10 Best Selling Consumer Products in Brazil

We’ve collected all the best-selling consumer products in Brazil in one place, so stick with us and check out our list.

It seems that our shopping lists get longer and longer with all the new trends booming recently. Speaking as a woman, we need any excuse to shop and we will often spend more than we can afford to buy things that we absolutely don’t need. Why is that? Well, I guess that one of the many possible answers can be ascribed to our female nature and love for nice things, which I won’t even try to deny. But what really makes people rush into buying all sorts of unnecessary nicely wrapped things is actually marketing. No wonder we shop so much and end up penniless when companies invest a lot of money in marketing their products and making us want them. It’s not a matter of needing them at all, but in making us feel like we need them. When we see something appealing in the store that we don’t need, we will find a reason to buy it. It seems that hiring those marketing specialists really pays off. After all, we do live in a consumer society so no one can blame us.

We wrote about the Best Selling Consumer Products in the UK earlier, and today we wanted to explore the market in Brazil to see what are their favorite consumer products. The Brazilian market has been heavily affected by the economic crisis which led to a decline in consumer spending. According to a research and the data we relied on when making this list, consumer spending declined about 5% during the last two years, and consumers are now struggling to find cheaper products and avoiding big purchases. They have adopted new shopping habits and they now buy only the essentials, things that are absolutely needed in every household. The weak economy has made it difficult for young individuals to find employment, while those who are employed find it impossible to save money.

Despite all this economic turmoil and overall weak economy, Brazilian consumers still remain faithful to their favorite products. Also, the number of consumers who shop online is increasing, and so they are now spending more on online shopping than they used to. Online shopping is much easier and convenient than going to a supermarket so this explains the higher number of online shoppers.

But not everything is so gray. According to the research, the Brazilian economy is on its way to recovering after two long years of recession, with GDP slowly rising to about 2.4% per year. This recovery is stated to have begun this year and should gain full speed in 2018. This recovery, however, will not change things overnight, and the consequences of the economic crisis will still be visible in weaker consumer demand. But every recovery needs time and gradually Brazil will overcome its financial difficulties.

We set out to determine what do consumers usually buy most in Brazil, and what are the best-selling products in this country. It is safe to say that the results surprised us a little considering the economic conditions we discussed earlier. Even though the average consumer in Brazil merely spends money on the essentials, the products that are absolutely necessary for the household, certain products remained popular despite the fact that they’re not so essential such as chocolate or expensive baby wipes. Consumers did adopt new shopping techniques but they simply couldn’t give up some things that we all love. We reviewed the results of a thorough market research on Euromonitor International and we compared products from various categories selecting those whose sales increased in the recent period.  While many of these consumer products record nothing but decline in sales in the past few years, some of them remain popular among consumers. Check out our list of 10 best-selling consumer products in Brazil. 

10. Cotton Wool/Buds

Cotton wool/buds that are something we buy because we absolutely need it so it’s kind of an essential product in every household. The need for cotton wool/buds seems to be constant, and the sales are not dropping despite the economic crisis in Brazil. This is due to the fact that cosmetic purposes such as removing makeup, or for treating wounds are always there. It is predicted that sales growth of cotton wool/buds will continue to grow in the future, with a  CAGR (Compound annual growth rate) of 3%.

9. Dog Food

We want what it’s best for our dogs as they are considered to be dear friends and even members of the family. Dog food records a steady growth in sales in Brazil, and it is predicted that it will continue that way during this year and the next one. Since dog food is one of the essential products for pet owners, no wonder that sales haven’t gone down in the past few years, and it is not likely that it will in the future too as dog food is predicted to record a CAGR of 4% in 2017.

8. Dairy

Dairy seems to be one of the favorite best-selling consumer products in Brazil, especially milk and cheese which recorded steady growth in sales during 2016. Dairy products such as milk and cheese are also considered to be essential, especially milk which we usually drink for breakfast or eat with cereals, therefore, it’s present in almost every household. Cheese sales grew by about 4% while milk sales grew about 3%. Yogurt and sour milk are also very popular among consumers in Brazil.

7. Ready Meals

Despite the economic situation in Brazil which caused people to really think twice before buying something, ready meals are still among the best-selling consumer products in Brazil. Due to their convenience, ready meals became an essential product in every household everywhere, not just in Brazil, and this trend is most likely expected to continue in the future as they registered a retail CAGR of 5% in 2016. Frozen ready meals like pizza are among the best selling ready meals in Brazil. Ready meals are popular among busy people who don’t have the time to prepare their meals every day.

6. Toilet Care

Number 6 on our list of best-selling consumer products in Brazil is all about good hygiene that keeps the germs away and is considered to be essential. Toilet care products still manage to record a growth despite the bad economic conditions in Brazil. Since hygiene and toilet care are a priority to Brazilian consumers, they are prepared to spend as much money as needed on these products. Sales of toilet care products recorded a value growth of 6%, and are expected to have a steady growth in the future.

5. Baby Wipes

When it comes to babies, parents want what’s best for them and usually, the price won’t make a difference to them as they are willing to pay a little extra to get a high-quality product. Baby wipes, one of the best-selling consumer products in Brazil, recorded a positive growth in sales last year, and this is mainly because Brazilian consumers started buying more expensive wipes that last longer due to better quality. According to the research, before the economic crisis consumers actually bought regular wipes, but now prefer more expensive ones of higher quality. These wipes recorded a 6% CAGR in 2016.

4. Bleach

One of the most popular cleaning products and best-selling consumer products in Brazil is definitely bleach, with sales increasing by 8%.  The reasons for it are that it’s very affordable and it is very effective in fighting against the bacteria and unpleasant smells. It is often used as a substitute for other cleaning products which are much more expensive, especially in the times of economic crisis.

3. Sports Nutrition

The economic crisis in Brazil caused sales in all categories to slow down heavily, as disposable incomes are reduced and people cannot afford to spend as much as before. But sports nutrition continues to do well and records a current value growth of 9% in 2016 even though consumers are trying to reduce the consumption of these products or switch to cheaper varieties. It is possible that the growth will continue in the future.

2. Organic Beverages

How we eat and what has become a major issue in recent years, and people are spending more and more money on health and wellness products as part of their attempt to improve their health. Health awareness seems to spread across the entire world and people now pay much more attention to the ingredients used in products they consume on a daily basis. Therefore, the trend of organic beverages continues to spread, with 10% growth in 2016,  making them one of the best-selling consumer products in Brazil. It is expected that the trend will continue in the future with steady growth. Organic food, in general, is gaining popularity recently everywhere, not just among Brazilian consumers, and most shops and supermarkets now offer all sorts of organic products.

1. Oral Care

Despite tough economic conditions, oral care or toothpaste recorded a strong value growth rate of 12% and reached the first place among 10 best-selling consumer products in Brazil, although this is partly due to increased prices.  A great number of consumers with smaller budgets opted for cheaper varieties such as Colgate, but more expensive kinds also performed well in 2016. It is predicted that oral care will continue to perform well in the future.