Cameroon

The global urban consumer landscape is increasingly complex and difficult to navigate. Which cities should you choose for your consumer business expansion? To answer this and other questions, we are introducing the Euromonitor International Cities…

Having plunged by almost a fifth during 2020, retail constant value sales (2021 prices) of apparel and footwear specialist retailers rebounded in 2021 but remained well below their pre-pandemic level. The number of outlets continued to decline during…

During 2020, e-commerce retail constant value sales (2021 prices) plunged by almost three quarters. The departure of Jumia Technologies AG from Cameroon in late 2019 left a hole that no remaining player has the capacity to fill. However, it has not…

Health and beauty specialist retailers were a big beneficiary from the pandemic during 2020, with their retail constant value sales (2021 prices) rising at their fastest rate in well over a decade. This strong performance was particularly notable…

Mobile e-commerce had been expanding rapidly during the early part of the review period, albeit from a very low base. During 2020, mobile e-commerce retail constant value sales (2021 prices) plunged by more than two thirds. The departure of Jumia…

Grocery shopping continues to be dominated by traditional grocery retailers, but prior to the onset of the pandemic, the retail constant value sales (2021 prices) of modern grocery retailers had been expanding rapidly in Cameroon. The Carrefour…

Traditional grocery retailers still dominate grocery shopping in Cameroon, but they are coming under increased pressure from the growing number of modern grocery retail outlets, which have a strong appeal for middle- and high-income local consumers.…

Value sales of sports nutrition are negligible and it is not expected that the situation will change over the forecast period.

Strong rates of natural increase will drive rapid population expansion in Cameroon in 2021-2040, despite negative net migration over the timeframe. Despite following an ageing trend, Cameroon will remain an extremely young country due to its high…

Multi-level level marketing remained the most popular form of direct selling in Cameroon in 2022 as the retailing category recorded a positive performance for the second year in a row. However, this was not enough for category sales to recover to…

France-based multinational Carrefour continued to expand its global footprint during 2022 with the opening of its first hypermarket in Cameroon. This store is located at the PlaYce shopping centre in Yaoundé and it was inaugurated during July 2022.…

The July 2022 opening of the PlaYce shopping centre in Yaoundé represented a watershed moment in the development of non-grocery retailers in Cameroon. In addition to playing host to a large hypermarket under the Carrefour brand, this very modern new…

While positive growth was recorded in retailing in Cameroon during 2022, demand was under pressure due to the impact of the high inflation that was in effect throughout the year. In particular, many lower-income households struggled to make ends meet…

While positive growth was recorded in retailing in Cameroon during 2022, demand was under pressure due to the impact of the high inflation that was in effect throughout the year. In particular, many lower-income households struggled to make ends meet…

Retail current value sales of adult incontinence remain negligible in Cameroon. While the number of elderly consumers in Cameroon is growing, this consumer group remains small at well under one million people in 2022. As a result, demand for retail…

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

Sensitisation campaigns of new mothers post birth and increased access to information on infant care is having an impact on the way most parents take care of their infants. There is a growing shift from the use of alternative cleaning techniques such…

Sales of hand sanitisers plunged in both value and volume terms in 2022 as most Cameroonians now consider them unnecessary or of low priority post pandemic. The prices of hand sanitisers surged as leading players cut down production in response to…

The beauty and personal care market in Cameroon has great economic potential. However, some sectors, such as colour cosmetics are still heavily characterised by imported products. Imports of colour cosmetics and skin care products in volume terms…

In the nail products category, nail polish experienced the strongest growth while nail treatments/strengthener recorded the lowest demand. Innovation continues to drive growth in nail products. Nail polish has evolved. Traditional nail polish takes a…

The hot tropical climate in Cameroon especially during the dry season leads to a lot of sweating. Temperatures average around 36 degrees on a daily basis during the dry season, with this season lasting for around six months. Sweating is thus…

The depilatories category is slowly evolving though it remains fairly niche. Just like the category for men, razors continue to be the primary form of hair removal for most women in Cameroon. They are widely available, affordable and easy to use.…

From modern grocery retailers to small local grocers, imported fragrances continue to dominate shelves. Despite the entry of more “Made in Cameroon” brands in the market such as Chouquette, Les Essences Bantu, Mboa, Extraits, Parfums Bonheur and…

Hair breakages and scalp issues are some of the leading hair problems in Cameroon, which is why demand for conditioners and shampoos is on a growth trajectory. For scalp issues, dandruff is the main problem with the hot tropical climate in the…

The “Made in Cameroon” logo, one which started in the food industry, has rapidly gained traction and spread across other industries including beauty and personal care. As the Cameroonian government touted its import substitution policy in order to…

In the past, be it in barber shops or at home, baby powders were the most common pre-shave products used with surgical spirits used as post-shave lotions to prevent bumps. These were cheaper alternatives coupled with the fact that the availability of…

The competitive environment in the oral care category in Cameroon is led by Colgate-Palmolive and Tropik Industries SA, the exclusive distributor of the Signal toothpaste and toothbrush in Cameroon. Colgate-Palmolive has intensified the competition…

The premium beauty and personal care category in Cameroon is still niche due to low demand as the target audience remains small. This has been a key reason why it has been a struggle to have established beauty specialists that focus solely on the…

The face is the most visible part of the body and Cameroonians especially women are keen on using facial care to look after their skins. There is an increased willingness to spend more on obtaining quality facial care products. Unlike the body care…

Beer and lager are popular alcoholic beverages in Cameroon. Since the early 2000s, the prices of beer in the country have been on a steady increase, yet the consumption rate has never taken a notable downturn. If anything, it is the production…

Beer is one of the products subjected to approval by the Ministry of Trade before the price can be altered, and the last time there was a price increase for beer nationwide was in 2019. However, the blowback from the public was swift and vicious.…

RTDs remains a consolidated category in Cameroon, with few new developments. Société Anonyme des Brasseries du Cameroun (SABC) leads RTDs with its Booster brand holding just over half of all brand shares, with the other most notable brand being…

As seen with the trend for champagne in clubs, we are also seeing a significant increase in sales of premium and prestige premium spirits through clubs and lounges in Cameroon. Brands such as Johnnie Walker Black Label (Diageo Plc), Jack Daniel’s…

Imported brands continue to lead wine in Cameroon. According to the Foreign Trade data 2021 made public by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) in December 2022, Cameroon spent XAF48.3 billion to import wines and spirits in 2021. Moreover,…

In the first quarter of 2023, Cameroon’s National Cocoa and Coffee Board revised the maximum price of cacao beans upwards twice, bringing it to XAF1,290 per kg. These changes were attributed to a spike in demand caused by the entry of two new…

The latter part of the review period saw a number of chewing gum manufacturers in Cameroon move to address longstanding consumer complaints about quality standards by reformulating established brands and launching new varieties with softer textures…

Ice cream is one of the most popular snack foods in Cameroon, not only because of its indulgence appeal but also due to the hot climate. However, informal sales of cheaper unpackaged varieties by roadside vendors still account for a large share of…

Savoury snacks has remained the smallest of the main snacks categories in Cameroon in retail volume sales terms in 2023. This is mainly explained by the traditional preference for sweeter and more indulgence-oriented snacks among local consumers. For…

Growth in retail volume sales of snacks in Cameroon in 2023 is expected to be down slightly on 2022 and fall below the CAGR for the entire review period. Overall demand has remained subdued as high inflation fuelled by the global recovery from…

Growth in retail volume sales of sugar confectionery in Cameroon in 2023 looks set to be relatively modest, and only marginally above that recorded in 2022. This is mainly because high inflation fuelled by the global recovery from the pandemic and…

With high inflation continuing to place upward pressure on unit prices and erode purchasing power among Cameroonians, consumption of sweet biscuits has remained subdued in 2023, hence overall retail volume sales growth looks set to be unchanged in…

The Douala in Cameroon report provides comprehensive city level information benchmarked against other cities in the country and region. The report includes historic data and forecasts on city population, consumer expenditure, digital penetration,…

The Yaoundé in Cameroon report provides comprehensive city level information benchmarked against other cities in the country and region. The report includes historic data and forecasts on city population, consumer expenditure, digital penetration,…

Cameroon was not as affected by the energy crisis stemming from the war in Ukraine as many other countries. Rising global energy prices in 2022 gave a boost to government coffers and helped stabilise the economy. However, ongoing civil conflict, as…

In a major development, authorities introduced a ban on shisha smoking in 2022, following other African countries such as Kenya, The Gambia, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ghana. In addition, Mali also introduced a ban in 2022. According to the Ministry of…

Cameroon was not as affected by the energy crisis stemming from the war in Ukraine as many other countries. Rising global energy prices in 2022 gave a boost to government coffers and helped stabilise the economy. However, ongoing civil conflict, as…

Insight into income, wealth and expenditure of consumers and households is vital in helping businesses make strategic decisions with regards to which country (or even which region within a country) to enter, which consumer segment to target, which…

The Cameroonian market for baby food has not escaped the detrimental effects of inflation. The surge in fuel prices, along with substantial increases in the cost of milk and wheat, has been instrumental in driving up the prices of baby food. Both…

For several decades, palm oil and vegetable oil have held their position as the primary choice for edible oil in Cameroonian cuisine and it is unlikely to change unless a remarkable transformation takes place. The dominance of these two oils has…

Cheese consumption in Cameroon is significantly limited, primarily due to cultural factors. Despite its widespread popularity and versatility in many regions around the world, cheese has struggled to establish itself in Cameroon. The country’s…