Asia Pacific

Consumer credit gross lending has experienced further strong growth in 2023, along similar lines to the previous year. The main factor behind this growth has been the improvement in economic conditions as a result of increased community mobility…

In 2021 and 2022, many local consumers used personal loans when faced with unplanned expenses or a personal financial emergency. Malaysian banks were very active in offering personal loans to individuals, providing flexible repayments and offering…

Following the pandemic, card lending, contributing to over 60% of consumer credit gross lending in Singapore, has witnessed significant growth, largely propelled by the enduring trend of revenge travel. The resumption of travel and tourism activities…

The government's relaxation of control measures on digital banks has paved the way for a broadened range of financial services offered by pure digital banks. Although the impact on traditional banks and digital wallet operators remains relatively…

Thailand’s economic performance in 2023 is improving as the pandemic effects subside and private consumption rebounds. Other positive factors include the surge in Thai and foreign travellers, as well as improvements in the service sector, which is…

Towards the end of the review period consumer loans has shown continuous current value growth. In 2023, current value growth is being driven by credit cards and various personal lending options, particularly salary-based general purpose loans.…

The biggest story in consumer lending in 2023 is the issuing of the new Circular by the State Bank of Vietnam, to promote consumer lending for daily needs. To encourage banks to increase their lending activities, including consumer lending, the State…

Consumer lending in Hong Kong is experiencing a spike in growth as the economy recovers from the impact of the pandemic, with 14% growth in gross lending primarily driven by card lending. The reopening of borders in the fourth quarter of 2022 has…

The consumer lending category has experienced another strong performance in Indonesia in 2023. Gross lending has shown further positive growth during the year, along similar lines to 2022. Improving economic conditions as a result of people's…

Towards the end of the review period, many local consumers took out personal loans to cope with higher financial burdens. Malaysian banks have offered personal loans with more flexible repayment plans and more appealing terms when required. The…

Consumer lending in Singapore is exhibiting positive growth in 2023, displaying a robust recovery from the pandemic's impact since 2022. Notably, card lending has emerged as a significant driver of growth in overall consumer lending, coinciding with…

In 2023, the total credit amount in Taiwan surged over the previous year. This figure has doubled since pre-pandemic levels at the end of 2019. Taiwan's financial landscape boasts a multitude of institutions holding significant liquid funds.…

Thailand consumer lending remains robust in 2023, with double-digit growth rates in gross lending as the category continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise in private consumption and the revival in tourism has led to an upturn in…

At the beginning of 2023, the industry anticipated a surge in consumer lending demand as Filipinos resumed spending as the country emerged out of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. A substantial share of consumers also resorted to loans to manage…

In 2023, the State Bank of Vietnam implemented measures to promote consumer lending for daily needs. To encourage banks to increase their lending activities, including consumer lending, the State Bank issued Circular No. 06/2023/TT-NHNN on 28 June…

In 2023, overall cooking ingredients and meals is expected to see retail volume and current value declines. This is primarily due to the Chinese government’s removal of the zero-COVID policy at the end of 2022. With no more lockdown measures in…

There have been surges in raw material prices for cooking ingredients and meals in South Korea, primarily attributed to climate change and geopolitical issues, which are further pushing up the average unit price. This has created an upward trajectory…

Inflationary pressures continue in 2023, however, we are seeing an overall resilience in cooking ingredients and meals in the Philippines – in both value and volume terms, variably. Shortages in raw materials continue to affect some categories, such…

Retail value growth is stronger than volume in cooking ingredients and meals in Vietnam, due to inflationary pressures pushing up unit prices. That said, despite these economic pressures, volume growth is also relatively stable. We also note that…

Since the reopening of borders in the fourth quarter of 2022, there has been a surge in enthusiasm among Hong Kong locals to travel abroad after enduring three years of the pandemic. Residents are now showing a strong and sustained interest in…

In 2023, the credit cards category is again showing positive growth in all terms, cards circulation as well as volume and value transactions, as it did in the previous year. Credit card spending has recovered across categories. Holidays and the end…

Credit card is the leading cashless payment method in Japan, and is still responsible for the predominant share of cashless payment transaction volumes and value. Other digital payment instruments are also gaining popularity, but credit cards remain…

At the close of 2022, Taiwan witnessed a significant reshuffle in its credit card issuance landscape. The top five credit card issuers, ranked by the number of active cards, were Cathay United Bank with 5.77 million, CITIC Bank with 5.34 million, E…

Credit cards are also benefitting from the ongoing government and finance industry efforts to promote a cashless payment society. As such, we are seeing a robust performance in credit cards in 2023, thanks to a growing awareness among consumers about…

Since the reopening of borders in the fourth quarter of 2022, there has been a surge in enthusiasm among Hong Kong’s population to travel abroad after enduring three years of the pandemic. Residents are now showing a strong and sustained interest in…

In 2023, the debit cards category has again experienced positive growth in both volume and value transactions, as it did in the previous year. The increase in people’s mobility following the lifting of restrictions imposed to limit the spread of…

In the past, debit cards were not prevalent in Japan, with alternative payment methods such as credit cards or cash dominating the market. Furthermore, Japanese banks typically issued “cash cards” to their customers, which were primarily intended for…

Debit card transactions experienced a noticeable decline in transaction value in 2022, a trend that commenced during the pandemic in 2021. This decline was primarily attributed to the increased prevalence of digital wallet transactions and the…

Cashless payment trends are being boosted by both government and issuer initiatives in Vietnam, along with support from retailers in various industries and channels across the country. This, in turn, is helping to boost the performance of financial…

In 2023, overall demand for retail edible oils in China has weakened compared with 2022, with the expected volume and current value declines in this year primarily driven by the resumption of normal activities post-pandemic. Towards the end of 2022…

In 2023, the global supply chain of edible oil raw materials has faced significant disruptions due to climate change and geopolitical complexities, impacting availability in South Korea. The country's reliance on external sources has made it…

Edible oils continues to face challenges connected to inflationary pressures and supply chain restrictions, which are affecting different edible oils in different ways. For example, inflationary pressures are boosting value growth due to an increase…

Edible oils continues to face challenges caused by shortages of raw materials and supply chain disruptions, along with climatic impacts. As such and added to inflationary pressures, this is pushing up prices and supporting value sales, while retail…

Total card transactions in Hong Kong, along with electronic direct/ACH transactions and mobile payments, are recording double-digit growth rates in 2023 as consumption recovers from the pandemic. This is mainly being driven by overseas consumption…

Electronic payment has been the fastest growing mode of payment in Indonesia in 2023. The very high use of digital wallets, QRIS (Quick Response Code Indonesia Standard - a QR code standard developed by Bank Indonesia and Indonesian Payment System…

Japan’s transition to a cashless society has been accelerating in 2023. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) developed the “Cashless Vision” in 2018, aiming to increase the cashless payment ratio to 40% by 2025. Due to COVID-19,…

In 2023, electronic and mobile payments have taken centre stage, greatly reducing reliance on cash transactions in Taiwan. Local residents have enthusiastically adopted various digital payment options, particularly digital wallets, which have emerged…

2023 is witnessing a substantial increase in both the volume and value of financial cards overall, primarily driven by government initiatives aimed at encouraging cashless payments. Debit cards, credit cards, and pre-paid cards are all seeing healthy…

Meals and soups is set to see a noticeable slowdown in its retail current value growth rate in 2023 compared with 2022, and is expected to turn to retail volume decline. The primary reason for this is the removal of the zero-COVID policy, which has…

Category players are customising their products to cater for various formats demanded by consumers sensitive to new lifestyle trends, such as South Korea's millennials and Generation Z, to maximise convenience. For instance, one of the habits among…

The performance of meals and soups is being supported by consumers’ return to busy lifestyles, thus leading to a higher demand for convenience. Indeed, at the end of a busy workday, people seek easy, quick, and convenient ways to prepare their meals…

Ready meals is seeing healthy retail sales in both volume and value terms. Overall, sales are being driven by consumers’ demand for convenience, as people have returned to their busy lifestyles – especially so in the large cities – whereby they have…

Octopus has established itself as the most widely used and popular open loop pre-paid card in Hong Kong, offering a myriad of convenient features and services. Recognising the growing interest among local residents to explore the mainland during…

The pre-paid cards category has continued its strong performance in 2023, with the category seeing positive growth in terms of both volume and value transactions, as in the previous year. Pre-paid cards has been particularly impacted by the revival…

In the review period, pre-paid cards showed progression to online (mobile, smart watch, etc...) payment, especially within transportation pre-paid cards such as Suica and PASMO cards. More people opted to use smartphone app versions of pre-paid cards…

Despite the rise of digital wallets, physical credit cards and pre-paid cards still play a significant role in payments. Notably, digital wallets often cannot link to popular pre-paid cards like EasyCard, the largest transportation card in Taiwan,…

The performance of pre-paid cards is supported by the growth of e-commerce – notably since the era of the pandemic. In fact, prior to 2020, transaction numbers in pre-paid cards were showing a negative performance, in sharp contrast to what is seen…

In 2023, sauces, dips and condiments is set to turn to decline in retail volume and current value terms. This is primarily due to the Chinese government’s lifting of the zero-COVID policy in 2022. With no more lockdown measures in place, consumers’…

Post-pandemic, packaged food players are making efforts to meet various consumer needs due to the increasing preference for home-cooked meals. This movement involves developing and launching multiple food products in various formats. For example,…

Whilst consumers have indeed been returning to foodservice channels, a trend for home-cooking maintains, thus supporting sales in sauces, dips, and condiments – in both value and volume terms. Various sauces and bouillon are popular ingredients in…