AMI Blog

Every country in the world has been impacted by the recent COVID-19 health crisis, some more than others.  In the U.S. food and beverage industry, we are seeing the following trends: CPG Trends Brand switching from mainstream to value (decreased brand loyalty) Increase in Private Label Cost valued more than convenience Shift from premium toMore Information

The following trends are from primary research conducted by AMI’s UK representative, which are consistent with retail and foodservice sales trends in other European markets: UK Retail Sales Boom UK grocery sales +20.6% in March vs. LY The Big 4 supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda & Morrisons – +17.7% combined Discount retail giants Aldi andMore Information

With a higher basket totals, a preference for premium brands, and an eye for good value, Mexican Millennials, could be a great opportunity for US brands. La participación de los jóvenes mexicanos en el mercado es muy importante, son el segundo grupo con mayor desembolso en productos de consumo masivo, al gastar 4.0 por cientoMore Information

With special lower duty rates and import requirements, cross border e-commerce is a great channel for US companies looking to take their first step into China. Chinese consumers are increasingly e-shopping around the world. According to a study released July 31 by marketing and consulting agency Westwin, 67 percent of Chinese e-commerce consumers had aMore Information

Companies big & small, from whiskey to boats, are reassessing and changing their international strategies. We can help. Time and effort have gone down the drain for Steve Gould, who is scrambling to find new customers for his gin, whiskey and other spirits since the United States has taken a tough stance on trade issues.More Information

From pure online to hybrid on/offline experiences, China’s e-commerce platforms are shaking up the whole grocery industry! Want to know what Amazon.com Inc. will be doing in physical retail tomorrow? Look at what is happening in China today. If you’d taken this advice, you wouldn’t have been surprised when the behemoth spent $13.7 billion lastMore Information

A look at recent changes’ impact on Canadian consumers. A few days after Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports, worth a total of CAD$16.6 billion, came into effect, the question still lingers: What impact will this have on consumers at the cash register? Read More »

With 15% compound annual growth, India’s retail market is expected to hit $1.25 TRILLION this year! Total retail sales in India are set to hit $1.25 trillion by the end of this year — more than half of the country’s GDP of $2.3 trillion — as an increasingly digital nation spur people to shop moreMore Information

Chile’s commitment to free trade includes great opportunities for US Exporters. Integration, not isolation, is the key to sustainable development in a world bound ever closely together by information and transportation networks. Chile is committed to forging regional and international economic cooperation that can raise the standard of living for our own people and withMore Information

As Europe’s economies return to growth, some will shine brighter than others. Portugal’s No. 1 retailer Sonae expects the domestic market to grow at one of the fastest rates in Europe until 2022 and plans to open more local supermarkets and boost its online sales to tap the growth. Read More »

Duty free is not just for liquor, cigars, and handbags, it can be a great channel for a variety of quality US products. Global duty free and travel retail sales reached $68.6 billion in 2017, according to preliminary figures from Generation Research. The figures were revealed today by TFWA president, Erik Juul-Mortensen, in his welcomeMore Information

While the buzz has been on e-commerce platforms in China, Europe has a number of homegrown and multinational options to launch on too. Europe is one of the biggest ecommerce markets in the world, together with China and the US. It’s home to major online retailer companies such as Ikea, Zalando and Otto. But whatMore Information

Latin America offers some great opportunities for personal care brands to grow sales! Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Chile are the most dynamic and robust beauty markets in the Latin America, which is why Cosmetics Design is taking a closer look at the key trends and market data. Read More »

Accounting for all the market entry costs is an important part of any new country launch. Getting on a supermarket shelf in the UAE was never easy … these days it’s getting more so. Especially for new brands trying to catch the shopper’s eye. Read More »

618? 11.11? There is a lot of buzz about online sales in China. AMI can help find the way for your US Brand to tap into this channel that works for you. New Retail was front-and-center at Tmall’s annual 6.18 Shopping Festival, as the Alibaba platform looked to showcase the seamless integration of online andMore Information

With an economy growing at 7% annually, Vietnam’s retails sector is rapidly modernizing and consumers are scouting for premium offerings. Retailers from across Asia are flooding into Vietnam as the country loosens restrictions on foreign companies, racing to bring convenience stores and supermarkets to a market dominated by small business. Read More »

Rules on labeling, pack size, and even where you product can be in the store vary from country to country. For a kid, the most thrilling part of the supermarket is the checkout aisle. Piled with brightly-wrapped candies, it’s the perfect opportunity to test your abilities as a cat burglar—can you sneak a chocolate barMore Information

A great snapshot of the retail segment in this growing market. South Africa’s retail industry can be divided into five categories: wholesale, retail, motor, food and beverages (restaurants and catering) and accommodation. Read More »

With great growth and a penchant for quality goods, the UAE is a wonderful market for US FMCG. The value of retail sales in Dubai is expected to reach $43.8 billion (Dh160.7 billion) by 2021, while the emirate’s retail market is projected to record average growth of 5.6 per cent over the 2018-2021 period, newMore Information

Integrating online and offline strategies is becoming key to success in markets around the globe. China’s leading grocery retailers are forecast to grow at nearly double the rate of the country’s total grocery retail market by 2022, with experts highlighting five factors that will accelerate their advance. Read More »

Premiumization, Innovation, and clean labels are driving European consumers to more frozen food options. For years seen as the less glamorous alternative to fresh, frozen food has been making a quiet comeback across Europe. Olly Abotorabi, senior insights manager at IRI International, considers why demand for frozen is hotting up. Read More »

With the middle class making up 23% of its 170 million population, Nigeria, offers a a great opportunity for the right brands. In spite of its imperfections and newness, retail business had very good showing on entry into Nigeria, most probably because that entry coincided with the emergence (or re-emergence) of the middle class inMore Information

Increasing global awareness of the organic difference, is creating greater export sales opportunities to the Middle East. The appetite for organic foods in Saudi Arabia is on an upward trajectory, with a third of consumers (33 percent) purchasing more in the last 12 months compared to the previous year, according to a new survey. ReadMore Information

Modern grocery chains are taking the customer experience to new heights around the world. Cold Storage at Fusionopolis is a fully self-checkout store that boasts a wide range of ready-to-eat meals, a wine-tasting bar, a dining area and two meeting rooms that customers can book Read More »

While everyone likes a good deal, product quality is what brings European consumers back for more. Plenty of opportunity for premium US brands! Massive opportunity for retailers to invest in better quality to attract more shoppers, new report concludes. Read More »

While domestic sales kept them from achieving their targets, thanks to international sales, Hain Celestial was still able to pull off 7.5% overall growth. It seems that Hain Celestial anticipated a slower quarter, especially in the U.S. After all, the company noted in its earnings report that it expected to see a drop in U.S.More Information

Online or offline, knowing the influential local players can be key your brand’s success in new markets. Claudia Maria de Oliveira is wary of online shopping – but while browsing social media recently, the 49-year-old Brazilian spotted a bargain-priced sandwich press from local retailer Magazine Luiza. She swallowed her doubts and hit the “buy” button.More Information

With 16.9% growth, Korean online sales channels offer some nice opportunities for US brand owners looking to get into export sales. Retail sales in South Korea jumped 14 percent in February compared with a year ago on the back of upbeat sales at both online and brick-and-mortar stores, government data showed Thursday. Read More »

European shoppers are looking for innovative items too and demand is growing! The European grocery retail market will add €377.6 billion in sales to reach €2,289 billion by 2022, with growth in the region driven by the dynamic economies of Central and Eastern Europe, according to new forecasts from international grocery research organisation, IGD. TheMore Information

The often overlooked foodservice channel is rife with opportunities for US Exporters. More flexible menus and an increase of meal occasions from breakfast and all day brunch through to dinner has led to a €4.1bn increase in food service sales in 2017 to €335.9bn according to a new report launched by IRI GIRA Foodservice. TheMore Information

Online channels can be a great way for specialty brands to get started in new markets. Here’s a peek at some the more focused options in the UAE. No more crowded checkout lines. No screaming children to contend with. No need to race home to get the ice-cream into the freezer before it melts. TheMore Information

With great locations and a seemingly ever expanding selection of products, the convenience channel is king in Asia! Convenience stores will be the fastest-growing bricks and mortar channel in Asia over the next five years, as retailers expand their networks and shoppers change their shopping habits. Read More »

Japanese retailers are changing to meet their customers’ needs and US better for you products and healthy foods will definitely be in demand. For Japan’s older consumers, a trip to the shops is about much more than buying goods as the country’s retailers rethink how they’re catering for this growing demographic. Read More »

Modern Retail, including supermarkets and convenience stores, in Southeast Asia continues to experience stellar growth. Does your company have a strategy to tap in? Modern grocery retailers in Thailand are still growing but the sign of an impending slowdown is becoming more evident through increased competition. This trend can be observed in the overall pictureMore Information

Thanks in part to NAFTA, Canada is the “Number One Market for U.S. Agricultural Exports” and represents 25% of all consumer oriented ag. exports from the US. Total U.S. export value to Canada surpassed $20 billion in 2017, making Canada the leading destination for U.S. food and agricultural exports.Here are five points from the “Canada:More Information

We’re off to Asia with beer commentator Stephen Beaumont this month. Vietnam, to be specific, with the country serving as an example of how the continent is becoming the next battleground for beer’s higher-end players. Read More »

With 55% of Latin American consumers willing to pay a premium for high-quality, safe food, there is plenty of opportunity for US Brands! Latin American consumers across all demographics are interested in spending money on premium grocery products, particularly dairy, presenting strong opportunities for industry, according to Nielsen. Read More »

For US companies looking for additional growth, Bahrain and other Middle East markets make for great opportunities. Bahrain’s retail sector has been growing steadily over the past decade and remains one of the most dynamic sectors in the Kingdom, with an annual growth rate of 13 per cent, according to a new study by KPMG.More Information

With the world’s highest mobile money usage rates and consumer spending expected to reach US$1 trillion by 2020, the African continent could be an important part of your global e-commerce strategy. Today, Africa’s population is estimated at 1.2 billion people (15% of the world’s total). By 2050, the population of 26 out of 54 countriesMore Information

Even close neighbors like the US and Canada can have big differences in consumer preferences. Canadian grocery giant Loblaw recently announced it’s closing some stores and introducing home delivery of groceries in the Toronto market, while Walmart says it’s expanding its home delivery service. While it may feel that the Canadian market is late toMore Information

In Mexico, it turns out the key to online shopping is offline payments. In a nation where just about everyone prefers to pay cash, Amazon.com Inc. and Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB are pushing a hybrid payment system to encourage more shoppers to go online. Amazon is letting people pay for goods ordered on its website at the cornerMore Information

Modern retail channels are taking off in Vietnam with the entry of newcomers and expansions by existing players. Read More »

America’s grocery scene is in the midst of a major shake-up. Last year, German discount store Lidl announced plans to expand in the US, and Amazon bought Whole Foods – both of which threatened to upend the US grocery market and send established national chains into aggressive price wars. Read More »

As consumer rejection of artificial ingredients becomes more widespread, food and beverage manufacturers are searching for efficient, inexpensive ways to clean up their labels. But making the switch is easier said than done, especially since manufacturers don’t want to compromise on the taste, appearance and mouthfeel of a brand’s original product. This challenge is compoundedMore Information

In 2017, a growing number of Western retailers decided to go where they can grow. Toys “R” Us, Starbucks and now Walgreens are among retailers expanding their brick-and-mortar and e-commerce presence in China’s booming retail market. As Western retail markets contract due to bankruptcies, store closures and acquisitions, retailers are increasingly looking beyond their domesticMore Information

Consumers in the UAE can look forward to a greater variety of foodstuffs and ingredients, as international players such as the EU increasingly look to the UAE for exporting their products, experts have said. Speaking to Khaleej Times at the Sial Middle East exhibition in an exclusive interview, Ambassador Patrizio Fondi, head of the EUMore Information

China announced tariff cuts Friday on consumer goods including avocados, mineral water and baby carriages in a new effort to spur economic growth driven by domestic consumption and reduce reliance on trade and investment. Beijing faces pressure from the United States, Europe and other trading partners for better access to its growing market. But theMore Information

The ANUGA food and beverage show in Germany this month highlighted several emerging trends in the global food and beverage industry. Some of the same trends which appeared recently in the U.S. are now beginning to flourish in Western Europe. Others have originated in Europe, Asia or the Middle East and are making their wayMore Information

By notice dated July 11, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has delayed the effective date of the International Entrepreneur Rule to March 14, 2018, and will seek comments on whether or not to rescind the rule altogether. The International Entrepreneur Rule (IER), which was issued in the waning days of the Obama PresidencyMore Information

Companies we partner with are highly aware of the fact that international markets can provide their food brands with steady growth potential. However, the challenge is, how do companies unlock that growth potential without experiencing problems that can cost a lot of time and money? Often times we see food businesses begin exporting by accident.More Information

It’s normal to have hesitations when determining whether or not to export your food products. In fact, we would be slightly worried if companies had no concerns and proceeded to make the leap of entering into a new market without meticulous planning or research. Unfortunately, the more common reality is that we see companies loseMore Information

Toosum is exhibiting at the ANUGA trade show in Cologne, Germany. ANUGA is the world’s largest food and beverage trade show and is being held from October 10th to October 14th. This event showcases products in the Food & Beverage, Bakery, Beverage & Confectionery industries. Over 7,000 exhibitors from 100 countries bring the largest tradingMore Information

The Asia-Pacific region will account for two-thirds of the world’s middle class by 2030.  Chinese will be the majority of this massive consumption.  Today China’s urban middle-class population alone, if considered as a country, is larger than the total U.S. population.  Rapid economic growth and a huge migration to urban centers is creating a middle-classMore Information

U.S. Processed Food Historical Export Growth Processed food exports set another record in 2014 with a 2% growth rate and sales exceeding $46 billion.[1] It was the 5th straight year of record growth.  Some food categories grew very rapidly, such as prepared dairy products at 232% growth.[2]  Not only the processed food industry, but alsoMore Information