#8 | CHRISTMAS: Celebrating tradition with innovative touches.

Christmas is a time for celebration, connection, and generosity, reflected both in consumer habits and in the appreciation of family experiences and traditions.

The purchase of food and beverages for personal consumption and gift-giving is quite common to celebrate the holiday. In addition, the Christmas spirit stimulates feelings of nostalgia, joy, and belonging, which are important for consumers' mental and emotional well-being.

For christmas, the main trends in food and beverages revolve around 3 major themes:

TRADITION

CELEBRATING TRADITION WITH INNOVATIVE TOUCHES:

Consumers continue to value foods and beverages linked to nostalgia and Christmas traditions, but seek novelty in formats, flavors and presentations.

UNEXPECTED FLAVORS

Typical winter and Christmas flavors—such as vanilla, chocolate, dried fruits, spices, and citrus—continue to be prominent. However, innovation is gaining momentum by allowing for unusual combinations and surprising ingredients, bringing freshness, curiosity, and novelty to new products.

VISUAL APPEAL

EXPLORING PREMIUMIZATION THROUGH VISUAL APPEAL

The appearance of products is essential, both in packaging and in presentation at the table. Vibrant colors, creative shapes, and multifaceted textures make items more attractive, especially for gifts and sharing on social media.

SWEET GOODS REPRESENT THE PRIMARY CATEGORY DRIVING CHRISTMAS INNOVATION!

Together, chocolate and other confectionery represent 1/3 for all launches.

Seasonal product launches grew significantly on the global stage, with a CAGR of +11.6% between 2022 and 2024. And Latin America also maintains this optimistic momentum in launches, with a CAGR of +5.2% in the same period.

Source: Mintel - past 3 years

of Brazilians prioritize Christmas for gifting food and beverages.

of Peruvian households planned to  spend more money on food and beverage purchases  during the Christmas season.

represents Chileans' spending preferences on food during the Christmas season.

Source: Mintel

HOW DOES THIS TRANSLATE INTO MARKET DYNAMICS?

MARILAN – Brazil The Marilan Group has focused on flavors inspired by global tradition: gingerbread, cherry and candy cane,  that also spark curiosity and delight among Brazilian consumers.	FINI – Brazil The limited-edition launch combines the nostalgic taste of gingerbread cookies with their notes of cinnamon and spices, along with the brand's fun and iconic texture.	WECOFFEE – Brazil CHOCO CHRISTMAS:  a delicious and refreshing iced coffee drink with chocolate syrup, spices, whipped cream, and cherry. RED MERRY: creamy shake made with vanilla ice cream, red berries, whipped cream, and cherry.
BAUDUCCO - Brazil Classic format meets a trendy pistachio flavor in a rich, indulgent filling.	CHESTER WHOLE BREAST WITH ORANGE SAUCE - Brazil is a tender, seasoned chicken breast cut, ready to roast and accompanied by a special orange sauce. Perfect for festive occasions, it serves up to 4 people and combines convenience, rich flavor, and Perdigão’s traditional quality.	CASA BAUDUCCO - Brazil Refreshing drinks come in panettone slice, Chocottone® slice, chocolate cookie, café au lait, caramel and strawberry versions.
ALPINA - Colombia Special Christmas edition, dairy food to mix with vanilla-flavored chips.	HERSHEY/KISSES - Colombia Christmas edition chocolates.	CNCH - Colombia Limited edition for Christmas, Jumbo Mix White butter cookie coated with caramel, chopped peanuts and white chocolate coating.
NUTRESA - Colombia Vienna sausage in BBQ sauce flavored with the country's iconic liquor, “Ron Viejo de Caldas," Christmas edition.	JUMEX – Mexico Nectar flavored with Ponche Navideño, a traditional Mexican Christmas hot drink.	SIGMA– Mexico Manchego Cheese Special Reserve with 120 days of maturation.
COSTA - Chile Special Christmas cookies. Assorted sweet cookies	NUTRA BIEN - Chile Traditional Christmas cake. A sweet bread with ginger, honey, walnuts, almonds, and candied fruit.	COSTA - Chile Cookie filled with cinnamon and spice flavored cream. Special Edition
LA FETE - Chile An Advent calendar with chocolate and candies. Limited edition	ARCOR COFLER – Argentina  Arcor launches its new Cofler Filled Panettone, blending holiday tradition with indulgence — available in Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chip flavors.	HAVANNA – Argentina  Havanna offers a Panettone filled with dulce de leche and chocolate chips, combining the light, airy texture of traditional holiday bread with a rich, indulgent core.

READY TO BRING CHRISTMAS FLAVORS TO LIFE?

Whether you're creating indulgent chocolates, reinventing favorite giftable products, or adding a festive touch to modern creations, our experts are here to help. Together, we can create seasonal flavors that celebrate tradition, stir emotions, and transform each product into a moment of joy and celebration.

Contact your account executive and let's make this Christmas unforgettable.

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