Asia Pacific

In 2022, retail e-commerce continued to gain significant value share in Uzbekistan. However, its penetration level still lagged behind neighbouring countries such as Kazakhstan. Several factors hindered the further development of retail e-commerce in…

Clicky, a fast-fashion e-commerce platform focused on apparel, footwear and accessories, has received investments from notable investors such as Fatima Ventures and Souq, a UAE-based company that was later acquired by Amazon. In December 2021, the…

E-commerce continued to grow but at a slower rate, partly due to the geopolitical situation. The war in Ukraine has resulted in supply chain disruptions, higher transportation tariffs and high inflation also higher prices for imports, due to currency…

In 2022 e-commerce penetration in Azerbaijan remained low though the channel continued to enjoy rapid and robust growth, gaining significant value share. Some consumers switched to purchasing groceries via e-commerce during the pandemic. However,…

Bazaars remain a favourite shopping channel for non-grocery products. Low-income shoppers, tourists, and anyone looking for a wide variety of items that they can negotiate prices on all frequently turn to bazaars. The abundance of products and the…

In 2022, rising inflation rates and the increasing cost of living had a significant impact on spending in non-grocery retail, in constant terms. The channels that were most affected were home improvement stores, followed by apparel and footwear…

In spite of high inflation caused by the war in nearby Ukraine and ensuing economic uncertainty, non-grocery retailers registered a slight increase in constant value sales in 2022. The return of foot traffic, post pandemic lockdowns, helped…

2022 saw the fuller return of consumers to offline shopping in Azerbaijan. Following two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and its related lockdowns and restrictions, local consumers prioritised store-based outlets in 2022, and visited shopping malls…

Although modern trade formats continue to increase their value share in 2022, bazaars are still the dominant grocery retailing channel due in part to the fact that bazaars have a well-established place in Uzbekistani culture, with consumers being…

In 2020, the IMF discontinued funding for Pakistan as the country failed to implement policies regarding taxes and price increases on energy, which worsened Pakistan's economic woes in 2022, resulting in unstable economic and political policies.…

Kazakhstan has strong trade links with Russia in particular and its war in Ukraine negatively impacted the economy and led to high inflation. While skyrocketing international oil and gas prices boosted the local economy, its usual outflow to the…

Modern grocery retailers continued to outperform traditional retailers in terms of growth in Azerbaijan in 2022, gaining value share in a trend that is set to persist. This expansion is supported by ongoing urbanisation and investment in the…

Direct selling re-emerged during the review period, following many years of absence from Uzbekistan. Following poor performances, most companies had exited this channel prior to the review period in 2012, due to tightening restrictions, including…

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…

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 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…

From rising disposable income levels and increasing taste sophistication, especially among young consumers, to the rapid expansion of local chained specialist coffee shops, Asia Pacific has seen a dynamic coffee shop environment, By analysing the…

After falling for two years, Asia Pacific sales of small appliances recorded positive, albeit very modest, growth in 2022, with the dynamic Indian market helping to offset the continued declines being seen in China and Japan. Stronger growth rates…

China’s struggles with the Omicron variant across much of the year meant that sales of major appliances declined in 2022, resulting in slightly negative growth for the Asia Pacific region as a whole, given the size of this country’s market. However,…

Benefiting from growing smartphone penetration, supportive regulations and so on, a growing number of digital banks have been launched, challenging the incumbents. However, among all digital banks, less than a quarter are known to be profitable. Key…