in 2020. The fluctuations in the Argentine currency have been advantageous for local importers, resulting in lower prices for…

The migration of consumption to lower-value categories is slowing the growth in value sales of spirits, specifically the expansion of low-priced beers. This trend is particularly evident in traditional sales channels, where low-priced beers dominate…

In 2022, RTD sales received a boost from product innovations as local producers ventured into the development of hard seltzer offerings, expanding the consumption within the category. In Bolivia, hard seltzers still occupy a niche segment, primarily…

The consumption of cider in Bolivia is primarily focused on holiday seasons such as Christmas and New Year celebrations, where it is typically used for toasting. Bolivian consumers have a preference for sweeter ciders, which they often pair with…

Sales of premium lager beers experienced a surge in 2022, driven by consumers in higher socioeconomic segments who were less affected by the pandemic's economic impact, as well as those in medium socioeconomic segments seeking indulgence during…

In 2022, the sales of alcoholic drinks experienced a notable increase as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. The normalisation of both off-trade and on-trade channels, without capacity limitations and with pre-pandemic operating hours, played a…

There was a further small decrease in volume sales in 2022, as smoking prevalence continued to decline slowly. Price also remained stable for the most part, despite external inflationary pressures and also an increase in the Specific Consumption Tax…

Bolivia claims to have the lowest inflation rate in the world and it has managed to achieve this by continuing to have a fixed exchange rate against the dollar. Besides the fixed exchange rate, Bolivia’s subsidies for key products have also helped…

Until recent years, much of the supply of e-vapour products in Bolivia was through small business operators who imported small batches both legally and illegally and sold them in specialised independent stores or through social networks. However, in…

In recent years, there has been a growing supply of cigars, cigarettes and pipe tobacco entering illegally from Argentina and Peru. This is mainly because neighbouring countries have experienced significant currency devaluation in recent years, while…

This report assesses the business environment in Bolivia, focusing on the regulatory environment, stability of the financial system, FDI intake, labour market flexibility and skillset, trade openness, mobility infrastructure, ICT adoption and…

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…

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…

Pharmacies remained a leading format within non-grocery retailers in Bolivia at the end of the review period. Farmacorp, the leading non-grocery retailer, continued to invest heavily in expansion to reach, according to the company, all regional…