What Consumption Habits Are Observed At New Year’s Eve In LATAM?

We are about to close 2023 and with it a cycle of 365 days marked by a gradual return to daily life. The end of year holidays in LATAM involve the celebration of traditions such as Christmas. Despite the influence of the United States, these dates are enjoyed in the region with customs inherited from the past marked by the Portuguese and Spanish presence.

To cite an example, the season extends in one way or another until Three Kings Day in the first days of January. In the Mexican case, it can be presumed that it begins on December 12 with the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe and others consider that this season begins with the «posadas» from the 16th of the same month. However, these days are enjoyed with particular customs and purchasing habits that we want to review in this last entry of our blog this year.

Gifts. One of the greatest parallels with the United States and Europe is in the area of gifts. Whether through exchanges, whether voluntary or mandatory in schools and offices, or for the simple gesture of making someone happy, hundreds of gifts are given in the month of December. Among the most popular gifts are clothing accessories such as gloves and socks, a wide range of sweets and cups. To this item we must add the expense on bags, bows and wrapping paper.

Food and drinks. A gesture that is always appreciated in Latin America is sharing food with loved ones. Whether with «farofa de feijão» or «romeritos,» Latin Americans usually dedicate a larger budget to groceries in the last month of the year. Whether they are shared with coworkers or family, spending on ingredients and luxury and/or seasonal alcoholic beverages that are not purchased at another time on the calendar usually increases.

Trips. Now that many of the restrictions on people’s movement have been lifted, transfers from places of residence to the towns where the family gathers have resumed. This implies a very marked increase in travel that can make it torturous to buy a plane ticket or go to a bus station. Some people add to these trips pleasure travels to tourist destinations that are experiencing a high season due to this phenomenon and the arrival of tourists from the north who escape the winter weather.

Toys. Our territory is shared by “Santa Clós” and “Los Reyes Magos”. These characters have a big task these days looking for the best gifts for girls and boys who are waiting with hope for a reward for their behavior during the year. Toys of various types, whether analog like dolls and cars or digital like tablets and video games, are requested by the little ones in the house through letters hung on the Christmas tree or sent to heaven with balloons inflated with helium.

Unlike the immediate previous years, this year-end is perceived with less uncertainty. This will allow us to resume consumption patterns very similar to those we knew until Christmas 2019. Although there are new patterns waiting to emerge to join those listed above, there are others that will begin to fade to be replaced by new ones. Noticing and quantifying these changes is an objective of Market Research.

Acertiva celebrated 20 years of experience in 2023. We thank all our clients for their trust in helping them satisfy their consumer and brand knowledge requirements. We also send cordial greetings to all the members of our team and our strategic allies who allow us to offer tailored solutions. Finally, we hope that next 2024 will be a period of great growth and new projects for all those who read and share our content in this space. Thank you so much!



Fotografía de una mujer sosteniendo regalos estando a un lado de un árbol de navidad. Imagen de Sujit Manna en Pixabay. (Español) / Fotografia de uma mulher segurando presentes ao lado de uma árvore de Natal. Imagem de Sujit Manna no Pixabay. (Português) / Photograph of a woman holding gifts standing next to a Christmas tree. Image by Sujit Manna on Pixabay. (English)