Spain: Retail Foods
Link to report:
In 2019, the U.S. exported $1.9 billion in agricultural, seafood and forest products to Spain. In early 2020, during the lockdown measures in response to COVID-19 outbreak, the Spanish food retail and distribution sector was considered and essential activity and continued to function. Despite facing some initial difficulties and adjustments, Spain has been one of the countries with the fewest stock shortages compared to other neighboring countries. The sector’s challenge now is adjusting to the “new normal” and to the short and long-term changes brought on by the pandemic. In the peak of the confinement measures, the most popular retail food categories were flour and wheat-based products, eggs, fresh vegetables and fruits, sugar, chocolates, snack foods, and frozen seafood. Regional retailers and eCommerce took center stage as preferred ways to shop for groceries. The COVID-19 crisis rekindled consumer preference for domestic foods (food patriotism). This trend is expected to continue past the pandemic.