Berries, cherries and citrus fruits, fruits that due to their vitamin C content are generally associated with positive effects on the immune system, reported increases in sales in the US and European markets during March, April and May 2020.
In this context of new consumption habits, which emerged worldwide due to the outbreak of covid-19, banana sales (due to its high potassium content and its contributions to health) have been extremely positive.
Concern for health and a balanced diet, which goes hand in hand with the demand for food that is easy and quick to prepare, is one of the opportunities that can be taken advantage of by Central American exporters.
In the food market, the cultural variety stands out, due to the convergence of diverse culinary traditions generated by the relevance of tourism.
Explained by the uncertainty reported in the markets due to covid-19 disease, in June 2020 the global food price index registered a 2% variation from the previous month.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported that due to market uncertainty caused by covid-19 disease, prices of vegetable oils, sugar and dairy products rebounded to their highest level in several months after sharp declines in May, while in the cereals and meat markets most prices came under downward pressure.
What to consume, what to stop consuming, which habits to adopt to improve health and to which lines of expenditure to invest more financial resources, are some of the questions that consumers in Central America are asking in the context of the new normal.
The covid-19 outbreak generated a revolution in the markets of Central America and its different economic sectors.
How many people are interested in this type of food, where they are located, how old are they and what is their monthly spending level, are some of the questions that can be answered with the use of specialized geomarketing tools.
At CentralAmericaData we have developed a geomarketing tool based on interactive maps, through which it is possible to identify where people are and what characteristics they have as consumers. The map incorporates, for any country in Central America, variables such as population, income, average monthly expenditure and consumer interests. With this information, it is possible to identify potential clients and define promotional strategies accordingly, or also explore home delivery times from any point of sale.
Foods whose properties and benefits are well defined, and are produced by companies with sustainable practices, have the greatest potential to gain ground in a market that has been rapidly transformed.
Although in recent weeks’ e-commerce and analysis of how consumers buy in times of quarantine has occupied most companies, there are other trends that could define the food market, once the most critical phases of the covid-19 outbreak are over.
Removing commonly used beverage dispensers, signaling establishments to ensure social distancing, and installing doors with a foot opening are some of the adaptations that restaurants will have to make to operate in the new commercial environment.
The restaurant sector has been one of the hardest hit by the covid-19 outbreak, as in most countries the authorities have prohibited these establishments from serving their customers in the table area and only allow them to sell take-out.
So far this year, interest in fast food in Central American markets has clearly increased, with Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica recording the largest increases in interactions associated with the topic.
Through a system that monitors real-time changes in the interests and preferences of consumers in Central American countries, developed by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long-term demand trends for different products, sectors and markets operating in the region.
In the context of the current health emergency, Costa Rican companies working in the production of food and cleaning supplies have had to considerably increase their operations to cover the growing demand.
The covid-19 outbreak caused consumers to increase spending on basic necessities such as food and cleaning supplies in recent weeks, forcing companies in these sectors to work overtime, invest in equipment and hire more workers on a temporary basis.
The TGI Friday's chain decided to close its store located in the Oxygen Human Playground shopping center, in the province of Heredia, for a 90-day period.
"As you know, the food and beverage sector has been highly impacted, which is why we have taken the measure to suspend operations at our Friday's Oxygen store," explained a statement issued on March 21 by the company.
This sector would be one of the least affected by the covid-19 crisis in Central America, which would be partly explained by the performance of bottled water sales and dairy marketing.
The "Information System for the Impact Analysis of covid-19 on Business", prepared by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, measures the degree of impact that the crisis will have on companies according to their sector or economic activity, during the coming months.
As a result of the crisis generated by the spread of the coronavirus, producers predict that the demand for tuna in Central America will grow by about 50%.
Representatives of the Spanish conglomerate Calvo Group, say that in Panama the inventory of tuna prepared for all of March was exhausted in three days, due to the health emergency that markets in the region are going through.
Costa Rican businessmen who export cassava-based snacks agree that the product is accepted in different markets worldwide and that there are still opportunities to be exploited.
According to managers of the Costa Rican Chamber of Exporters, local companies engaged in the production of such products have the competitive advantage that the country harvests high quality cassava, because the sweet taste and levels of softness differentiate them from other manufacturers.
The Hooters chain announced that since February 3rd it closed definitively the establishment that was in Moravia, arguing that the sales levels required to be sustainable were not reached.
An official statement details that the closure was made because of " particular circumstances of the area (Moravia) that have occurred during the last year."
The world market for fresh and processed organic foods is one of the most dynamic today, with coffee, vegetables and tropical fruits being some of the products with the greatest business opportunities.
According to a study prepared by the Promotora de Comercio Exterior (Procomer), Switzerland is the market where the highest expenditure on organic food per person is reported, since it is estimated that consumption amounts to $325 per capita per year.