Asia Pacific

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,…

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…

A government-led financial inclusion initiative enticed a burgeoning population to embrace the formal banking sector, resulting in further uptake of financial cards, in particular, debit cards, in 2023. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)…

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…

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 market for eyewear in the Philippines is expected to see significant growth in current value terms in 2024, with sales rising in all three categories. This will be in the context of gradually improving economic conditions, including government…

Demand for eyewear in Thailand continues to recover in 2024. Though the market remains somewhat hindered by economic uncertainty and cautious spending behaviour amid economic uncertainty, eased restrictions have pushed a fuller return to pre-pandemic…

Eyewear in Taiwan is experiencing strong growth in retail volume and current value terms, driven by rising demand, innovative product development and dynamism in the retail landscape. In contact lenses, players are prioritising innovation to enhance…

In 2024, overall eyewear in South Korea is set to see current value growth. The prevalence of vision impairments is on the rise in Korea, with an increasing number of people affected by presbyopia, myopia, and hyperopia. The overall increase in…

Overall eyewear in Singapore is set to see retail volume growth and more dynamic current value growth in 2024, with growth rates having largely normalised after the pandemic disruption. However, very different performances are expected across…

Eyewear in Malaysia in 2024 is seeing continued growth overall in both volume and current value terms. Sales are supported by the fuller resurgence of international travel and return to active outdoor lifestyles. Retailers are leveraging this trend…

Eyewear in Japan is set to maintain solid current value growth in 2024, with increases in sales expected across contact lenses, spectacles, and sunglasses. Eyewear products are no longer a simple vision correction tool, but have expanded to eye…

Eyewear is set to see growth in both volume and value terms in Indonesia in 2024. Buying power in the market has already notably shifted towards younger generations with significantly different characteristics to their older counterparts. These…

Eyewear in India is set to demonstrate double-digit current value growth in 2024, owing to the strong traction for categories such as daily disposable contact lenses and sunglasses. Notably, consumer perceptions regarding eyewear have undergone a…

Eyewear in Hong Kong continues to enjoy growing momentum post-pandemic, driven by greater mobility and the return to various activities, including travel. After the adverse impact of the pandemic, eyewear’s value and volume sales in Hong Kong had…

In the post-pandemic era, while the impact of COVID-19 is gradually waning, the slowdown in China’s macroeconomic environment is influencing the overall consumer landscape. Overall eyewear in China is therefore set to see a slower but solid…

Demand for eye care continues to grow in 2023, with allergy eye care, the smaller of the two categories, recording a stronger performance. Worsening air pollution remains one of significant factors contributing to the growth of allergy eye care in…

The key trend behind rising demand for standard eye care in the Philippines is the increased amount of screen time in the daily lives of many local people. Indeed, dramatic increases have been seen in the amount of time that Philippine consumers…

The eye care market in Thailand experienced significant growth in current value terms in 2023, driven by various factors. One key contributor was a heightened awareness among consumers about the importance of maintaining good eye health, thanks to…

Eye care is poised to register a modestly improved performance in volume growth terms in 2023. It continues to benefit from the fact that the incidence of digital eye strain is on the rise in Taiwan due to the increasing amount of time people spend…

Demand for standard eye care, the largest category in overall OTC eye care in South Korea, continues to improve in 2023, in line with heightened exposure to digital screens in everyday life, and a return to out-of-home activities, including the…

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers increasingly struggled with dry eye disease, which led to increased referrals to the Singapore National Eye Centre. Due to changing consumer habits, dry eye disease became more prevalent as more people worked…

Eye care continued to see robust growth in retail volume terms in 2023, with standard eye care leading the way. Malaysians typically spend long periods of time on digital devices, a practice which is linked to a range of vision issues, including…

With the pandemic declared to be over in 2023, sales of both standard eye care and allergy eye care have benefited from increased opportunities to get out and about, a recovery in the number of inbound travellers, but also high pollen counts.…

In 2023, eye care is expected to maintain healthy retail volume and current value growth, although the rates of increase are set to be slower than in the previous year. Eye care products are considered a necessity, since eye health is considered…

Eye-related issues, such as dry eyes, are predominantly prevalent in urban areas, due to the harsh environmental conditions and prolonged digital exposure. According to Euromonitor’s Economies and Consumers data, only 36% of the population in India…

In Hong Kong, the increased frequency and time spent using 3C products, (in particular, computers, smartphones and tablets) among people of all generations has led to a growing need for effective eye care solutions. As individuals spend more time…

In 2023, eye care in China is set to maintain moderate current value growth. The eyes, being one of the most vital human senses, have always been a focal point of concern, resulting in relatively stable demand for eye care products. Particularly in…

Despite macroeconomic adversity on a global scale, tourist demand in 2023 was on the rise, with a growing number of visitors taking their holidays in the Philippines. This represents an improvement on 2021 and 2022, when restrictions related to…

The restrictions imposed on inbound tourism by the Thai Government in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 had a severe negative impact on the travel industry, including hotels. Experiential luxury, which is dominated by luxury hotels, saw its…

Consumer demand has been shifting from manufactured goods back towards services. As a result, value sales of experiential luxury increased by 36% to amount to TWD6.3 billion in 2023, boosted by wealthier individuals resuming normal activity, such as…

Consumer demand has been shifting from manufactured goods back towards services. Due to this, value sales of experiential luxury grew by 13% to amount to KRW642 million in 2023, boosted by wealthier individuals resuming their normal activities,…

Tourist visitor levels in Singapore were seen to rebound in 2023, despite global macroeconomic pressures such as high inflation and the rapid escalation of living costs. This represented an improvement on 2021 and 2022, when restrictions related to…

Despite macroeconomic adversity on a global scale, tourist demand in 2023 was on the rise, with a growing number of visitors taking their holidays in Malaysia. Consumer demand has also been shifting from manufactured goods back towards services now…

Despite macroeconomic adversity on a global scale, demand from tourists was on the rise in 2023, with a growing number of visitors taking their holidays in Japan. This was an improvement on previous years, when the pandemic prevented people from…

Tourist visitor levels in Indonesia were seen to recover in 2023, despite global macroeconomic pressures such as high inflation and the rapid escalation of living costs. This is an improvement on previous years when the pandemic was preventing people…

Despite consumer spending power and their desire to travel being impacted by a number of global and domestic issues, including higher living costs, unprecedented inflation levels and uncertainties deriving from the war in Ukraine, India has seen a…

Despite macroeconomic adversity on a global scale, tourism demand was on the rise in 2023, with a growing number of visitors taking their holidays in Hong Kong. This represented an improvement on 2021 and 2022, when restrictions related to COVID-19…

Tourist arrivals in China were seen to recover in 2023, despite global macroeconomic pressures such as high inflation and the rapid escalation of living costs. This was an improvement on previous years, when the pandemic prevented people from…

Energy drinks has continued to record positive growth in both off-trade and on-trade volume terms in 2023. Energy drinks are particularly popular amongst younger consumers, who value them for their sweet flavour, as well for their ability to offer a…

The popularity of energy drinks is on the rise in Uzbekistan, with strong double-digit growth rates in volume and value terms. The perception of energy drinks as a source of energy, coupled with the ongoing urbanization trend, continues to play a…

2023 proved to be another good year for energy drinks, with volume sales exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels.

Off-trade sales of energy drinks registered a decline in volume terms in 2023, with price increases by leading manufacturers being a major factor behind this trend. This was due to a number of factors, including roll-out of the third phase of the…

Energy drinks showed another positive performance in 2023, with growth in off- and on-trade volume sales remaining robust. As the pace of life in Taiwan accelerated in line with the return to pre-pandemic routines, overall demand was buoyed by…

Energy drinks is set to see dynamic double-digit off-trade and on-trade volume growth in 2023. On-trade sales were hit hard by the pandemic, and despite strong growth, sales are not expected to return to the 2019 level in 2023. However, the off-trade…

Off-trade volume growth of energy drinks in Singapore in 2023 is expected to be relatively stagnant, with only negligible growth, and this performance is expected to be maintained in the coming years. The sustained consumption of energy drinks can…

Energy drinks registered a steep decline in volume sales in 2023, as soaring inflation dampened demand and consumers prioritised essentials. In addition, as energy drinks are more expensive than other soft drinks such as carbonates, this further…

Sales in energy drinks are only seeing modest off-trade growth, as the category has a fairly limited consumer audience and faces competition from other soft drinks. On the positive side, the revival of domestic and international travel helps to…

Energy drinks remained the most dynamic area in soft drinks; however, growth has slowed in 2023 due to gradual market saturation and media coverage of the potential health risks associated with these drinks. Furthermore, there has been increased…

Energy drinks is set to record falling off-trade volume sales in 2023, with price increases by leading manufacturers a major factor contributing to decline. In response to the rising costs of materials, packaging, and transportation, energy drinks…