Wine registered very healthy volume growth in the Dominican Republic and in fact was the best performing alcoholic drink in 2024. In a country more associated with rum and beer, wine has seen significant volume growth over the review period. The pandemic in particular stirred a growing interest in wine, since many people tried wine during lockdowns. In addition, retailers such as modern grocery retailers and specialist retailers have also been a key driver in this growth, expanding their offerin

Cider/perry was the worst performing alcoholic drink in the Dominican Republic in 2024. Volume sales fell significantly and this was from an already low base. The seasonality of cider/perry is one reason for its continued muted sales, with sales concentrated around Christmas and New Year. Its failure to develop beyond this continued to dampen sales.

Beer continued to be the most popular alcoholic drink in the Dominican Republic by far and registered healthy volume growth in 2024. Its affordability compared to other alcoholic drinks supported volume sales. A particularly warm summer also contributed to volume growth, as beer is seen as a refreshing drink. Mid-priced beer continued to account for most volume sales, though imported premium beer registered the highest volume growth.

It was a mixed picture for alcoholic drinks in the Dominican Republic in 2024. While wine and beer performed well, volume sales for spirits, RTDs and cider/perry all fell. In terms of beer, its affordability supported volume sales, as consumers continued to be price sensitive, after several years of price hikes. In addition, consumers find beer refreshing during the hot summer months. This price sensitivity was one reason for the decline in spirits, as it more expensive than other alcoholic drin

Volume sales of spirits fell in the Dominican Republic in 2024, Spirits are more expensive that other alcoholic drinks and after several years of rising prices, consumers continued to be price sensitivity. This contributed to the fall in volume sales. In addition, the maturity of spirits also dampened volume sales. Dark rum, followed by white rum, continued to account for most volume sales and together both accounted for more than half of volume sales. However, volume sales fell for both dark an

There was a decline of volume sales in RTDs in 2024. Although RTDs have seen growth in recent years, mainly from younger consumers of under 30-years-of-age, competition with beer in the last year, whose price per litre is much lower, negatively impacted sales. Spirit-based RTDs continued to dominate. The combination of flavourful mixes and budget-friendly pricing makes them a preferred choice. However, wine-based RTDs, while having lower penetration compared to spirit-based RTDs, performed bette

There was a significant fall in volume sales of cigarettes in the Dominican Republic in 2024. This was both to a continuing reduction in smoking prevalence, as well as a continuing rise in illicit trade. In terms of reduced smoking prevalence, smoking restrictions, higher taxes, and public health campaigns all contributed to the decline. That being said, smoking rates were still high. In terms of illicit trade, this has consistently grown over the review period, with supplies mainly coming in f

Cigarettes continued to be the most popular tobacco product in the Dominican Republic in 2024, in terms of volume sales. However, it registered a significant fall in sales in 2024, largely due to a continuing reduction in smoking prevalence. That being said, the rising illicit trade also contributed to the decline in licit volume sales.

The Dominican Republic is a world leader in premium cigar production, standing out for its focus on high-value-added products that are appreciated in markets such as Europe and the United States. This standing has been supported by the adoption of new technologies in both the cultivation and manufacturing processes, which has allowed for greater efficiency and diversification in production. The government's role has also been fundamental in strengthening this industry, through institutions such

Both e-vapour products and heated tobacco registered both healthy value and volume growth in the Dominican Republic in 2024. Many are switching to these new alternatives, as they are perceived as less harmful. A lack of restrictions also drove growth. However, there is growing concern about the increasing adoption of e-vapour products in particular among younger consumers of under 30-years of age. This situation is exacerbated by the lack of clear and specific regulations, which has led to a hig

The number of households is set to increase moderately, while the average household size will remain unchanged in Dominican Republic over 2024-2029. Couples with children will remain the dominant household type but the fastest household expenditure growth is forecast to be recorded by single person households. In addition, the share of households living in urban areas is projected to expand to 87.8% by 2029.

Sales of hair care saw a positive performance in both value and volume terms in the Dominican Republic in 2024. For local consumers, and especially in the female demographic, hair care tends to be a priority. Indeed, local consumers believe that self-care begins with paying special attention to hair care. Seeking to show clean, shiny, silky hair, with no split ends or dandruff, are patterns sought by the majority of Dominican women, regardless of the socioeconomic segment to which they belong.

Men’s grooming sustained positive sales in the Dominican Republic in 2024, in both value and volume terms, albeit with volume notably lower than value. The current generation of Dominican men is more actively involved in the purchasing decisions of beauty and personal care products for their use than seen in previous generations, with the latter more inclined to use products purchased for them by their partners, or those for general family use However, male grooming rituals are adopted more regu

Fragrances maintained healthy value and volume sales in the Dominican Republic in 2024, despite recent cost-of-living pressures. Indeed, demand for fragrances shows no sign of slowing down. Rather, feel-good factors remain of high importance to Dominican consumers, extending into beauty rituals which include, among other aspects, the regular use of fragrances.

Sales of beauty and personal care maintained healthy grown in the Dominican Republic in 2024, in both value and volume terms. Indeed, in 2024, the Dominican economy showed a favourable performance and, according to figures from the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, GDP growth was close to 5%, positioning itself among the countries with the best performance in the region. Meanwhile, inflation also came down to 3.4% [according to both Euromonitor International and Central Bank data]. However

Depilatories maintained positive sales in the Dominican Republic, in both value and volume terms, supported by beauty trends which favour the use of such products. Indeed, aesthetic and beauty patterns adopted by the vast majority of Dominican women make body hair undesirable. This aesthetic preference continues to be adopted by younger generations of women, in particular. However, the category is showing more moderate growth in retail volumes. This is due, firstly, to the fact that this habit i

Sun care maintained positive sales in the Dominical Republic in 2024, in both value and volume terms. Awareness about the importance of skin care and the potential harmful effects of sun exposure continues to increase among Dominican consumers. The natural geographical conditions of this country, being located in the Caribbean Sea, mean local consumers have a habit of enjoying recreational activities outside the home on a regular basis, thus frequent exposure to the sun. Going to the beach or do

Bath and shower maintained positive sales in the Dominican Republic in 2024, in both value and volume, although with value stronger. The use of these products is a habit already widely adopted by local consumers and, given the local climatic conditions of high temperatures and high levels of humidity, bathing is a frequent occurrence — for a large part of the population, even more than once a day.

Deodorants maintained positive sales in the Dominican Republic in 2024, in both value and volume terms. The use of deodorants is a habit widely adopted by the majority of the population, in demographics ranging from young adolescents to older adults, with the use of the product being common in both urban and rural areas. Feeling comfortable with the effects of sweating is important among local consumers, considering the country's high temperature climatic conditions also lead to a tendency to sw

Oral care maintained positive growth in the Dominican Republic in 2024, in both value and volume terms, and with growth a little higher than seen in 2023. The use of oral care products and the daily brushing of teeth is an important habit for Dominicans, understanding that this impacts their overall health. Although this behaviour did not change significantly in 2024, greater caution was observed in the choice of products. The higher cost of living accumulated in recent years led local consumers

Skin care maintained positive sales in the Dominican Republic in 2024, in both value and volume terms, albeit with value higher than volume. Skin care practices continue to expand to new demographics in the country and, despite the country experiencing a period of higher living costs over the recent years, demand for these products continued to show positive growth, proving that skin care awareness is growing stronger among local consumers. Although the use of skin care products tends to be asso

Colour cosmetics maintained positive growth in both value and volume terms in the Dominican Republic in 2024, with volume growth also slightly higher than seem in 2023. This demonstrates the resilience of such products in the country, even in times of economic hardship. Indeed, whilst inflation is coming down, the higher accumulated costs of living have continued to influence purchasing behaviours. Despite this context, colour cosmetics shows sustained growth, demonstrating that Dominican women

Baby and child-specific products maintained healthy value and volume growth in the Dominican Republic in 2024. Although Dominican parents have faced a higher cost of living in recent years, this has not been reflected in a contraction in purchases of beauty and personal care products for children. Dominican parents tend to prioritise purchasing children's products over other family expenses, making the category appear resilient in periods of higher living costs such as those experienced in recen

Mass beauty and personal care achieved a positive sales trajectory in the Dominican Republic in 2024. In recent years, Dominican consumers have faced higher costs of living, which have resulted in more cautious spending habits and regulated purchases. However, at the same time, beauty and personal care habits are strongly rooted in the behaviour of Dominican consumers, who are not willing to give them up, even in periods of budgetary challenges. In this context, mass-priced products become espec