I travel to Chile on business fairly often. I confess it’s one of my favourite Latin American countries (the wine, the salmon, the mountains, the shopping…) and it’s also one of the markets that keeps us busiest here at Sunny Sky Solutions. From cable cleats to pollination bags, from screw jacks and static eliminators to biscuits and prams, many UK companies have trusted us to look at Chile. This country’s love affair with British brands is nothing new: on my last trip alone, on a quick visit to Costanera Center and without looking very hard, I managed to quickly snap 8 UK brands to get you thinking about this appealing market.
Leave us your comments below!
It’s not just about fame – niche brands can also find Chile an interesting market. Make sure you can compete on price, though, Chile is a very open economy and you’ll find competitors from all over the world.
Another advantage of Chile is its weather: hot in summer and cold in winter, with variations across its vast extension, which means you can sell hot chocolate or ice-cream, waterproof coats or bikinis!
Chile has the highest per capita tea consumption of Latin America, and Chileans also consume one of the highest per capita levels of wheat flour, too.
The Chilean retail scene is advanced and highly competitive.
It will take many years and a very committed team to enter the Chilean market successfully. Finding the right partner is key.
Chile is often a test market for retailers, who then can venture into countries like Peru, Colombia, Argentina or Uruguay from here.
Low import duties make Chile very attractive, as well as the ease of doing business and low levels of corruption.
Every time I visit Santiago I find a new British brand in town…
