Dominican Republic

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 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…

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…

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…

During the pandemic, there was a strong demand for antibacterial air sanitisers in spray format, with essences that emulate the functionality of an air freshener with floral and fruity aromas. However, in the face of rising prices and increasing…

Bleach is widely used by Dominicans as it is considered highly versatile and is frequently used for cleaning floors, as a surface disinfectant and occasionally as a bleach in laundry. Its multipurpose benefits and lower unit price compared to…

In 2023, Dominicans have shifted back to pre-pandemic lifestyles, since they are eating out more frequently and taking school classes face-to-face, whilst fewer companies have maintained the remote work option. At the same time, home cooking has…

In 2023, inflationary pressures in the Dominican Republic weakened, with the country seeing greater price stability compared to the previous year. With consumer confidence improving slightly, retail volume sales bounced back to post a moderate…

Household insecticides in the Dominican Republic are dependent on imports to supply domestic demand. The volatility in raw material and logistical costs in recent years has been reflected in the higher retail prices of these products. In 2023,…

In 2023, the Dominican Republic continued to witness increases in retail prices of laundry care products. Although these price rises were less acute than the previous year, consumers still looked for cheaper options. Dominicans, especially in…

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…

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,…

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…

In 2023, away-from-home tissue and hygiene saw double-digit value sales growth in the Dominican Republic. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the temporary closure of businesses, significantly impacting tourism and hospitality, which are essential…

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

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, 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…

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…

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…

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…

Baby and child-specific products in the Dominican Republic is led by Johnson's Baby distributed by Johnson & Johnson Dominicana CxA. In 2023, this brand saw increasing pressure from lower-priced brands that were more attractive to frugal-minded…

In 2023, the cost of living remained high in the Dominican Republic driving consumers towards more affordable options in bath and shower. Sales of bar soap picked up considerably as these formats are still considered a more economical alternative to…

In 2023, beauty and personal care in the Dominican Republic witnessed steady retail volume growth despite the relatively weak economy and high Inflation. Although the rate of inflation fell in 2023 compared to the previous two years, the overall…

In the Dominican Republic, multifunctionality has become an increasingly sought-after attribute in colour cosmetics. Not only are consumers more informed about the benefits of certain compounds, but they are seeking simplification in their beauty…

Deodorants are widely used by the population in Dominican Republic, where it is considered a necessity regardless of income group. Despite the price increases in recent years, demand has proved resilient with retail volume sales continuing to rise in…

Depilatories in the Dominican Republic witnessed steady volume growth in 2023. Demographic groups with lower purchasing power have become more cautious with their purchases in recent years, with inflation taking its toll. Less essential products such…

In the years prior to the pandemic, consumers were keen to migrate towards premium fragrances in the Dominican Republic. However, with the economic effects suffered by low- and middle-income Dominicans during the pandemic and the subsequent…

In 2023, hair care in the Dominican Republic witnessed slightly slower growth in retail volume and current value terms, as consumers were more cautious with expenditure in the face of high inflation. Consumers switched to new packaging sizes and…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The number of households is set to increase moderately, while the average household size will shrink in Dominican Republic over 2023-2028. Couples with children will remain the dominant household type but the fastest household expenditure growth is…

The cigarette market in the Dominican Republic continued to decline in 2023 in volume terms due to rising health awareness, resulting in more smokers quitting and fewer new cigarette consumers. Sales have also been impacted by the shift to e-vapour…

Cigar sales grew significantly in the Dominican Republic 2023, continuing their excellent performance of the past two years. Growth is attributable to rising demand for good quality tobacco, and cigars being a symbol of a high social status. This…

The e-vapour products market in the Dominican Republic recorded strong growth in 2023 thanks to the wide acceptance that these products are enjoying. They are attracting consumers of cigarettes and small cigars who perceive these products to be less…

The tobacco market in the Dominican Republic was extremely dynamic in 2023; however, there were varying performances across the different product types. Whilst cigarettes remained the largest category, it has experienced a decline in terms of volume…

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 commodities country overview provides comprehensive data on production, consumption and price trends on key commodities markets. The commodities overview in Dominican Republic covers production and consumption trends in agricultural commodities,…

Overall, it was a muted picture for alcoholic drinks in the Dominican Republic in 2023, with volume sales falling overall, as the economy spluttered. However, the picture improved in the second half of the year, as the economy picked up.

It was a mixed year for beer in the Dominican Republic in 2023. Overall, there was a slight increase in volume sales, though volume sales actually fell during the first half of the year, as the economy spluttered, and consumers cut down on beer…

Consumption of cider/perry is low in the Dominican Republic and in 2023, it was even lower, with volume sales falling significantly. There was increased price sensitivity, as the economy spluttered, particularly in the first half of the year., and…

RTDs were the star performer in the Dominican Republic in 2023. While other alcoholic drinks registered minimal volume growth, or saw sales decline, RTDs register double-digit percentage volume growth. Volume sales are now almost on par with wine.…

While spirits continued to be a popular alcoholic drink in the Dominican Republic in 2023, it registered a significant drop in volume sales. With the economy spluttering and prices also rising, consumers cut down on consumption of spirits, as prices…

Wine consumption remained low in the Dominican Republic in 2023, and also registered a significant drop in volume sales. With the economy spluttering, particularly in the first half of 2023, consumers cut down on wine consumption. That being said,…

Chocolate confectionery in the Dominican Republic is expected to register healthy current value growth, through a marginal fall in volume sales in 2024. The Dominican Republic has a thriving local chocolate industry and is one of the main producers…

Gum in the Dominican Republic is expected to register healthy current value and more moderate volume growth in 2024. Increased number of foreign tourists is also expected to boost volume growth. Chewing gum is mostly used between meals to clean teeth…

Ice cream is expected to be the best performing snack in the Dominican Republic, with healthy volume growth. Increasing numbers of foreign tourists is also expected to boost volume sales, with impulse ice cream and also frozen yoghurt through…