Asia Pacific

In 2023, Japan relaxed its COVID-19 rules, which boosted the travel industry. These changes altered how people, both local and foreign visitors, viewed and approached travel, which aided recovery. In terms of local travel, COVID-19 became less of a…

The Indonesian tourism industry experienced a strong rebound in 2023, and this served to boost the number of transactions made in travel, lodging and leisure locations. According to official sources, more than 11 million international tourists…

In 2023, domestic tourism surged further in India, driven by spiritual experience and short-haul weekend trips, which led both travel and lodging consumer foodservice locations to witness strong consumer demand, seeing double-digit current value…

Consumer foodservice through standalone experienced a strong rebound in current value terms in Hong Kong in 2023, with growth primarily driven by price increments. As the economy rebounded and consumer confidence returned, foodservice establishments…

In the context of foodservice by location in 2023, there was a noticeable increase in the proportion of dining within retail, travel, leisure, and lodging locations compared with 2022. The primary reason for this shift was the impact of COVID-related…

Overall, sales of consumer electronics have seen a return to growth in retail volume terms in Vietnam in 2023 after a steep decline in the previous year. However, the results within the different categories are mixed. With COVID-19 restrictions now…

2023 marks a year of recovery for consumer electronics in the Philippines after spending two years in the red due to economic uncertainties created by the pandemic and elevated inflation. While sales have not seen a full recovery in retail volume…

Retail sales of consumer electronics saw a flat performance in volume terms in 2023, following a more significant decline in the previous year. Despite a rebound in the domestic economy, assisted by the recovery of international tourism and easing…

Retail volume sales of consumer electronics continued to fall in 2023, with the rate of decline accelerating compared to the previous year. This was mainly the result of a slump in demand for computer and peripherals, although almost all other…

With the full lifting of COVID-19-related social distancing measures through 2022 and 2023, and consumers therefore drastically reducing the amount of time spent at home, the retail volume growth rate of overall consumer electronics in South Korea…

Following marginal declines the previous year, sales of consumer electronics, in both retail volume and current value terms, are growing in 2023. Despite the post-pandemic aftermath, including reduced demand for computers and peripherals for home…

Consumer electronics in Malaysia saw modest growth in 2023, although sales remained well below 2021 levels in constant value (2023 prices) terms. As the country emerged from the pandemic, consumers became increasingly keen to travel, socialise and…

2022 was a difficult year for players in consumer electronics. Price increases on materials, including semiconductor chips, and the weakened Japanese yen made it difficult for brands to secure profits. Some could easily apply price increases for…

In 2023 Indonesia’s economic landscape is showing an enduring resilience coupled with promising prospects, standing strong amid global economic shifts. The Minister of Finance stated in the year that macroeconomic variables, fiscal and monetary…

Consumer electronics witnessed solid retail volume and current value growth in 2023, although performances varied across different categories. While in-home and portable consumer electronics fared well due to robust growth in True Wireless Stereo…

2023 is a challenging year for consumer electronics, due to a combination of plateauing growth in several key categories – namely, computers, in-home consumer electronics, and smartphones, as well as a sluggish overall sales rebound following the…

In 2023, consumer electronics in China is set to experience another year of overall decline as the country stumbles into its long-due post-COVID-19 recovery. The good news for consumer electronics manufacturers is that supply side constraints have…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

One of the most significant global issues concerning consumer credit is BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) services, which enable consumers without sufficient funds to make an immediate purchase, locally known as “thin filers”, to obtain goods and pay at a…

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…

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…

Japan currently does not have any law restrictions surrounding Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and thus the benefits, such as convenience, flexibility, and especially no credit checks, are gradually being understood by a wider consumer base. These benefits…

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 2023, card lending - driven by increasing credit card adoption in India - remained the dominant category within consumer credit in gross lending terms. The adoption of credit cards further increased during the year, primarily as consumers’…

Since the reopening of borders in the fourth quarter of 2022, there has been a significant increase in the desire of Hong Kong residents to travel abroad, following three years of pandemic-induced restrictions. Throughout 2023, there has been a…

Consumer credit is set to see a moderate rebound in 2023, following subdued demand in 2022, affected by the pandemic. The pick-up in consumer credit growth has largely been due to rises in home and card lending, reflecting some improvement in…

Government forecasts indicate a positive GDP growth for Vietnam across 2023, with a gradual decline in the average monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is a good sign regarding stabilisation of inflation. The government in Vietnam aims to keep…

The performance of consumer appliances in the Philippines towards the end of the review period was significantly affected by high inflation in 2022, with a slightly higher inflation rate projected for 2023 as a whole. This has dampened the growth…

Sales of consumer appliances continued to see steady growth in retail volume terms in 2023 boosted by new property development and fewer concerns about COVID-19. The government’s economic stimulus programme also encouraged consumers to go shopping…

In 2023, consumer appliances in Taiwan posted slower retail volume and value growth compared to the previous year, with sales negatively impacted by inflationary pressure, the slowdown in the local real estate market, and a spending shift from goods…

Retail volume sales of major appliances are declining in 2023, albeit by a slower rate compared to 2022, attributed to inflation and consumers’ constrained budgets. During the pandemic, demand for many consumer appliances experienced an unprecedented…

A significant contributor to flat growth in major appliance sales is the prevailing economic conditions in Singapore. Economic fluctuations, stagnant wage growth, and high living costs can influence consumer decisions. In such conditions, consumers…

The lifting of restrictions in 2022 has reshaped the Malaysian consumer landscape, with local consumers no longer confined to their homes. The newfound freedom has boosted spending in sectors such as tourism and food service, detracting from consumer…

COVID-19 directly impacted retail volume sales of consumer appliances in 2020 and 2021, but in 2022 and 2023 its impact faded. However, a larger impact in 2022 and 2023 has been from inflation, which derived in large part from the war in Ukraine,…

Retail volume sales of consumer appliances in Indonesia witnessed more robust growth in 2023, when compared to the previous year. This was attributable to a gradual improvement in consumer purchasing power, thanks to better economic conditions,…

After a year of healthy growth in 2022, the demand for consumer appliances in India notably slowed in 2023, hindered by inflationary pressures and a cost-of-living crisis. This was one of the key themes that plagued the industry during the year.…

Consumer appliances is set to see modest retail volume growth in Hong Kong in 2023, due to the removal of pandemic restrictions and subsequent economic growth. Certain categories, such as air treatment products, and in particular refrigeration…

2022 witnessed a mid-single-digit decline in retail volume sales of consumer appliances due to the resurgence of COVID-19, and it is expected that the retail volume decline will continue, although at a slower rate, in 2023. 2023 has seen consumer…

Although growth slowed in 2022, it was still positive in sugar confectionery, which dominates overall confectionery packaging in Vietnam, with products such as candies and sweets remaining highly popular among Vietnamese consumers of all ages. These…

While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was positive for many packaged food categories, this did not apply to confectionery as sales in the category came under massive pressure during 2020, which continued, to some extent, in 2021. While all the…

The packaging unit volumes in confectionery declined in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic sharpened the focus of Thai consumers on the importance of maintaining a healthy diet for general wellbeing and a strong immune system. In addition, COVID-19…

Total confectionery packaging volumes increased in South Korea in 2023, seeing a gradual recovery after sales declined during the pandemic. Flexible packaging remained the dominant pack type in chocolate confectionery in 2023, as this offers…

The ongoing positive growth recorded by chocolate confectionery packaging in Singapore towards the end of the review period was attributed to these products remaining popular among local consumers as indulgent treats and gifts, contributing to…

Flexible plastic is a dominant pack type in confectionery due to cost-effectiveness, product protection and consumer convenience. Flexible plastic offers a significant cost advantage for producers compared to alternative packaging materials. This…

Total confectionery packaging volumes in Japan saw a decline in 2023. Although turning to decline in 2023, flexible plastic continued to account for the highest packaging volumes in confectionery in 2023. This is primarily driven by its versatility,…

Countlines packaging was recording some of the strongest growth in confectionery packaging in Indonesia in 2022 as it typically includes individually wrapped chocolates or candies to cater to the trend of convenient, on-the-go consumption. As urban…

Flexible plastic accounted for the highest share of packaging volumes in countlines in 2023, and gained share of overall packaging volumes in this category. The rising popularity of this pack type is due to its versatility, convenience, and…