Asia Pacific

TWS earbuds continues to experience dynamic current value and retail volume growth in 2023. Many brands have entered the space in recent years to offer alternatives to Apple's AirPods across a spectrum of price points. These efforts have made TWS…

Headphones saw positive growth in constant value terms in 2023, despite consumer concerns about the cost of living. Increased smartphone use for streaming audio and video content was a key driver of this trend, in addition to the ongoing prevalence…

Headphones in Japan saw fairly flat sales in 2022, and this is set to continue in 2023. Both in volume and current value terms, these two years are set to see growth or declines of less than 1%. Looking at category performances in volume terms,…

In recent years, headphones have evolved from being a mere accessory to an integral part of a person’s lifestyle, particularly among the young generations in Indonesia. Propelled by the development and adoption of True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds,…

After seeing tremendous growth in the past two years, TWS witnessed a slowdown in 2023 in retail volume and current value terms. TWS earbuds have surged in popularity in recent years as consumer prefer the absence of wires (allowing for greater…

Headphones is the other category enjoying healthy volume growth, thanks to the ongoing popularity of TWS earbuds – which continues to trend thanks to a growing range of brands, across price points, being launched. Consumers can thus pick and choose…

Headphones is the winner in consumer electronics in China in 2023, with the key subcategory of TWS earbuds seeing healthy volume sales after its double-digit slump in 2022. That said, growth is still smaller than seen in previous years, due to…

Hair care in Vietnam in 2023 benefitted from improved hygiene and living standards supporting steady volume and current value growth in both urban and rural areas. Products within hair care are diverse and cover all price points, ensuring broad…

Hair care in Uzbekistan saw significant growth in 2023, primarily driven by the natural expansion of the population and migration trends, which contributed to enlarging the consumer base. Among the various product categories within hair care,…

Hair care is a relatively mature category in the Philippines and as such, saw relatively modest growth in retail volume in 2023. The largest segment, standard shampoos saw a stagnant performance, with growth of hair care instead driven by newer and…

Hair care in Thailand enjoyed strong growth in both volume and current value terms in 2023, thanks in large part to the enjoyment and interest Thai consumers have in pampering and styling their hair. Local consumers tend to have sophisticated at-home…

In 2023, hair care in Taiwan recorded positive retail value and volume growth, driven by salon professional hair care. The boundary between skin, health, and hair ingredients is increasingly blurring, with ingredients used in dietary supplements,…

Hair care saw slow current value growth in South Korea in 2023. Sales and growth in premium hair care in South Korea lagged behind mass, due to the strong presence of mass brands which are effectively positioning themselves in various hair care…

Hair care registered another year of solid current value growth in Singapore in 2023, driven by several key factors influencing consumer behaviour and market dynamics. Growing awareness amongst individuals about the importance of hair health and…

In 2023, a notable trend emerged among mass consumers in Pakistan towards products offered at discounted prices and lower price points. This shift in purchasing patterns reflects a growing preference for affordability and value for money, as…

The Malaysian hair care market continued to benefit from the post-pandemic return to previous patterns and habits in 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns and home seclusion promoted a change in the hair care routines of many…

2023 saw a significant rise in hair care product prices in Kazakhstan due to increased raw material and logistics costs. Interestingly, this has not significantly impacted consumer demand. With the lifting of COVID restrictions, personal appearance…

Hair care maintained slow current value growth in Japan in 2023. One of the reasons for continued growth was the self-care trend. The main categories within hair care are shampoos, and conditioners and treatments. Self-care at home became a trend…

Hair care in Indonesia continued to see positive retail volume and current value growth in 2023. While sales remained dominated by standard shampoo, which is considered an essential part of daily hair care routines, the end of the review period saw…

In recent years, a fascinating trend took the beauty industry by storm – the “skinification” of hair. This is the trend of using skin care ingredients in hair care products, or applying the concepts of skin care in hair care, and recently there has…

The trend of clean beauty has expanded into hair care in Hong Kong, as consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the ingredients featured in various beauty and personal care products. With growing awareness of health and wellbeing, there is a…

Hair care has faced unexpected challenges in its journey to recovery post-pandemic, despite the relaxation of restrictions. After a year of slow decline for hair care in 2022, sales remained fairly stable in China in 2023, failing to recover any of…

Hair care in Azerbaijan registered both healthy constant value and volume growth in 2023. Inflation eased, especially at the end of the year, and this supported volume sales. In addition, supply issues arising from the war in Ukraine were resolved…

Retail sales of gum continued to see positive growth in volume terms in 2023, albeit at a lower rate than the previous year. Demand was impacted by rising Inflation, which led consumers to become more frugal with their spending and prioritise…

After seeing a retail volume decline in 2020 during the first year of the pandemic, gum returned to growth, and this is set to continue in 2023 as impulse consumption occasions continue to return. Although volume sales are set to rise, current value…

It has been a challenging few years for sales of gum in the Philippines. The discretionary character of gum makes it is easy for consumers to sacrifice gum, especially if they have limited finances, which many have as a result of the economic impact…

Gum in Thailand is a relatively mature category, which is largely consolidated between brands Dentyne (Mondelez International (Thailand) Co Ltd) and Lotte (Thai Lotte Co Ltd); meanwhile, Mondelez also distributes the Trident and Clorets brands…

Gum sales have been recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic since the third quarter of 2022. During this period, consumers started venturing out of their homes and returning to their normal daily activities. In December 2022, the Taiwanese government…

Historically, gum experienced long-term stagnation or decline, with even more significant falls in sales seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, sales of gum in South Korea saw a resurgence in 2023 following the end of the pandemic, and growth is…

There has been a shift in consumption patterns in Pakistan, as rapid urbanization and exposure to western cultures has filtered into Pakistan. The introduction of a variety of flavours and sugar-free gum options is expanding the appeal of chewing…

As volume sales continue to decline dramatically across both chewing gum and bubble gum, the growth of chewing gum in Malaysia has slowed down slightly in current value terms in 2023 when compared to the previous year. A key contributing factor to…

In 2023, the gum category is set to see a slight increase in volume terms. This is due to the fact that the impact of the COVID-19 crisis has waned and the population has returned to a more normal lifestyle. In this context, with much higher levels…

Gum in Japan is set to see a second year of slight retail volume growth and stronger current value growth in 2024, in a rebound after a period of decline in volume terms. At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, chewing gum (the dominant category)…

Distribution channels play a crucial role in sales of gum, ensuring on-the-go and impulse purchase accessibility for consumers. Supermarkets and hypermarkets have long been the primary sales points for gum, offering a wide variety of options for…

The demand for gum, namely chewing gum and bubble gum, remains relatively muted in 2023. A large proportion of gum purchases are impulse in nature and low-ticket price purchases. Most purchases of gum tend to be made from small local grocers, and are…

Chewing gum in Hong Kong has demonstrated resilience since the pandemic, with value sales stabilising and exhibiting low, yet positive, growth. While consumer demand for gum remained solid throughout the recovery phase as face-to-face social…

After a year of strong retail current value decline in 2022, gum in China returned to growth in 2023, and recovery is expected to continue in 2024. Both chewing gum and bubble gum saw the same trend of decline followed by rebound. However, the upward…

Retail volume and current value growth rates for gum in Azerbaijan in 2024 are set to be weaker than those recorded in 2023. The slowdown is mainly explained by ongoing inflationary pressures, which are driving up unit prices and making consumers…

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…

General merchandise stores in Vietnam benefitted from increased inbound tourist flows in 2023, with Vietnam’s tourism industry continuing to rebound post-pandemic and luring millions of international visitors within the year’s first nine months.…

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…

Variety stores in Thailand saw positive though slowed growth in terms of current value sales in 2023. The segment was hit hard by the pandemic and its economic fallout; many local consumers remained reluctant to shop from variety stores as they…

Following two years of economic downturn, general merchandise stores in Taiwan experienced a remarkable resurgence 2023, witnessing double-digit growth in retail sales. Surpassing the convenience stores channel, general merchandise stores reclaimed…

General merchandise stores maintained growth in both outlet numbers and current value sales in South Korea in 2023, with increases seen for both variety stores and department stores, although the latter remained by far the larger channel. Department…

Variety stores in Singapore continued to record solid growth in 2023, driven by the rising cost-of-living pressures, which were a key area of concern for local consumers. Amid a muted economic climate, and rising prices as a result of inflation and…

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…

In 2023, department stores benefited from a rebound in the number of tourists visiting Japan and the depreciation of the yen. Although it lagged somewhat behind other countries, Japan finally lifted COVID-19 regulations in 2023. As for the recovery…