Asia Pacific

General merchandise stores registered current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. Since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, consumer behaviour has changed rapidly. People are getting used to purchasing products online, which has diversified their…

General merchandise stores maintained dynamic double-digit current value growth in India in 2023, and finally saw the recovery of its sales to the pre-pandemic level. Growth was also seen in outlet numbers, which rose to over 4,000 stores, all of…

General merchandise stores saw a second year of double-digit current value growth in Hong Kong in 2023, finally recovering to the pre-pandemic (2019) level of sales, after disruption due to the loss of tourist flows. Although variety stores saw…

After seeing a notable decline in value sales in 2022 during the waves of COVID-19 across the country, when many consumers lost confidence in spending on non-essential durable goods, general merchandise stores saw a moderate rebound in its sales in…

Gardening saw current value growth in the Philippines in 2023. The surge in the popularity of pots and planters during the year can be attributed to the growing demand for potted plants, which has influenced consumer behaviour significantly. Firstly,…

Gardening was the most dynamic product area in Thailand 2023, with most categories exceeding overall market growth in current value terms. Many people took up gardening during the COVID-19 crisis, when outdoor spaces became something of a sanctuary…

Gardening remained a popular recreational activity in Taiwan in 2023, as more people recognised its therapeutic benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety and enhancing mood. However, with the country facing a shortage of outdoor space in urban…

Gardening in South Korea witnessed a slight current value decline in 2023, although many categories maintained solid growth. For instance, gardening equipment experienced increasing sales, due to the rising popularity of gardening as a recreational…

In 2023, gardening in Singapore sustained solid current value growth, albeit slightly lower than seen the previous year, as people remained cautious due to inflationary pressures. Despite this, sustained growth was observed due to the emergence of…

Gardening in Malaysia saw steady growth in current value terms in 2023, primarily driven by urbanisation, the developing DIY culture, and evolving consumer preferences. For instance, rapid urbanisation led to a rise in apartment living with limited…

Gardening in Japan saw current value growth in 2023. In recent years, Japan has witnessed a significant shift in lifestyle dynamics, with an increasing emphasis on relaxation and home-centred activities amidst evolving work environments. This…

Gardening in Indonesia saw healthy sales in 2023, boosted by the rise of urbanisation wellbeing trends. For example, consumers living in smaller apartments display a desire to keep indoor plants for both aesthetic and health and wellbeing reasons…

In 2023, in a continuation of the trend seen for the previous two years, gardening in India witnessed double-digit current value growth. Growth was driven by a significant surge in the trend of “green-gifting”, particularly emphasising the popularity…

Value sales of garden care in Hong Kong continued to grow in 2023 due to a combination of factors. Increased urbanisation and housing development in Hong Kong have led to a greater need for green spaces and gardens, driving demand for garden care.…

Gardening in China experienced another remarkable surge in sales in current value terms in 2023, primarily driven by the significant rise in urbanisation, and scarcity of green spaces, which led consumers to seek a connection to nature, and thereby…

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…

Full-service restaurants sustained positive growth in current value terms in 2023, albeit at a slower rate than the previous year. This was partially due to the normalisation of consumer behaviour, following the eat-in boom experienced in the…

Full-service restaurants in Thailand registered healthy growth in current value terms in 2023, alongside the strengthening of the economy. The revival of international tourism also had a positive impact on footfall and revenue within these…

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…

Traditional buffet-style family restaurants faced significant losses during COVID-19, due to concerns about close contact with many people. In particular, chained Korean buffet brands such as Season’s Table, which were popular amongst…

In uncertain economic times marked by consumers’ rising budget concerns, chained full-restaurants in Singapore are implementing various strategies to enhance the perceived value of dining out for consumers. One common approach is to offer…

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…

After COVID-19 was downgraded to class 5 in May 2023, consumers felt more comfortable eating out. This contributed to a sales rebound for full-service restaurants, but challenges remained. Costs continued to rise, and players continued to find it…

Full-service restaurants in Indonesia can generally be divided into two segments. The first refers to fine dining establishments with elaborately decorated interiors and higher-priced food menus, which cater to more affluent consumers. The other…

Along with the expansion of outlet numbers, full-service restaurants saw positive but slowing current value growth in India in 2023. Family gatherings and special occasions provided significant footfall for Asian full-service restaurants, which…

After a challenging year in 2022, in 2023 full-service restaurants saw dynamic growth in volume transactions and current value sales in Hong Kong, even though outlet numbers remained fairly stagnant. However, amongst consumer foodservice players in…

In 2023, full-service restaurants rebounded from the COVID-19 lockdowns experienced in 2022. However, there was a decline in the spend per transaction during the year, which can primarily be attributed to the overall economic downturn. The…

In 2023, the fruits category in Vietnam was adversely affected by inflation and an economic slowdown. Total volume sales of fruits saw slower growth than in the previous year. In the last year of the review period, Vietnamese consumers became more…

As seen in other fresh food categories, fruits in Thailand has been subject to steep surges in unit prices in response to rising production costs and unpredictable fluctuations in weather conditions. The war in Ukraine has disrupted the supply chain…

Total volume sales of fruits in Japan continue to rebound in 2023, mainly driven by foodservice’s performance following the channel’s strong declines during the pandemic. Foodservice volume sales of fruits had suffered throughout 2020 and 2021, when…

Fruits is expected to maintain dynamic total volume growth in India in 2023, with all categories set to see growth, as well as all channels. Heatwaves in 2023, with temperatures soaring above 45°C, and the early onset of summer, boosted sales of…

In 2022, fruit prices experienced significant growth, due to rising transportation costs and reduced output, while the weather was also not favourable for fruits towards the end of the review period due to cold and rainy weather in the spring and…

In 2023, inflation had a considerable impact on consumer behaviour and purchasing patterns, which affected the performance of the fresh food industry in Vietnam. Some categories, such as fruits and vegetables, felt the impact of inflation less than…

In 2023 fresh food consumption in Thailand saw an uptick, with several foods benefitting considerably from amplified focus on protein consumption as well as from broader health and wellness trends. Rising awareness of the importance of healthy habits…

Total volume sales of fresh food in Japan continue to record marginal growth in 2023, mainly driven by foodservice as the channel recovers from the significant drop during the pandemic. Foodservice volume sales suffered as COVID-19 first hit Japan,…

Fresh food is set to display high single-digit retail current value growth in India in 2023, thanks to rises in unit prices and steady retail volume growth. Many fresh food categories have experienced inflation due to lower production estimates,…

Following the lifting of China’s “zero Covid” policies, local consumers are gradually returning to their pre-pandemic lifestyles in 2023. As they resume their normal routines, the time spent at home is declining, resulting in retail volume drops for…

Vietnam’s rising living standards meant growth and expansion for fragrances in 2023, with progress also spurred along by higher disposable incomes. Local consumers have become increasingly focused on investing in and expressing their personal style…

In Uzbekistan, fragrances continued its annual upward trajectory in 2023, underpinned by deep-rooted cultural traditions that perceive perfumes as essential accessories for both men and women. Despite encountering geopolitical turbulence in 2023, the…

Fragrances saw strong growth in the Philippines in current value terms in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. With the COVID-19 pandemic fast becoming a distant memory, consumers returned to their physical workplaces, while they also…

In 2023 growth in fragrances in Thailand was supported by the continued return to pre-pandemic lifestyles in terms of work, study and socialising outside the home. This increased interaction with others helped to push demand for fragrances in both…

In 2023, fragrances in Taiwan recorded double-digit retail value growth. Stricter regulations on flavours and fragrances and consumers' increasing focus on healthy and natural ingredients have increased the cost of manufacturing. Higher packaging…

Fragrances maintained double-digit current value growth in South Korea in 2023, with premium fragrances continuing to overwhelmingly dominate, and also seeing the strongest growth in this year. The super-premium segment in fragrances is primarily…

In 2023, fragrances in Singapore experienced significant growth in both retail volume and current value terms, surpassing the pre-COVID-19 levels, seen in 2019. With the resurgence of activities outside the home, such as work, school, and travel,…

In 2023, economic challenges, including rising inflation and currency deflation, impacted fragrances in Pakistan, particularly in premium fragrances dominated by imported products. This led to a slower growth rate in the product area. However, there…

Fragrances in Malaysia saw rapid and robust volume and current value growth in 2023. During the pandemic years many players within premium fragrances focused on their existing product lines, with the lack of demand discouraging investment in new…

Fragrances in Kazakhstan witnessed a shift towards premium fragrances in 2023. This product area experienced the fastest growth in both volume and value terms during the year. This trend can be attributed to several factors, including a younger,…

Fragrances registered double-digit current value growth in Japan in 2023. Strong growth was also seen for colour cosmetics, but this was underpinned by the rebound from the pandemic, and it still had a lower level of sales compared with pre-pandemic…

Fragrances in Indonesia saw a relatively weak performance in 2023, in both current value and volume terms. Compared with other Asian markets like Thailand and South Korea, sales remain low, with many other alternatives to fragrances competing…

In 2022, fragrances in India witnessed healthy double-digit current value growth on the back of favourable external factors, such as the full return of social gatherings, the surge in demand for domestic travel, and the return of most offices and…