Ecuador

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…

While Latin America’s digital landscape is less well developed than other regions globally, most measures continue to improve, with Coronavirus (COVID-19) also having served to drive the digital landscape development in 2020. With locked-down…

Sales of cider/perry remained negligible in Ecuador in 2021.

A more business-friendly government, elected in 2021, could improve economic freedom. However, protests by indigenous factions have been violently suppressed. Economic performance is expected to be stronger than the regional average, whilst…

Ageing, urbanisation and migration continue to be major factors shaping the global population. The number of seniors around the world kept expanding in 2021 and is expected to grow further in the years to 2040. The number of small children is…

The channel did not see any important changes in the last couple of years of the review period, with no new brands entering the market or announcing their intention to do so. This meant that the existing players continued to gain ground, using new…

Grocery retailers continued to see dynamic growth in 2022, with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions supporting economic activity and boosting consumer confidence. Furthermore, while many consumers remained price sensitive in 2022, spending was…

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…

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…

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…

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

Ecuador’s widespread vaccination campaign helped Ecuador to start 2022 with the effects of the pandemic greatly reduced. There were still outbreaks in the first quarter due to the omicron variant, which led to mild restrictions during this period.…

A number of key sporting events boosted beer sales in 2022. Guayaquil hosted the final of the Copa Libertadores bringing many tourists in from Latin America, most of them Brazilians who enjoy drinking beer. Amstel launched a special commemorative…

Azende Corp Cía Ltda continues to lead the RTD category in 2022 with its Switch brand. Aimed at young adults, Azende has used a strong social media campaign with a funny and fresh message to engage its audience. Switch is a well-known spirit-based…

The spirits category has been greatly affected by the increase in ICE tax (Special Consumption Tax) for alcoholic beverages, which is a tax levied on each litre of pure alcohol. Since the spirits category has the highest levels of alcohol, it has…

The consumption of wine has increased considerably in Ecuador due to it being an accessible and fashionable beverage for aspirational consumers. In 2022, premium and economy wines are both gaining popularity. Higher income groups are less price…

The consumption of chocolate confectionery is heavily reliant on purchases made in the traditional channel, where a significant proportion of sales is driven by impulse buying. With the pandemic now behind them, consumers have been able to return to…

Gum is highly dependent on impulse sales in the traditional channel and so the category was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As demand subsided, companies substantially reduced their staff, product portfolio and distribution. In 2023,…

Impulse ice cream continues to bounce back after the slump it experienced during the pandemic. With more people on the streets of Ecuador, single-portion consumption has managed to recover. Moreover, there were still limitations in 2022 that affected…

Ready-to-eat popcorn is thriving in 2023 following a period of significant growth in recent years. New players have entered to compete against some of the most traditional players including Quala with its brand Popetas and Colsigna with the Planet…

Snacks is heavily dependent on everyday impulse purchases in Ecuador. Confectionery, ice cream, sweet biscuits and savoury snacks are all largely procured through the traditional channel, which relies heavily on consumer footfall outside of the home.…

Sugar confectionery continues to post robust retail volume and current value growth in 2023, with the return of normal lifestyles boosting consumption occasions. With schools fully reopened, there is an increase in demand for sugar confectionery that…

In 2023, sweet biscuits, snack bars, and fruit snacks is benefitting from stronger demand for convenient and on-the-go snacking options. As consumers become busier and leave their homes for longer periods, they are turning to snacks as a quick and…

The Guayaquil in Ecuador 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 Quito in Ecuador 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,…

Ecuador has witnessed a remarkable expansion of its air routes with the introduction of new airlines alongside the growth of existing ones. One such noteworthy addition is Arajet, a low-cost carrier that commenced operations in the final quarter of…

As the pandemic's grip wanes, tourists, including a significant number of elderly travellers, have rekindled their passion for exploration, both domestically and internationally. The elderly, once deemed vulnerable during the pandemic, now venture…

During the pandemic, international tourism faced significant limitations, prompting lodging establishments to recalibrate their approaches to attract domestic tourists by substantially lowering average rates. However, as the review period unfolded,…

During the review period, domestic tourism experienced remarkable growth, achieving unprecedented historical figures. Several key factors contributed to this phenomenon. Firstly, after enduring approximately two years of confinement, numerous…

Travel in Ecuador is experiencing a remarkable resurgence, marked by a surge in domestic tourism. Several factors have fuelled this growth, including the desire for stress relief after extended periods of confinement during the pandemic. The…

Pharmacies continue to have significant influence over the value sales of analgesics in Ecuador. For instance, in lower income neighbourhoods, pharmacies are generally stocked with generics, whereas in wealthier neighbourhoods, mainly branded…

Ecuador is expected to register only a slight increase in current value sales in 2023. Ecuador is grappling with rising crime rates and political instability, with runoff elections scheduled in October. This is all leading to economic uncertainty and…

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies are expected to register a decline in value sales. Value sales are now at more normal levels, as concerns about the COVID-19 virus have abated. In addition, Ecuador is grappling with rising crime rates and…

Medicated shampoo is expected to register the highest current value growth in dermatologicals in 2023, with the big winner being Genommalab’s Medicasp. This brand has significantly increased value share over the review period. With substantial…

Probiotic supplements is a standout product within dietary supplements and is expected to register double-digit volume growth in 2023. Probiotics supplements are available over the counter, but part of their success is due to sales representatives…

Digestive remedies is expected to register significant current value and volume growth in 2023, partly driven by high demand for diarrhoeal remedies (see below). The healthy growth is also due to the high levels of recommendation by pharmacists at…

Herbal/traditional sleep aids is expected to register the highest current value growth in 2023. Stress factors such as economic uncertainty and a spiralling crime rate are expected to lead to increased demand for sleep aids. In addition,…

Paediatric consumer health is expected to register a slight increase in current value sales, but a fall in volume sales. The performance of vitamins in particular is expected to drag down the overall segment. Vitamins are the largest product in…

Sports nutrition products typically have very high prices, which limits the growth potential to an extent. As such, consumption is limited to consumers in medium and high income groups. In addition, some sports nutrition products sold in Ecuador can…

Vitamins are expected to register a decline in volume sales in 2023. The boon from the pandemic is long over and vitamins that claim immune boosting benefits are seeing a significant decline. As such, value sales are now on par with pre pandemic…

Weight management and wellbeing is expected to register both a decline in value and volume sales in 2023. Post pandemic, consumers are out and about again and are also able to visit the gym and be more active in order to lose weight. Therefore, there…

Wound care is expected to positive current value and volume growth in 2023. The full opening of society, post pandemic, supports volume sales, as people are more active, and as a consequence there are more small injuries. Continuing population growth…

The declining birth rate during the pandemic has had a significant impact on the baby food industry in Ecuador. With fewer babies being born, there is a smaller target market for baby food manufacturers. The high cost of baby food products has…

Butter consumption in Ecuador is relatively low compared to other countries in the region. This is due in part to the availability of cheaper alternatives such as margarine, which are more commonly used for both cooking and baking. Margarine has a…

Queso fresco (fresh cheese) is the most consumer cheese in Ecuador. In this category, the participation of the informal industry is very pronounced as cheese consumption is very regional. Each area is accustomed to the type of cheese that is produced…

Dairy products has been negatively impacted by the recent social problems that the country has endured. In mid-2022, an 18-day national strike greatly complicated the logistics chain. As milk is a perishable item, much of the industry’s raw material…

In 2022, milk consumption in Ecuador was limited by the national strike that took place in the middle of the year, which complicated the logistics chain. With no national strikes in 2023, consumption returned to normal; however, category growth in…

Cream was negatively impacted by the national strike in 2022 as many players in the category do not offer shelf stable presentations and therefore cannot have large inventories. This made them the first products to run out when there was a shortage.…

Plant-based milk has experienced significant growth in recent years in Ecuador. This growth has been driven by various factors, including an increasing awareness of the health benefits of plant-based diets, environmental concerns, and changing…

Both plain and flavoured yoghurt have benefited from rising health and wellness concerns in the country. Greek yoghurt has grown considerably as players, including Tonicorp, Karuu, Chivería and Rey Lácteos, offer a wide variety of products. Premium…