For the third quarter of 2021, an increase in Central American purchases of footwear and its parts is observed, reaching imports of $445 million in the period analyzed, with China being the main supplier with $168 million.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
Purchases of yarns and textile inputs as of September 2021 in the Central American region represented a 38% increase in volume, reaching 67,548 tons with a value of $245 million, with Salvadoran companies being the main importer.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
Retailers can apply location intelligence techniques and foot traffic analytics to understand consumer mobility patterns, measure foot traffic at each store, understand the performance of their outlets, and estimate competitor turnover.
The correlation between foot traffic visitation, sales, and the success of retail apparel franchises have been studied and proven, so the development of this type of analysis has become a priority in the site selection process and expansion modeling.
During 2020 Guatemala remained in the lead in regional imports with $51.5 million and the largest supplier of the year was China with 39.3%, in the year-on-year variation of Central America decreased by 14.76% by obtaining only $629.7 million compared to 2019 with $755.4 million.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
In recent years, Mexican footwear has gained importance in terms of the amount purchased, since from January to September 2012 it represented 2% of total regional imports and for the same period in 2020 the proportion rose to 5%.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"].
New Holland, a company engaged in the manufacture of clothing and which has been operating in the country for 15 years under the free trade zone regime, announced that it will close operations in the last days of May.
The company's decision to leave Nicaragua is due to the fact that the country does not have the adequate technological machinery to compete with the garments it manufactures for the Under Amour, Nike and Adidas brands.
produce between 8 and 9 million pairs of shoes, a figure that would double that reported in 2020 and generate revenues for companies of more than $120 million.
In the first weeks of the year, shoe sales in the Nicaraguan market showed dynamism, as more than one million pairs were sold due to the start of the school year, according to executives of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Leather and Footwear (Camcunic).
During the first weeks of 2021, interest in children's clothing measured by online searches and mentions in conversations in the digital environment, increased in Panama and Guatemala, and decreased in the case of the other markets in the region.
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 recent years Chinese footwear has become more important in terms of the amount purchased, since in the first half of 2012 they represented 27% of total regional imports and for the same period in 2020 the proportion rose to 39%.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
When the health crisis began, the number of Internet searches associated with women's clothing dropped considerably in all Central American markets, but in recent months’ interest has rebounded.
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 different products, sectors and markets operating in the region.
During the last few months in Central American countries the volume of searches and conversations on the Internet related to uniforms began to decrease, and by early November the trend was still downward.
Through a system that monitors in real time the changes in the interests and preferences of consumers in Central American countries, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long term demand trends for the different products, sectors and markets that operate in the region.
Between July and October 2020, the number of people in Costa Rica who were exploring options for buying sports shoes online decreased 26%, while the number of Honduran consumers looking to buy dress shoes increased 27%.
CentralAmericaData's interactive platform, Consumer Insights, monitors in real time the changes in consumer habits in all markets in the region and in other Latin American countries, with fundamental information to understand their behavior, new trends and anticipate eventual changes in their purchase patterns.
From January to July 2020, Central American companies imported $11 million in footwear and parts from Mexico, 5% less than in the same period in 2019, a decrease that is explained by the behavior of purchases by Panamanian and Guatemalan companies.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
In the context of the crisis in all markets of the region, the interest in formal garments collapsed, but in recent months the amount of digital consumer interactions associated with this type of clothing has begun to rebound.
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, sectors and markets operating in the region.