North America

Canada's credit landscape in 2023 is showing rises in lending, with more Canadians gaining access to lending products via traditional financial institutions and private lenders. At the same time, as the cost of living bears down on Canadians, thanks…

The primary challenges facing consumer lending in 2023 have been a continuation of 2022’s twin factors of higher inflation and increasing interest rates. While the story in 2022 was one of largely unchecked inflation affecting much of the US economy,…

The inflationary volatility of 2022 has continued into 2023, extending the impact on cooking ingredients and meals. Unit prices have climbed across categories in 2023, with edible oils seeing some of the largest jumps due to geopolitical strife and…

In the latter half of 2022, Canada opened its doors, discarding travel restrictions and welcoming a surge of new students and workers from overseas. Canada's financial institutions greeted these newcomers with a generous $2,000 credit card limit, and…

Canada's labour force shortage has placed mounting pressure on smaller businesses. Traditional checkouts are giving way to efficiency as s retailers scramble to optimise checkout speeds, and there is a growing trend of merchants leaning into…

The woes of edible oils in 2022 have continued to play out in 2023, as unit price rises have easily outpaced the inflationary growth of packaged food prices at-large. Many of the edible oils available in the US originate from other regions globally,…

In the wake of Covid-19 there was a notable shift away from cash transactions, while in 2023 (as in 2022) the retail value of personal cash transactions is rising rapidly. However, the surge has been fuelled by the inflation surges of 2022 and 2023.…

With the exception of the e-commerce-dominated meal kits category, in 2022 private label saw share growth across most categories in meals and soups, as consumers weathered inflated food costs. While unit price rises for ready meals look to be cooling…

Pre-paid cards is seeing continued robust rises across all metrics in Canada in 2023, with growth in some areas outshining that of 2022. This is in large part thanks to a wave of innovation from card issues that is redefining the landscape. One of…

At the end of the review period, much of sauces, dips and condiments has been characterised by the same price increases, decreasing volume sales, and increasing private label share seen in other packaged food categories. Mustard, facing inconsistency…

Store cards is recording only low growth in Canada in 2023, for several reasons. A glaring limitation lies in store cards’ narrowed reward horizons, compounded by a restricted usability across disparate retail chains. This inherent constriction has…

A salmonella outbreak in 17 states in 2022 was linked to The JM Smucker Co’s production facility, resulting in massive recalls for the leader in sweet spreads. The company’s positioning not only as a B2C player but also as an ingredient supplier for…

In 2023, the Canadian cooking ingredients and meals market is influenced by several key factors that are shaping the industry landscape. Firstly, food inflation has had a significant impact on the market, and Canada has been experiencing some of the…

Edible oils are currently experiencing one of the most significant price increases within the food group. The surging prices have raised concerns among consumers, prompting some to reduce their consumption. These price hikes, combined with growing…

The Canadian food market is experiencing a boost in meals and soups, primarily due to the surge in new product development activities. Canada's ambitious immigration programme, which has welcomed a substantial number of newcomers, has created a…

The segment of sauces, dips, and condiments is experiencing robust value growth, primarily fuelled by aggressive new product development activities conducted throughout the year. Manufacturers are introducing consumers to innovative products, with a…

Sweet spreads, often criticised for their high sugar content in products such as chocolate spreads, jams, preserves, and nut- or seed-based spreads, are undergoing a transformation. Companies are actively working to change the perception that these…

Sparkling flavoured bottled water continues to attract a high level of interest from consumers, as a natural sparkling soft drinks alternative. Sparkling flavoured bottled water is now a much bigger and more dynamic category than still flavoured…

After record-high inflation in 2022, consumer packaged goods companies have continued with necessary price actions in 2023. Most notably, carbonates has seen a unit price increase of around 10%. Companies have executed price increases using…

In Canada, there is a great deal of competition in coffee, especially as players seek to make their products more sustainable amongst an increasingly informed population that cares about the social and environmental impacts of their consumption. As a…