Understand the cultural and socioeconomic influences that shape i...
Understand the cultural and socioeconomic influences that shape industry demand throughout Asia-Pacific, with local insight, market statistics and analysis ranging from strategic regional overview to in-depth coverage by country or city.
After a year of significant decline in 2022 due to pandemic restrictions, in 2023 apparel and footwear specialists continued to see a slight fall in current value sales in China, despite the lifting of restrictions. With the end of the pandemic,…
Apparel and footwear specialists saw a significant rebound in sales in Hong Kong in current value terms in 2023. Inbound tourism and private consumption continued to recover in 2023, and improvements in household income helped retail sales to rebound…
Apparel and footwear specialists maintained double-digit current value growth in India in 2023, along with continued growth in outlet numbers. After significant disruption during the pandemic, the channel returned to the 2019 level of sales for the…
Apparel and footwear specialists saw further current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. In the post-COVID-19 environment, consumer experience has become increasingly important, with consumers expecting comfort and unique design in stores. Gen Z and…
The leading player in apparel and footwear specialists, Fast Retailing, has been focusing on experiences in its stores. Having both an offline and online presence, the retailer aims to differentiate its physical stores by providing customers with…
Reopened borders in 2022 and relaxed movement restrictions resulted in sharp rises in foot traffic in malls, boosted by locals and the return of international tourism. Festivities such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the widespread use of promotions…
Apparel and footwear specialists in Singapore continued to record robust growth in 2023. This was largely driven by the full-scale resumption of social activities and international travel. 2023 witnessed a full year of the effects and benefits of…
Outlet numbers in apparel and footwear specialists in South Korea remained fairly static in 2023, after several years of decline. Meanwhile, although sales failed to return to anywhere near the pre-pandemic level in current value terms, they…
In 2023, the retail sales of apparel specialist retailers in Taiwan bounced back significantly. Following a double-digit growth rate in 2022, which surpassed the modest growth recorded in 2021, several major international brands displayed remarkable…
Overall current value sales rose in 2023 for apparel and footwear specialists in Thailand, partly benefitting from the continued post-pandemic rebound. Thailand is a difficult market for fast fashion players, however. Even before the pandemic,…
Apparel and footwear specialists registered strong growth in current value terms in 2023. This was attributable to an increase in mobility, with consumers returning to their pre-pandemic shopping routines. The year also saw more consumers returning…
Apparel and footwear specialists in Vietnam remained significantly impacted by a range of negative factors throughout 2023, even though global inflationary pressures led the Vietnamese government to lower the tax rate to 8% from July until the year’s…
In 2023, sales of consumer appliances and consumer electronics saw solid growth in China, thanks to the end of the pandemic, and the “Old for new”, and “Subsidies for green and energy-saving household appliances” policies. However, despite this, and…
After the disruptions to value sales during the 2019 protests and pandemic in 2020, appliances and electronics specialists returned to current value growth in Hong Kong in 2021 and 2022. However, in 2023 appliances and electronics specialists…
Appliances and electronics specialists maintained solid current value growth and growth in outlet numbers in India in 2023, despite the competition from online retailers of such products. This is mostly because store-based retailers have been…
Appliances and electronics specialists saw continued current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. While some of the leading players in this channel, such as Erajaya Swasembada and Electronic City, continued to expand their retail networks in 2023, the…
Yodobashi partnered with Fortress Investment Group in the acquisition of the department store brands Seibu and Sogo from Seven & i Holdings Co Ltd, and is hoping to establish a new store in Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro is one of the largest towns in Japan,…
The pandemic lockdowns negatively affected some store-based appliances and electronics specialists. Nonetheless, with the lifting of restrictions and the reopening of international borders, sales benefited from the pent-up demand accumulated during…
Albeit recording slower growth compared to the previous year, appliances and electronics specialists in Singapore experienced another positive performance in 2023. In February 2022, the local government announced that the prevailing rate of Goods and…
Appliances and electronics specialists maintained its long-standing decline in outlet numbers in South Korea in 2023, and although it returned to growth in current value terms, this only made a small dent in the losses experienced since 2019. The…
Appliances and electronics specialists in Taiwan witnessed a fluctuating trajectory in 2023, shaped significantly by seasonal sales trends. While the pandemic-induced surge in demand for remote working and online schooling propelled sales of personal…
Current value sales in appliances and electronics specialists in Thailand continued their post-pandemic rebound in 2023. Over the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023, the Thai government introduced several stimulus measures, including the offer of cash…
2023 proved to be a positive year for appliances and electronics specialists in the Philippines, supported by increased foot traffic in shopping malls and other retail centres. There was also an improvement in consumer confidence, particularly during…
2023 saw declines in demand for appliances and electronics specialists in Vietnam, with deep drops in current value sales as global economic uncertainty prompted consumers to adopt a more cautious approach towards their spending habits - particularly…
Even after seeing strong performances throughout the pandemic years, convenience retailers maintained its growth momentum in current value terms in China in 2023, with growth in outlet numbers also continuing. Even as the pandemic eased, consumers…
Although seeing a slowing of its growth rate compared with the previous year, convenience retailers maintained solid current value growth in Hong Kong in 2023. Convenience stores remained overwhelmingly dominant within convenience retailers in 2023,…
Convenience retailers returned to current value growth in India in 2023. This is a relatively small channel with low penetration in the country, with outlets predominantly located in tier 1 and tier 2 cities. There are just a few major players in the…
Convenience retailers saw current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. Urbanisation is a key factor influencing the growth of convenience stores in the country. Many people move to big cities in search of work or education, and they need places to shop…
On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government announced that it would reclassify COVID-19 as a class 5 infectious disease, which is the same classification as seasonal flu. This shift pushed consumers in Japan to go back to their pre-COVID-19 behaviours,…
Social distancing measures remained in effect in Malaysia in 2021, with consumers forced to avoid spending time outside of the home wherever possible, and huge numbers of white-collar professionals, office workers and service industry personnel were…
The full recovery of convenience stores in Singapore, which dominates value sales and outlet numbers within convenience retailers, has been driven by the resumption of pre-pandemic lifestyles. Consumers have returned to schools and offices, as the…
Convenience retailers maintained dynamic growth in current value terms and in terms of outlet numbers in South Korea in 2023. The number of convenience retailers surpassed 50,000 in 2021, and this figure increased to nearly 60,000 in 2023. The…
In 2023, convenience stores in Taiwan experienced expansion driven by various factors such as summer travels, festive seasons, typhoons, and back-to-school/work periods, all of which boosted demand for fresh food, coffee, packaged snacks, and…
Convenience stores in Thailand continued to recover and rise in 2023, with expansion in terms of outlet numbers a major driver. Rapid urbanisation, longer working hours, and declines in average household size boosted demand for smaller-format stores…
Convenience retailers in in the Philippines recorded a dynamic performance in current value terms in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. This was largely attributable to the aggressive activities of incumbent players, such as Philippine…
2023 saw convenience stores in Vietnam continue to expand rapidly in terms of number of outlets, especially into urban areas, as local lifestyles became increasingly busy. Convenience stores resonate with Gen Z consumers and students, gaining…
Direct selling saw sales boosted during the pandemic, and the impact has persisted post-pandemic, with growth accelerating again in 2022 after a slowdown in 2021 The channel remains far from saturation or maturity. The key factors driving the…
Several years of current value decline were seen in direct selling in China during the pandemic, as the direct selling business model relies heavily on hosting meetings or gatherings to introduce products and recruit new sales personnel, which was…
Direct selling returned to growth in current value terms in Hong Kong in 2023. However, during the pandemic the channel saw little disruption compared with many others in retail, holding up relatively well, with only minor declines. Social media…
Direct selling saw solid current value growth in India in 2023, although the rate of increase slowed compared with the previous year, returning to growth similar rates to those seen pre-pandemic. Nevertheless, this was impressive, considering the…
Direct selling saw a marked fall in sales in current value terms in Indonesia in 2023. The channel generally struggled during the review period, having been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Direct selling was not viable at the height of the…
Direct selling continues to face headwinds due to the ageing of the customer base, and the loss of recruitment opportunities due to changes in social behaviour since the pandemic. On the other hand, some players saw rising sales in 2023, as society…
Direct selling registered constant value growth in 2022, in spite of high inflation, which was mainly caused by the war in Ukraine. With concerns surrounding COVID-19 putting a spotlight on the concept of preventive health, many Kazakhstanis have…
Direct selling in Malaysia showed resilience during the pandemic, particularly in the case of companies specialising in health and wellness products. Seeking ways to stay healthy, local consumers increasingly turned to health supplements and…
Despite growing consumer awareness and the presence of questionable brands and products in the direct selling channel, the channel continues to remain relevant, particularly in rural areas where malls and shopping centres are fewer in number. In…
2022 was a strong growth year for direct selling in Singapore, due to the resumption of events and pre-pandemic lifestyles, which made it easier for sales agents to conduct outreach and engagement activities. While the channel recorded a marginal…
Direct selling saw little movement in its value sales in current terms in South Korea in 2023, with just a slight decline seen. In April 2023, a legal shift unfolded, permitting sponsored direct sellers to engage in non-face-to-face transactions…
Direct selling companies in Taiwan are undergoing a significant transformation as they adapt to the evolving retail landscape, with a notable trend being the embrace of digital transformation. Recognising the increasing prominence of e-commerce and…
Direct selling in Thailand continued to fall in terms of current value sales in 2023, in a persistent decline that began in 2020 and has not let up since. However, the rate of the drop was significantly slower than in the previous year of 2022. The…
Following a three-year period of decline, direct selling in the Philippines registered modest growth in current value terms in 2023. The channel suffered losses during the pandemic, when agents were unable to sell to their customers on a face-to-face…