SBWire

In a context of import barriers, dollar clamp and high inflation, super premium beauty products did not appear to be negatively impacted as other premium and luxury categories. Retailers agree these products recorded an even better performance than regular beauty sets. One positive fact for the industry is it is not a focal one for import substitution. Additionally, there is an increasing monthly budget dedicated to beauty products, as Argentineans are keen maintaining their looks.

As with other dairy categories, cheese is expected to see an increase in average unit price in 2012, albeit much lower than that seen in 2011. Nevertheless, this increase, coupled to already very high cheese prices, is expected to result in cheese seeing a retail volume sales decline of 1% in 2012, despite the increasing purchasing power of customers as the effects of the economic crisis recede. In 2012, cheese prices increased as a result of high milk procurement price from farmers and the...

Overall tobacco saw constant value sales stagnate for the review period as a whole, while volume sales for most product areas declined. Sales were hit hard by a number of factors, including the 2007 public smoking ban, ongoing economic uncertainty and higher taxes. The government notably imposed a duty escalator on cigarettes in the last two years of the review period and adjusted the structure of cigarette tax in order to reduce the price differential between economy and premium cigarettes.

During the first half of 2012, Ukraine found itself embroiled in the so-called 'cheese war' with Russia. The products of the seven largest Ukrainian cheese companies were denied distribution within Russia as these products contain vegetable fats, which are no longer permitted in cheese in Russia. As a result, there was suddenly a major cheese surplus in Ukraine, which limited unit price increases in the category and also boosted cheese consumption in Ukraine.

The majority of cigars consumed in the Philippines are locally made while only about 12% are imported, mainly because of the competitive quality of locally produced cigars and their affordability compared to imported brands. Moreover, the volume of imported cigars declined from 2006 to 2011 and decreased significantly in 2011. Exports also declined during these periods while local production recovered from 2008 to 2011, after the declining trend from 2005-2007, signifying an increase in the...

Even though the per capita consumption of pasta continues rising in Costa Rica, the demand for traditional pasta already reached certain level of maturity among local consumers forcing more manufacturers to focus on developing complementary lines of products to attract buyers. The increasing availability of pasta specialities, health-orientated products (such as gluten-free pasta) and pasta-based ready meals are good examples of how manufacturers are using deeper levels of product segmentation...

The Generics market in Russia is dominated by foreign manufacturers in terms of value, despite high volume sales of local products. However, a raft of protectionist measures aimed at boosting the domestic manufacturing industry threaten to change the market landscape and will prompt a change in tactics by foreign branded manufacturers looking to maintain their lead.

New product development in 2012 led to the introduction of products offering improved convenience and efficacy, which has been an issue since 2010 when cleaning products were mandated by government environmental guidelines to remove phosphates. Products such as Finish Quantum from Reckitt Benckiser developed a multi-chamber technology that releases detergent as needed during the wash cycle, similar to Tide Pods in laundry care.

Indian satellite television service providers continued to witness huge growth in subscriptions throughout the latter part of the review period. This was due to the combination of new movies being broadcast on television before the original CD/DVD release, and increased sales of HD, 3D and Internet-enabled TVs. Due to the availability of these improved technologies consumers do not see the point viewing pirated CDs on their video players, as a result of which sales of such units are suffering.

Within built-in hobs, the switchover of gas hobs from induction hobs was a key trend in 2012. Given the reduced energy scenario following the 2011 earthquake, consumers continued to shift towards a gas generated power source as it is a cheaper alternative to electricity. This is especially true in new housing starts, as new apartments and homes were fitted with gas instead of induction hobs to increase electricity savings as the country struggled with a reduction in electricity capacity...

In 2012, the consumption of pasta sees a breakthrough in sales value and sales volume. Even though the only pasta served in Vietnam is dried pasta, more Vietnamese consumers have the chance to taste and enjoy this kind of Western food. Nevertheless, pasta is still perceived as an expensive or 'indulgence' food to be served in restaurants or food courts. Moreover, the number of consumers knowing how to cook pasta properly has been increasing slowly. Consequently, pasta still cannot replace the...

Gentle Braces, one of the renowned practices of orthodontists in Aventura, has announced the availability of Hidden Braces at its practice. These Hidden Braces are regular ceramic braces that are made of translucent material.

Gentle Teeth, a leading name in Pembroke Pines orthodontics, offers customer to book an appointment online through their online portal. This facility from the clinic allows user to save time and money as they may book the appointment at any time and they will be provided with best services at the time of their appointment.

Consumers have started to put more emphasis on cotton wool/buds/pads quality - a development which is increasing sales of branded products in Estonia. The price of cotton wool/buds/pads price is small enough in Estonia that many consumers with average or higher incomes do not pay much attention to how much brands in this area cost. However, price remains important for lower income consumers. Cotton wool, buds and pads are mainly purchased by women in Estonia and are used for a range of...

The growth of sportswear in Sweden is driven by health and wellness concerns, an increase in the availability and range of sportswear on the market and the market entry of a number of sports goods stores chains and internet retailers.

Pet care in the United Arab Emirates recorded healthy current value and volume growth throughout the review period. Just as the number of households in the country increased so has the United Arab Emirates' pet population and sales of pet care products. Nevertheless, current value growth slowed down in 2009 as a result of the economic crisis and the consequent departure of many expatriate workers, who continue to be the main purchasers of pet care products in the Emirates.

Spreads is expected to see the moderate value growth of 5% to reach Bt2.1 billion in 2012, up slightly from 2011. The greater influence of Western cuisine amidst the urbanisation trend in Thailand coupled with vast selections of spread products in the well contribute to the higher consumption of spreads, followed by the increase in the major counterpart products: bread, croissants and bagels. Increase in demand for honey is foreseen, promising growth due to the health awareness and naturally...

Euromonitor International's Industrial reports provide a 360 degree view of an industry. The Industrial market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the Computers and Office Machinery market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, packaging innovations, economic/lifestyle influences, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.

Euromonitor International's Industrial reports provide a 360 degree view of an industry. The Industrial market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the Weapons and Ammunition market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, packaging innovations, economic/lifestyle influences, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.

Canned/preserved processed food is expected to have value growth of 7% in 2012 thanks to canned/preserved meat and meat products and canned/preserved fish/seafood. Canned/preserved processed food was rejuvenated in the review period. Canned/preserved processed food includes many preservatives in order to increase the shelf life so consumers considered the products less fresh or less healthy compared to chilled processed food. Manufacturers tried to introduce low sodium and low fat canned ham...

With the South African economy in a period of recovery, the credit cards category saw growth rates approaching pre-2008 levels. For most of the review period, credit card growth was subdued, with debt levels at an all-time high. However, in the third quarter of 2012 official statistics were released indicating that the debt to income ratio was decreasing and that consumers had slightly more disposable income and thus access to credit. This has impacted positively on the credit card category,...

Breakfast cereals recorded stable growth during 2012, and is expected to post a 4% in current value. The 2012 growth was similar but slightly slower than the CAGR registered over the review period. A large number of elders purchase hot cereals for health. The increase in the number of elders and the appeal to products containing oats boosted breakfast cereals sales in Taiwan during 2012. Moreover, multigrain cereals are increasingly known by local consumers to be beneficial for health, so...

Consumer appliances in Sweden recorded positive retail volume growth in 2012 at a faster rate than the volume CAGR recorded over the entire review period. Nevertheless, the current weakness and uncertainty in the economic climate remained a common theme shaping developments in the industry throughout the year. The uncertain economic climate in Sweden is compromising consumer sentiment and increasing price sensitivity. However, this is not to say that there is no growth in the category as...

Private label continued to perform well within canned/preserved food; however health and wellness trends also impacted the category in 2012. The main health trend within canned/preserved food during 2012 was the increase in the use of organic vegetables. Examples included Wattie's Whole Kernel Organic Corn and Ceres Organics Chopped Tomatoes. Furthermore, reduced salt offerings particularly within canned meat and fish products also reflected another health and wellness trend.

Total vegetable consumption in India reached 124 million tonnes in 2012. Demand for fresh vegetables continued to remain strong as these are priced much lower than processed and packaged food items and are readily available across the country. The category, however, faced challenges in terms of insufficient rainfall impacting production. It also faced strong inflationary pressures. Of the total volume, 85% of sales were accounted for by consumers and the remaining 14% establishments such as...