In 2024, inflation-weary Canadian households cut back their spend on fast-moving consumer goods. As we enter 2025 with a fresh focus, understanding the brands that won with Canadian consumers last year despite economic tailwinds will help Canadian business owners plan for growth in the new year.
Last year, consumers returned to nostalgic products, Gen Z showed off a sweet tooth, and New Canadian consumers invested in brands for their growing households. These are the brands to watch in Canada in 2025.
- Fastest Growing Brands of 2024
- Fastest Growing “Big Brands” of 2024
- Top Brands for New Canadians in 2024
- Top Brands for Gen Z Consumers in 2024
- Top Brands for Cannabis Users in 2024
- Top Brands for Struggling Households in 2024
- Top Brands for Affluent Households in 2024
Fastest Growing Brands of 2024
Canadian consumers focused on treats and indulgences— both healthy and not so healthy— this year. Kraft’s new line of shelf-stable, premium dressings and marinades topped the list, followed by Perrier’s premium sparkling water line, Maison Perrier, and another Kraft brand, the nostalgic Bagel Bites. Body Armor and Celsius both quench the thirst of consumers with active lifestyles, while Chubby Cola is a soda aimed for kids that recently returned to the Canadian market.
- Pure J.L. KRAFT
- Maison Perrier
- Bagel Bites
- BodyArmor
- Celsius
- Chubby Cola
- Feastables
- Kinders
- Prairie Mills
- Smithfield
Fastest Growing “Big” Brands of 2024
The fastest growing brands in Canada tended to be new launches or smaller brands hitting their big break, but more well-established brands also saw success in 2024. All of the brands on this list were purchased by at least 15% of Canadians last year. Kraft’s Jet Puffed marshmallows won over Canadian consumers in 2024, as did Naturipe Farms berries, Saveurs du Four baked goods, and Terra Delyssa extra virgin olive oil— suggesting that Canadian consumers are turning to more fresh and packaged goods at a time when economic concern remains high for most consumers.
- Jet Puffed
- Naturipe
- Saveurs du Four
- terra delyssa
- Kettle Brand
- Pepsi Zero Sugar
- Cavendish Farms
- Cadbury
- Wish Farms
- Windsor
Top Brands for New Canadian Consumers in 2024
Despite scaled back immigration targets, New Canadian consumers will remain a source of growth for Canadian brands and retailers. Understanding New Canadian shopping and consumer behaviour and determining how to set your business up for long-term growth with this cohort will remain a top priority for Canadian business owners. Many of the most popular brands among New Canadian consumers reflect the current lifestage of many New Canadian consumers— young parents investing in baby and household products— including Dr. Brown’s and Cascade, but treats like Chubby Cola, Lady Sarah, and Jacquot, and brands that reflect cultural tastes, like Spring Creek Quail Farms, also made the list.
- Chubby Cola
- Downy
- Elegant (Yogurt)
- Jacquot
- Lady Sarah
- Dr. Brown’s
- Spring Creek Quail Farms
- Molson Canadian
- MTR
- Cascade Platinum Plus
Top Brands for Gen Z Consumers in 2024
Gen Z consumers continue to grow in purchase power, a topic we explored in depth in our first webinar analyzing the consumers driving growth in Canada, which premiered at the end of 2023. Looking at this group’s top consumable brands in 2024, we see a variety of snack, candy, and beverage brands rise to the top.
- Feastables
- Chubby Cola
- BodyArmor SuperDrink
- Celsius
- Nerds Rope
- Natrel Plus
- Brunswick
- Pepsi Zero Sugar
- Big Daddy
- Dare Wagon Wheels
Top Brands for Cannabis Users in 2024
Canada’s budding cannabis industry has made an outsized impact on the CPG industry since at least 2022, when we shared that 19% of all grocery sales were made by Canadian CBD and recreational marijuana households. In 2024, cannabis users turned to classic snacks and sweets, including Chips Ahoy, Goldfish, and Sour Patch Kids, and pasta products like Classico sauces and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Cannabis users also turned to health-conscious brands: Mann’s vegetables and Jamieson vitamins made the top ten list for this consumer group.
- Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
- Christie Chips Ahoy!
- Pepperidge Farm Goldfish
- Sour Patch Kids
- Classico
- Armstrong
- Kraft Mac & Cheese Original
- Mann’s
- Jamieson
- Christie Oreo
Top Brands for Struggling Households in 2024
2024 was the year the Canadian inflation came back down to target levels of price increases— but consumers don’t necessarily feel better financially. Many Canadian households have maxed out their budgets, contributing to a tough environment for the Canadian CPG and retail industries. Our Feb 2025 webinar on Tariffs, Turbulence, and Tight Budgets: Checking in on the Canadian Consumer in 2025 dives into key distinctions among Canadian consumers by purchasing power, including struggling households (those with low purchasing power). The snack brands that won over other consumer groups in 2024 also performed well with struggling households— but so did more traditional food brands like Smithfield, Prairie Mills, and private label Guaranteed Value.
- Bagel Bites
- Feastables
- BodyArmor
- Reese’s Big Cup Caramel
- Guaranteed Value
- Celsius
- Chubby Cola
- Smithfield
- Organic Mushroom Company
- Prairie Mills
Top Brands for Affluent Households in 2024
Affluent households, another focus of our upcoming webinar on Tariffs, Turbulence, and Tight Budgets: Checking in on the Canadian Consumer in 2025, shifted towards premium beverage brands in 2024, including Maison Perrier and trendy prebiotic soda Poppi, which also topped our list of brands to watch in 2025 in the United States. Prairie Mills and Smithfield, two brands that resonated with struggling households, also won with affluent consumers in 2024, suggesting broad appeal across income levels.
- Maison Perrier
- Poppi
- Celsius
- BodyArmor
- Chubby Cola
- Prairie Mills
- Pringles Grab & Go Stack
- Kinders
- Mt. Olive
- Smithfield
Get in Touch to Learn More
Success in the new year starts with a strong foundation of consumer understanding, including which brands and categories drove growth with Canadian consumers last year. Interested in learning more about your brand or competitors’ 2024 performance? Reach out to our team today to get started.
Methodology Note: All of our lists are sorted based on a blended rank of household penetration growth and sales growth between 2023 and 2024. Brands on each list reached a minimum household penetration of 5% among the relevant audience in 2024, while those on the “big brands” list reached 15% or more.
