Asia Pacific

With Vietnam having experienced a strong rebound in international and domestic tourism in 2023, this served to boost the number of consumer foodservice transactions made in travel, lodging and leisure locations. According to official sources, more…

In 2023, the Malaysian consumer foodservice market saw the continued strengthening of the country’s coffee drinking culture, which provided a notable boost to the performance of the specialist coffee and tea shops channel during the year. The end of…

Consumer foodservice has witnessed a strong recovery since the second half of 2022 in Taiwan, with robust growth continuing into 2023, albeit at slower pace. Menu prices have increased since the pandemic due to higher inflation. Many foodservice…

Consumer foodservice in Vietnam experienced positive growth in current value terms in 2023, albeit at a slower rate than the previous year. This was attributable to the elevated rate of inflation, which impacted household spending. With prices…

The full-service restaurants category is seeing growing consumer interest in Korean-influenced restaurants. The Muslim-dominated community in Malaysia is favouring Korean dining concepts, with food options such as Korean fried chicken, gaining…

Jhujian Catering Group is enjoying fast growth in full-service restaurants in Taiwan, due to the strong performance of its key brands Jhu Jian and Yakiniku Smile, which target younger generations. Many of their stores are in shopping areas frequented…

The full-service restaurant industry continued to experience positive growth in current value terms in 2023, despite continued inflationary pressures This can be partly attributed to favourable government policies, such as the reduction in the VAT…

The Israel-Hamas War had an impact on limited-service restaurants in Malaysia from October 2023. In the majority Muslim country of Malaysia, the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War led to a series of boycotting events aimed at multinational chains such…

Within limited-service restaurants in Taiwan, McDonald's collaborated with the famous Japanese manga series Dragon Ball, featuring its illustrations on exclusive packaging, meals and trading cards for fans to collect. This iconic anime successfully…

Limited-service restaurants in Vietnam experienced positive growth in current value terms in 2023, albeit at a slower rate than the previous year. This was attributable to the elevated rate of inflation, which impacted household spending. With prices…

Despite the declining female demographic aged 12-54, menstrual care continued to register low positive year-on-year growth in current value terms while retail volume transactions faced a small decline. While the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic no…

Overall, the nappies/diapers/pants category registered strong growth in 2023 in both current retail value and retail volume. While the majority of the category growth can be attributed to price hikes due to the increase in raw material pricing and…

Processed fruit and vegetables in Taiwan was impacted by the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the subsequent rebound in travel and eating out. This shifted the location of demand as consumers resumed out-of-home lifestyles. Consumers were eager…

In 2023, the overall retail demand for processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat dropped in Taiwan as consumers resumed pre-COVID-19 pandemic lifestyles. The category had seen a surge in demand in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by…

Retail adult incontinence continues to lead category growth across the tissue and hygiene categories, with low double-digit growth in current retail value and close to double-digit growth in retail volume in 2023. This is a reflection of the…

In Singapore, there has been a discernible uptick in the demand for premium tissue products, particularly in the realm of toilet paper. Consumers are increasingly gravitating towards higher-quality options, reflecting a shift in preferences towards a…

Rice, pasta and noodles in Taiwan aligned with the trends influenced by the resumption of out-of-home lifestyles in 2023. As consumers returned to the office and travel and social norms they were more likely to dine out. As in other categories of…

Chained self-service cafeterias continued to see low levels of popularity in Malaysia at the end of the review period. The Ikea Restaurant brand maintained its dominant position in the market. Indeed, there are no other players with a significant…

The Taiwanese are keen on eating all-you-can buffets, as the diverse range of options caters to a variety of personal choices, with this benefiting self-service cafeterias. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a strong desire for more social…

The self-service cafeterias channel is not present in Vietnam and there are no signs that it will emerge over the forecast period.

In 2023, staple foods in Taiwan was affected by the resumption of travel and eating out as key trends with the lifting of Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions. Thus, demand shifted back from retail to foodservice as a result of less time spent at…

Jom Cha by Farm Fresh is one of the latest street stalls/kiosks serving varieties of drinks such as bubble tea. One of the marketing tactics employed is the use of renowned fresh milk, Farm Fresh, which is produced locally and enables the player to…

There was a major shift in street-stalls/kiosks in Taiwan at the end of the review period. After a three-year pandemic, the re-opening of the Taiwanese border in October 2022 led to a surge in tourism, which resulted in crowding at tourist spots,…

Street-stalls/kiosks registered a marked slowdown in growth in terms of both current value and number of transactions in 2023. Such outlets are especially popular with lower-income segments, which were particularly impacted by the elevated rate of…

The post-pandemic shift in consumer priorities has redefined the tissue and hygiene landscape in Singapore. In 2023, this new picture depicted consumers’ higher selectivity towards the improvement of hygiene, compared to a general increase in the…

Wipes continued to grow in current retail value and retail volume across most categories in 2023, but growth was definitely led by current retail value, while retail volume growth was reduced to close to pre-pandemic levels. Wipes is facing strong…

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 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…

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…

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…

Away-from-home tissue and hygiene in Azerbaijan saw positive indicators in both value and volume terms, with sales supported by consumers return to out-of-home lifestyles, including tourism and hospitality – being areas where away-from-home tissue is…

Away-from-home (AFH) tissue and hygiene in Indonesia saw significant growth in terms of both volume and current value sales in 2023, buoyed by improving economic conditions and the expansion of related sectors. The steady improvement in the country’s…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The leading chained players in discounters have been eyeing potential expansion opportunities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the improved situation has made it easier for them to justify greater investment in outlet growth. Players have…

2023 proved to be a challenging year for discounters in the Philippines, in light of a limited store count and fierce competition with other retailers. With the revival of hectic pre-pandemic lifestyles, including the return of consumers to their…

In line with global trends, department stores in Malaysia are losing appeal due to growing interest in fast-fashion retailers such as H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, and Padini which offer the latest fashions at relatively affordable prices. Small boutique stores…

The general merchandise stores channel in the Philippines, which is dominated by department stores, saw buoyant growth in current value terms in 2023. An increase in mobility, including the return of consumers to their physical offices, contributed…

Guardian continued to lead health and beauty specialists overall in 2023, as well as health and personal care stores, with Watsons as its closest competitor at number two in both cases. These players are key contributors to the segment’s growth in…

Health and beauty specialists in the Philippines saw an improved performance in current value terms in 2023. Growth was boosted by an increase in mobility, including the return of consumers to their physical offices, which

Mr DIY continued to expand aggressively in Malaysia in 2023, cementing its lead in a highly fragmented competitive landscape. The success of Mr DIY mainly lies in its ability to provide a large variety of good-value products under one roof, thereby…

Home products specialists in the Philippines saw relatively modest growth in current value terms in 2023, compared to the previous year. This was due to persisting inflationary pressures, which placed a strain on household budgets, With many…

Hypermarkets was one of the retail channels hit hardest by the pandemic as demand for large-format modern grocery retailers plummeted. Quarantine lockdowns and restrictions on movement, combined with widespread fears of contagion, discouraged…

Hypermarkets in the Philippines recorded positive growth in in current value terms in 2023, albeit at a slower rate than the previous year. Sales were boosted an increase in mobility, which was evidenced by higher foot traffic in mall-based and…

Menstrual care was seeing robust growth in 2023 in Azerbaijan, albeit at lower growth rates in value than witnessed in 2022, due to inflationary pressures starting to stabilise. Notably, with the stabilisation of inflation rates, this means unit…

Menstrual care in Indonesia in 2023 saw significant rises in both volume and current value terms, with growth driven by the country’s expanding middle class. This is leading to higher disposable incomes, newfound financial flexibility and greater…

Nappies/diapers/pants in Azerbaijan continued to be somewhat affected by inflationary pressures in 2023, despite the growth rates of inflation slowing down. Notably, manufacturers of diapers have seen hikes in the costs of raw materials (Azerbaijan…

Nappies/diapers/pants in Indonesia in 2023 benefitted from the country’s high birth rate, recording a significant upswing in both volume and current value sales to record continued double-digit growth in the latter. Consumer confidence was on the…