Peru demonstrates that through specific actions it is possible to turn a country's gastronomy into an engine of development, a situation that generates opportunities to export a wide and diversified offer of food products.
The international positioning of Peru's gastronomic industry is the result of more than three decades of public/private actions aimed at turning gastronomy into an engine of development, driven by civil society.
Between 2019 and 2020, it is estimated that ice cream sales in the country increased by 6%, with supermarkets, discount stores and convenience stores being the main marketing points, as 7 out of every 10 units are sold in these establishments.
In recent years, ice cream consumption in the Guatemalan market has increased considerably, since between 2019 and 2020 sales increased by $8 million, going from $128 million to $136 million, according to Euromonitor estimates.
In the last quarter of 2020 and in January 2021 in Panama, Honduras and El Salvador interest in fast food reported a clear rebound, contrary to the situation in Guatemala, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, markets where Internet searches decreased.
Through a system that monitors in real time changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long term demand trends for the different products, services, sectors and markets operating in the region.
In the first six months of 2020, Central American countries bought $56 million in soups and their preparations, 14% more than what was reported in the same period of 2019, a rise that is explained by the behavior of Salvadoran, Nicaraguan, Honduran and Guatemalan imports.
Data from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graph"]
Personalized food, health and well-being, sustainability, zero waste and taste and indulgence are the five macro trends that impact the food sector in this new commercial reality.
The pandemic resulting from the outbreak of covid-19 has essentially served as a driving force behind most of the trends that had been developing before the crisis, only slowing down those linked to sensory experiences, concerns about the use of plastic in packaging and preferences for imported options, since the context has stimulated the consumption of brands and alternatives of local origin, according to an analysis by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Agency (Procomer).
In Central America, it is estimated that nearly 14 million people show an interest in fast food in the digital environment. Pizza, tacos, organic food and snacks are some of the terms that have best positioned themselves in the minds of consumers with high purchasing power.
An analysis of the interests and preferences of consumers in Central America, prepared by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, shows interesting results on the preferences and tastes of people in various foods, products, services, restaurant chains and activities.
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.
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.
Alimentos Ideal, Alimentos del Norte and Carnes Coclé are some of the companies that have won the most important contracts to provide food products to public institutions in Central America.
A study carried out by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData analyzes the companies that were favored during 2019, with contracts to provide different types of food to the governments of Central American countries.
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.
During 2018, sales of packaged foods in the United Kingdom exceeded $84 billion, and 36% corresponded to private label products, which have quickly entered this market.
The study "Trends and requirements of private label buyers in the food sector in the United Kingdom", prepared by Procomer Costa Rica, indicates that the United Kingdom stands out as the second country in Europe with greater penetration of private label.
In the tenth month of the year, the FAO food price index rose 6% from October 2018, explained by rising prices of sugar, meat, dairy products and vegetable oils.
From FAO's monthly report:
» The FAO Food Price Index* (FFPI) averaged 172.7 points in October 2019, up 1.7 percent (3 points) from September and 6.0 percent higher than in the corresponding period last year.
From January to March 2019, companies from countries in the region imported $47 million in food for dogs and cats, 12% more than was reported in the same period in 2018.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAPHIC caption="Click to interact with graphic"]