Conveying solid arguments to highlight the importance of the product or service, offering goods with long-term guarantees and being considered essential, are part of the strategies that could increase companies' sales in the new commercial reality.
The changes in people's habits that emerged in the context of the mobility restrictions imposed by the pandemic accelerated the transformation of Central American markets and completely changed the way consumers behave.
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.
Because of the social isolation and mobility restrictions that have been decreed by the health crisis facing the region and the world, restaurants will be forced to readjust their business model to the changes that will come in consumer behavior.
The spread of covid-19 has forced restaurant chains to reinvent themselves in order to continue operating, as in most countries of the region governments have banned the free movement of people and forced most commercial establishments to close.
The growth in life expectancy generates multiple market opportunities for groups of people over 50, who generally have higher budgets to spend, but are often excluded from brand messages.
According to reports from CentralAmericaData, so far in the 21st century life expectancy at birth has increased in all Central American countries.
Because between 2018 and 2019, the consumer's fixed expense free budget in Costa Rica is estimated to have decreased from 18% to 14% of total revenue, four out of ten buyers made the decision to change brands, and two are considering doing the same.
A study presented by Elfinancierocr.com, explains that women are the most affected by the economic situation of the country, since they said that after subtracting all their fixed costs, they only have 12% of their budget.
In the retail business, large distributors boost the sales of their own brand products through strategies aimed at consumers who prioritize the price factor over other elements when buying.
Globally, the tendency to buy private label products is becoming more and more evident in markets, as companies engaged in the retail trade of other products, such as supermarket chains, are capitalizing on their experience by placing their own products and competing with their suppliers.
At a time of economic slowdown, companies must immediately review business models and identify opportunities arising from the creation of new market niches.
In Central America, during the first half of the year, at least four of the six economies reported declines in productive activity. The most dramatic case is that of Nicaragua, which in February recorded a 7% year-on-year drop in the Monthly Index of Economic Activity (MIEA), a situation reported since the political crisis began in April 2018.
When brands don't know how to approach women, this segment of the population removes products from their value equation because they can't establish a rational, less emotional relationship.
4AM Saatchi & Saatchi White Rabbit together with Prensalibre.com carried out the study "A Guide to Understanding the Consumer", and one of its objectives was to understand how women behave with respect to brands in the Guatemalan market, in a context of economic slowdown.
The cheapest, most adaptable and irreplaceable brands are those preferred by consumers in Guatemala's current economic context.
4AM Saatchi & Saatchi White Rabbit together with Prensalibre.com carried out a study in the Guatemalan market, with the intention of understanding the reasons for the change in consumer behavior in the last two years, in a context of economic slowdown.
Traditional shopping centers must be reinvented to remain competitive, as globally consumers tend to spend more on experience than on products.
Although consumers look for experiences in the shopping centers they choose to make their purchases, the development of this concept is beginning in Central American countries.
The slowdown in the region's economies and political uncertainty are changing the way consumers in markets such as Guatemala, Costa Rica and Honduras make purchasing decisions.
The White Rabbit group carried out a study on buyer behavior in Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica, called "A New Guide to Understanding the Consumer", which analyses the perceptions prevailing in these markets in the region.
The slowdown in domestic consumption in Costa Rica, together with the local currency depreciation, will cause customers to buy fewer high-end technology products.
In the report published by the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) called the October-2018 Economic Situation Report, it is explained that the slow increase in credit, imports of final consumer goods and tax collection are clear indicators of a slowdown in domestic demand.