Brazilians ate more meat in 2023, study shows

A study by the Scanntech platform revealed a year 2023 full of changes in food retail. With the improvement in national indicators such as the unemployment rate, inflation and increase in average income, Brazilians adjusted their consumption, reducing the purchase of basic grocery items, while increasing consumption of perishable products, such as beef, eggs, poultry, cheeses and fruits, vegetables.

The beverage segment stood out with a significant growth of 11.3% in revenue, leading the advances among supermarkets and cash and carry stores. This trend was followed by notable increases in other sectors such as perfumery, with 11.2%, cleaning products, with 10.5%, grocery, with 9.9%, and perishable products, with 9.2%.

+Microsoft shares rise 1.5% and giant surpasses Apple as the world's most valuable company

Prices in several categories underwent adjustments throughout the year. Perfumery recorded the biggest increase, with 11.2%, while cleaning products, grocery, perishables and drinks recorded increases of +9.7%, +9.4%, +8.2% and +7.9% , respectively. Conversely, basic grocery experienced a drop in sales of -1.6% and prices of -1.3%. The flow of consumers in physical stores surpassed the previous year, especially in the first half of the year, reflecting the end of restrictions on the Ômicron variant. However, Carnival's performance was hampered by rain and rising prices, resulting in a -11.2% drop in sales.

Non-alcoholic drinks, açaí and ice cream benefit from the heat

Furthermore, non-alcoholic drinks gained ground over alcoholic drinks, increasing their market share from 44.2% to 45.8%. Juices, energy drinks, isotonic drinks and coconut water were the highlights. The success of this category is partially linked to the heat wave that affected Brazil in 2023, due to the La Niña phenomenon directly impacting consumption, such as ice cream which rose 69.2%, açaí 49.3% and isotonic drinks 46.2%.

“The year 2023 was marked by ups and downs in Brazilian food retail. Influenced by both climatic and economic factors, the sector adapted quickly, culminating in a positive and revealing balance of consumption trends in the country”, says Priscila Ariani, marketing director at Scanntech.