North America

In 2023, personal accessories saw robust current value growth, building on the strong recovery observed in 2022 as COVID-19 safety restrictions were lifted. In particular, the first half of 2023 saw local consumers update and enhance their personal…

Connected watches sustained their growth trajectory in 2023, boosting the performance of the entire category, which otherwise saw modest current value growth and volume decline. Smart wearables performed well thanks to their advanced features and…

In 2023, writing instruments, including subcategories such as pens and pencils, registered stable current value growth thanks to high inflation and as consumers returned to pre-pandemic habits and norms. The back-to-school season was a key sales…

Cannabis sales growth is being driven by adult-use cannabis, with a growing user base linked to the illicit market, growing social acceptance and fair pricing. Heightened consumer stress as a result for inflation is also encouraging growing use,…

The health and wellness industry continues to grow in importance post-pandemic as consumers become more aware of the negative health impact of processed foods, seeking healthier foods and beverages from a range of claims such as natural, organic,…

While the impact of the pandemic started to gradually wane in Canada towards the end of the review period, echoes remained in 2022. For one, wellbeing and health trends were at the forefront of consumers’ minds as they were still concerned about…

2022 witnessed some significant movement within dairy products and alternatives in Canada. Despite only recording modest growth, brands of both dairy and plant-based alternatives are competing on all fronts for their respective consumer base. With…

Since the drastic increase of at-home consumption of hot drinks in response to the pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns, demand for hot drinks appeared to have somewhat normalised in 2022. Local consumers are enjoying hot drinks, usually in the form of…

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, home seclusion lasted considerably longer than expected in Canada. When these restrictions were first introduced in 2020, home snacking surged and then remained constant through 2021 and 2022. While hybrid lifestyles…

The momentum regarding the general health and wellness trend preceded even COVID-19, as local consumers searched for ways to prioritise their wellbeing through soft drinks. As the pandemic substantially impacted the lives of consumers, interest in…

2022 observed a shift back to foodservice volumes rather than retail within Canadian staple foods. As Canadians returned to the workplace and restrictions lifted, consumers started to once again spend time participating in activities outside of the…

In 2022, packaging in Canada was consumer-centric, with their lifestyles and demands shaping the packaging industry. Sustainability was the key concern driving packaging innovation in Canada in 2022. The Canadian government released its Single-Use…

In 2022, the US saw a significant rise in the demand for convenient packaging solutions, reflecting evolving consumer lifestyles and preferences. This trend was catalysed by a multitude of factors, including the busy, on-the-go nature of modern life.…

2023 represented the first full year of a post-pandemic world for most people in the US, and the return to somewhat normal life helped to drive recovery for categories within cafés/bars that had struggled during the peak pandemic years. In…

The sale of food through drive-through has continued to grow, and in 2023 remained elevated above the pre-pandemic level. The growth of drive-through ordering was fuelled by the desire to avoid human interaction during the pandemic, but has stuck as…

After three years of having at least a period of time in the year when COVID-19-related restrictions affected restaurant visits, many operators looked forward to 2023 as the first year of a return to normalcy. High inflation and its reverberating…

While inflation affected customer traffic across consumer foodservice categories, full-service restaurants saw a stronger decline in traffic, as some consumers traded down to fast casual and fast food. While growth after the COVID-19 decline helped…

2022 and 2023 saw some of the highest rates of inflation that the US had experienced in years. As ingredients costs increased, and a tight labour market pushed labour costs higher, brands across limited-service restaurants increased menu prices to…

The major storyline for self-service cafeterias in the US in 2023 was its continued rebound as pandemic-era health restrictions receded. Self-service cafeterias was particularly hard-hit in the depths of the pandemic, due to logistical concerns about…

The federal beverage alcohol duty was set to increase by 6.3% on March 2023, which would have forced some bars and restaurants out of business. However, the federal government decided to cap the increase at 2% on April 2023, which will stay in place…