Dominican Republic

Yoghurt and sour milk products is expected to register healthy current value and volume growth. While there is still economic uncertainty, as a result of rising inflation, the growth in inflation is expected to ease. That being said, consumers are…

Wound care is a very mature category in the Dominican Republic, with little innovation or new product launches to spark consumer interest in recent years. The category has consequently seen little in terms of growth given the very high level of…

In 2023, wipes in the Dominican Republic recorded positive retail value growth, benefiting from products that have versatile and multifunctional uses. For example, consumers increasingly use baby wipes not only to clean babies' skin but for other…

While beer suffered volume decline in 2022, the picture was much more positive for wine, with double-digit volume growth, in spite of high inflation stemming from an energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. That being said, the appreciation of…

Meal replacement continues to account for most value sales in weight management and wellbeing in 2023 and recorded further growth in the year. They enjoy strong sales promotion from the direct selling players and consumers are highly familiar with…

Given the persistent inflationary pressures experienced in the country, it is not surprising that the vitamins category has also seen significant price increases. According to official sources, vitamins experienced a rise of 6.9% in 2022, which is…

Toilet care products showed moderate growth in retail volumes sales in 2023. Consumers in the Dominican Republic prefer to use rim blocks as these are an affordable product for most demographic group, especially in the face of current inflationary…

Positive value growth was recorded across tobacco in the Dominican Republic in 2022 despite volume sales of cigarettes falling over the course of the year. Demand for cigars increased significantly due to the full reopening of the local hospitality…

In 2023, tissue and hygiene in the Dominican Republic continued to record positive retail value growth. However, value growth was driven by rising retail prices, although price lifts were slower in 2023 than the previous year. The international…

Tea remains by far the smallest category within hot drinks, with it having limited appeal among the vast majority of Dominicans. Coffee is traditionally the most preferred hot drink among locals, while tea and tea infusions are generally seen as…

Jams and preserves is the largest category by volume with the majority of production originating from local companies that use well-known and popular fruits. While some imported brands are available in the Dominican Republic, they are less prevalent…

Although inflation remains an issue in 2023, consumers continued to indulge in sweet biscuits, along with fruit snacks and cereal bars. The reopening of the economy, including a return to in-person learning at schools and office work, has seen…

In the post-pandemic era, the need to disinfect surfaces at home has subsided considerably, in line with lower fears over the spread of COVID-19. Retail volume sales of home care disinfectants contracted in 2022, followed by moderate growth in 2023,…

Although the average price of sun care products has increased in the last two years, demand for sun care continues to show strong growth in the Dominican Republic. Dominicans are more aware of the potential damage to the skin from direct exposure to…

As consumers feel the financial strain from inflation and struggle to stretch household budgets further, sugar confectionery offers a chance to indulge in an affordable sweet, especially for the little ones. With all retailers fully reopened there…

The overall inflation rate in the Dominican Republic has decreased in 2023 and is projected to close at 4.9%, compared to 9.5% in 2022, marking a significant decline in price increases. However, inflation continues to impact various staple foods…

Despite persistent inflationary pressures affecting the country and the sports nutrition industry in particular, consumers continue to purchase these items to help them maintain their regimes of fitness regimes. The fitness boom in the country is…

Sports drinks has seen strong growth in retail volume terms in 2023, which has been in large part due to the outstanding performance of the Generade brand from Industrias San Miguel del Caribe SA. The brand has energised the category thanks to its…

Overall, spirits registered a slight increase in volume sales in 2022, but performance varied widely across different products. Spirits that registered healthy growth were premium offerings of tequila (and mezcal), as well as whiskeys, with some…

Soft drinks has continued to see healthy growth in retail volume and current value terms in 2023. Sales have been supported by consumers returning to their old consumption habits now that the pandemic is over. Although sales have seen steady growth…

Persistent inflationary pressure has affected a variety of snacks categories over the review period, with higher unit prices stifling consumer demand and raising price sensitivity. According to official figures, inflation remains considerably higher…

The burgeoning heated tobacco category continued to register rising demand during 2022 as smokers who had previously preferred more traditional cigarettes continued to migrate towards this next generation alternative to cigarettes. At the time of…

A growing number of consumers in the Dominican Republic have adopted the use of skin care products as part of their personal care routine, understanding that body care goes beyond aesthetics and supports general health. This behaviour is more…

Following several years of consistent retail volume and current value growth, savoury snacks continues to see robust growth in 2023, thanks in large part to the diverse range of products offered in this category. With the return to in-person learning…

Ketchup continues to lead in cooking and table sauces in the Dominican Republic. Brands are innovating by introducing stand-up pouches that provide greater convenience for consumers, such as from the likes of Gourmet, Linda, Heinz and Famosa.…

The Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic 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…

The Santiago in Dominican Republic 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…

RTDs in Costa Rica are growing in popularity, especially among younger consumers as they are often sweet and this suits a less developed palette. In 2022, RTDs registered healthy double-digit volume growth. However, in spite of this significant…

RTD tea has seen significant growth in retail value and volume terms in 2023 as the category begins its recovery from the heavy losses seen in 2021 and 2022. Sales of RTD tea experienced a dramatic decline in these two years due to the withdrawal of…

The price increase in the rise, pasta and noodles category has not been as sharp as in other staple foods categories, therefore volume growth has remained steady throughout 2023. Rice and pasta, being low-cost products, have benefited from…

In 2023, toilet paper in the Dominican Republic recorded positive retail value growth, boosted by rising price points. The higher cost of living has impacted consumers, with price increases noted across essential and daily products. Toilet paper was…

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…

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…

In 2023, retail adult incontinence goods in the Dominican Republic recorded double-digit retail value growth while retail volume sales remained positive. Despite inflationary pressures and the rising cost of living, the product is considered a daily…

Following significant price increases in 2022, prices continue to rise in 2023, albeit at a lower rate. The implementation of the government’s zero tariff policy for basic basket goods to bring some relief to the country’s most vulnerable consumers…

The relentless surge in prices has significantly impacted processed fruit and vegetables, resulting in a notable slowdown in retail volume growth across the categories, with consumers shifting towards fresh produce in search of better prices. The…

In 2023, the Dominican economy showed moderate growth although GDP remains lower than before the pandemic. This low growth in the economy, combined with a period of higher living costs, led consumers to prioritise their purchases. In beauty and…

In 2023, floor polish showed steady growth in retail volume terms. However, this product is increasingly impacted by surface care and floor cleaning alternatives, which claim to polish surfaces as well as providing cleaning and disinfection…

While sales are still relatively low, there is an appetite for plant-based dairy and it is expected to register very healthy current value and volume growth in 2023. Value sales are largely driven by younger consumers, which consider plant-based…

Although economic freedom is slipping, the Dominican Republic enjoys political stability, but corruption remains endemic. Economic performance has been solid, but is slowing and remains dependent on tourism, whilst the country continues to attract…

Despite challenging macroeconomic conditions in the country and higher prices for just about everything, paediatric consumer health managed to record positive growth over the review period and in 2023, reflecting the importance families place on the…

After coffee, chocolate-based flavoured powder drinks is the most popular category of hot drinks in Dominican Republic. However, the category has seen a significant decline in sales in 2023 through the retail channel, which has been largely due to…

Other dairy is a sizeable product area in the Dominican Republic, largely supported by the popularity of evaporated milk. In 2023, it is expected to register moderate current value and volume growth. While there is still economic uncertainty, as a…

Retail sales of oral care products showed greater dynamism in current value terms, with volume growth subsiding due to lingering high prices in the Dominican Republic. Basic oral care habits such as teeth brushing are well established among the…

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…

In 2023, nappies/diapers/pants in the Dominican Republic recorded double-digit retail value growth, while retail volume was low level, challenged by rising price points. Over the review period, the nappies/diapers/pants industry faced growing…

In 2023, menstrual care in the Dominican Republic recorded positive retail value and volume growth.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and consumers spending more time at home, shaving frequency among men decreased significantly, denting retail sales of shaving products and blades. In later years, Dominicans renewed their interest in…

Meals and soups continues to be impacted by rising prices in 2023 as inflation remains high, resulting in double-digit current value growth. Since 2022, increases in the cost of raw materials, shipping costs, labour wages and energy have led to…

Consumer purchasing behaviour of beauty and personal care has evolved in the face of rising costs of living, with middle- and low-income demographics most affected by the inflationary conditions in the Dominican Republic. Many of these consumers were…