Asia Pacific

The purchasing behaviour of Thai parents and guardians is becoming more sophisticated when it comes to purchasing childrenswear. While they are still looking for value-for-money they are also increasingly focusing on both fashion and product quality.…

Consumer credit is set to see a moderate rebound in 2023, following subdued demand in 2022, affected by the pandemic. The pick-up in consumer credit growth has largely been due to rises in home and card lending, reflecting some improvement in…

Japan currently does not have any law restrictions surrounding Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and thus the benefits, such as convenience, flexibility, and especially no credit checks, are gradually being understood by a wider consumer base. These benefits…

Demand for consumer lending is set to see a moderate rebound in 2023, as the pandemic has eased, and consumer spending has returned, especially on services and in other discretionary categories. However, growth in consumer lending in China is…

Consumer lending in Japan is growing in 2023 in line with demand for greater convenience and easy access to lending services, mainly due to more services being accessed online. New emerging players, such as LINE Pocket Money by LINE Credit…

The number of credit cards in circulation and credit card current value transactions are expected to increase in 2023, mainly driven by further improvements in mobility and economic conditions after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted at the end of…

Credit card transactions in Singapore have sustained considerable growth in both total retail value and transaction volume, owing to the resurgence of the travel industry in Asia Pacific. This revival of travel has become the key growth driver for…

In 2023, debit card spending is expected to see year-on-year growth both in terms of payment transactions and payment values, derived from pent-up demand over the last three years, which has been released in this year. Many consumers have taken the…

The consistent growth of debit cards in Singapore can be attributed to the ongoing enhancement of benefits provided to debit cardholders. In the past, debit card offerings and associated benefits were generally outpaced by those offered by credit…

Financial cards and payments in China is set to see a rebound in 2023, following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Consumers have taken the reopening of society as an opportunity to increase their discretionary spending, particularly in the areas…

The financial cards and payments landscape in Singapore has experienced notable transformations as the nation progresses towards its goal of becoming a cashless society. This evolution has been primarily driven by the rise of digitalisation,…

Sports-inspired footwear is poised to maintain its dynamic rise in popularity and demand amongst consumers in Singapore in 2023. This growth can be attributed to three main trends, with the first being the prioritisation of comfort. Due to the…

Sales of footwear in Thailand have continued on the path to recovery in 2023, with the category seeing strong growth in value and volume terms. With the pandemic over and consumer confidence returning players have begun launching footwear that caters…

Hosiery is set to see strong retail volume and current value growth in 2023, especially non-sheer hosiery, owing to the athleisure trend in the region. As more people are starting to dress casually and prioritise comfort, sneakers have more often…

Sales of hosiery have continued on the path to recovery in 2023 with COVID-19 regulations on social and office activities removed. However, the shift to a more casual style of fashion has continued to limit the post-pandemic recovery of sheer hosiery…

Denim on denim has made a comeback in 2023, with both men and women sporting this trend. The denim on denim trend involves pairing denim bottoms such as jeans, with a denim jacket or top. Brands have been seen to launch more denim products, and even…

Levi’s remains the leading brand in jeans in 2023, with it continuing to see high double-digit growth in current value terms. Levi’s Thailand in its efforts to build a stronger footing in the market has not only innovated in its products, but also in…

Menswear in Singapore has been regaining momentum after the significant pandemic-induced decline seen in 2020. Although the category is not expected to fully recover to the pre-pandemic levels of retail volume and current value sales in 2023, it is…

In recent years, sustainability has become an increasingly important theme across apparel and footwear in Thailand. When it comes to menswear, more players are seeking to distinguish themselves through the use of sustainable concepts in terms of…

As of July 2023, 10 pre-paid card issuers had had their payment clearing license revoked, according to PBOC (People’s Bank of China). In fact, the majority of these issuers voluntarily cancelled their licenses, affected by stringent government…

EZ-link, the leading open-looped pre-paid card in Singapore, has significantly benefited from the resumption of regional travel. Not only has EZ-link gained traction among tourists visiting Singapore, who find it a convenient payment solution for…

Processed fruit and vegetables is set to see dynamic retail volume and current value growth in China in 2023, with shelf stable fruit remaining the dominant category and driving growth. At the beginning of 2023, with COVID-19 lockdown restrictions…

Processed fruit and vegetables in Japan is set to see a notable decline in retail volume terms in 2023, while retail current value sales are set to maintain solid growth due to rising unit prices. The decline in volume terms is mainly due to a…

The rise in single-person households in South Korea is leading to a growing trend towards practical and portioned consumption patterns. Many local consumers seek convenient options that align with their busy lifestyles, and frozen processed fruit and…

Retail volume sales of processed fruit and vegetables continued to register moderate growth in 2023, despite the impact of inflation. Such products benefitted from the continuation of the home-cooking trend, which took off during the pandemic and…

Despite strong competition from fresh fruits and vegetables, processed fruits/vegetables saw buoyant growth in volume terms in 2023, with foodservice driving this expansion. The influence of western-influenced dietary trends, such as the popularity…

In 2023, the prices of commodities, including animal feed, remained elevated due to global supply chain issues resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While there was some improvement during the second half of the year, stubbornly high input…

In 2023, similar retail volume and current value growth rates are expected for processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat compared with 2021, after seeing a stronger performance in 2022. COVID-19 restrictions were lifted from the beginning of…

Amid the growing climate change crisis, local interest in eco-friendly practices has risen significantly, aligning with value-based consumption. To reflect this trend, players in processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat in South Korea are…

Despite ongoing inflationary pressures, volume sales of processed meat, seafood, alternatives to meat saw moderate growth in 2023. This was due, to a large extent, to the continued recovery of foodservice, thanks to the normalisation of consumer…

Processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat is set to suffer a continued retail volume decline in 2023, although it is expected to maintain positive retail current value growth thanks to unit price increases, driven by inflationary pressures.…

The performance of rice, pasta and noodles is expected to show a mixed picture in China in 2023, reflecting changing consumer preferences and market dynamics. Retail volume declines are expected for the main categories, rice and noodles, mainly due…

Rice, pasta and noodles in Japan is set to see a positive retail current value performance in 2023, due to unit price increases led by inflation and rises in production costs. Although many manufacturers increased the prices of their products several…

In 2023, there continues to be a noticeable revival in retail and foodservice volume sales of rice in South Korea. While the latter channel was negatively impacted by foodservice closures and restrictions during the pandemic, a declining trend in…

Volume sales of rice, pasta and noodles in the Philippines recorded moderate growth in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. This was in spite ongoing inflationary pressures, thanks to energy price hikes and disruptions to the supply…

Retail prices of rice, pasta and noodles in the Vietnam continued to rise in 2023. While inflationary pressures began to ease, the ongoing war in Ukraine had a major impact on the prices of key raw materials, due to the disruption of the global…

Sportswear is expected to experience dynamic growth in retail current value terms in 2023, with this also set to continue over the forecast period. The demand for sportswear is being driven by an increasing number of people in Singapore participating…

Aligned with an increased focus on the importance of health and wellness among Thai consumers, there has been an increase in people taking part in workout routines and exercise activities. In 2023, sportswear brands have continued to leverage this…

Pandemic restrictions were lifted in China at the beginning of 2023; thus, production, logistics, and product availability have gradually resumed in staple foods. However, after a year of exceptional growth in 2022, retail volume sales are set to…

Staple foods in Japan is set to grow in current value terms in 2023, largely driven by unit price increases due to inflation and increases in production costs. Although many manufacturers had already implemented price increases in 2022, the costs of…

Staple foods, closely associated with economic conditions in South Korea, is experiencing slower growth rates in many categories due to recent external economic factors. Elevated inflation rates have led to an upward trend in retail value sales…

Retail sales of staple foods and alternatives in the Philippines recorded moderate growth in volume terms in 2023. This was in spite ongoing inflationary pressures, with food prices posting an upward trend, thanks to energy price hikes and…

Retail prices of staple foods in the Vietnam continued to rise in 2023. While inflationary pressures began to ease, the ongoing war in Ukraine had a major impact on the prices of key raw materials, due to the disruption of the global supply chain.…

With restrictions and lockdowns having been fully lifted in Singapore, womenswear has been rebounding from the significant drop in sales seen in 2020 due to the pandemic. The category is still not expected to reach the pre-pandemic levels of retail…

Womenswear in Thailand is seeing a shift in demand towards multi-purpose products. Although fashion remains the key concern when people are purchasing womenswear, consumers are also showing more concern with regard to the item’s functionality. This…

This briefing examines how the pharmaceuticals and medical equipment industry is performing globally and in the largest countries in terms of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment output. The report also provides data for production, market size,…

There has been a decline in the number of high net worth individuals (HNWI) in Hong Kong since 2020. In response, charge card operators such as American Express and Diners Club are determined to customise their latest offers to better cater for this…

In 2023, the charge cards category has experienced positive growth, both in terms of volume and value transactions. Similarly to the previous year, growth has largely been driven by the revival of normal social and economic activity in the wake of…

Despite being historically less popular in Taiwan due to limited merchant acceptance compared to VISA, MasterCard, and JCB, American Express (AMEX) is making significant strides in the market. The key to its success lies in the exclusive benefits and…

Since the reopening of borders in the fourth quarter of 2022, there has been a significant increase in the desire of Hong Kong residents to travel abroad, following three years of pandemic-induced restrictions. Throughout 2023, there has been a…