Latin America

2023 saw volume growth in oral care return to positive ground after two years of declining demand, with the most affordable brands and those which represent the best value for money generating the best sales performances. Against the backdrop of the…

Global players such as Colgate, Listerine and Oral-B continued to dominate oral care in Costa Rica in 2023 due to their trusted reputations for quality and efficacy, broad product ranges and extensive distribution coverage. However, a number of…

Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant trend towards men in Ecuador wearing beards, which has had a negative impact on demand for men’s razors and blades as the clean shaven look is no longer considered essential.…

In keeping with the trend observed earlier in the review period, multifunctional men’s grooming products continued to gain popularity in Costa Rica in 2023. Prominent examples included a Nivea Men liquid soap that is suitable for cleansing the body,…

Direct selling remained one of the most important and influential distribution channels within mass beauty and personal care during 2023. Between Yanbal, Belcorp and Natura & Co, more than 28% of value sales in this category are accounted for by…

Mass beauty and personal care products made with activated charcoal continued to gain popularity in Costa Rica in 2023. While penetration remained strongest in oral care, specifically in toothpaste and toothbrushes, rising consumer awareness of the…

Specialist hair care products are becoming increasingly important in Ecuador, not least as many consumers are looking for products that have been specifically developed to address their personal needs more effectively. Within this context, for…

Shampoos was the most dynamic of the main hair care categories in Costa Rica in terms of volume and current sales growth in 2023. Together with the fact that these products are considered a basic necessity by most consumers, it continued to benefit…

During 2023, the majority of sales recorded in fragrances were accounted for by direct selling, the distribution channel which was the most negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with challenges arising from the clash between the need…

The premium segment continued to outperform its mass counterpart in volume and current value growth terms in fragrances in Costa Rica in 2023. While this was mainly because sales in the former were increasing from a much lower base, premium brands…

Reckitt Benckiser’s Veet remained the dominant leading brand in hair removers/bleaches in 2023, despite the brand’s volume sales declining significantly over the course of the year after recording an exceptional sales performance earlier in the…

Depilatories in Costa Rica showed a markedly improved performance in volume terms in 2023, with overall sales increasing at a double-digit rate following marginal growth in 2022. This was partly explained by the strong recovery in consumer confidence…

Ecuador has been through a series of economic crises in recent years and, according to Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos (INEC), more than 60.5% of Ecuadorians are currently underemployed or struggling to make ends meet despite working…

Products with more innovative and distinctive functional claims continued to win over new consumers in deodorants in Costa Rica in 2023. One of the most notable examples was Speed Stick Carbon Absorb, which is made with activated charcoal and…

2023 was a considerably better year for sales of colour cosmetics in Ecuador in comparison with what was seen in the category during 2022, when sales were still being negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, some consumers were…

Longwear products continued to gain popularity across colour cosmetics in Costa Rica in 2023. The resumption of pre-pandemic routines was a key driver of demand, in that appreciation for the convenience of longer-lasting formulas increased as…

The current socioeconomic situation in Ecuador is becoming more challenging and complex for consumers and fmcg companies alike, with 2023 witnessing political instability and a deterioration of the security situation in the country. All of these…

Beauty and personal care in Costa Rica recorded a slowdown in total current value sales growth in 2023, but saw total volume sales rebound at an impressive pace following a marginal decline in 2022. These results reflected a rapid reduction in…

2023 saw a continuation of the negative volume sales trends that were registered in bath and shower in 2022, although sales declines were less severe during the year. These negative trends can be attributed largely to the declining use of products…

During the early stages of the pandemic, bath and shower manufacturers in Costa Rica scrambled to develop new antibacterial varieties and update packaging designs to highlight the germ-killing capabilities of established products. This trend was…