Asia Pacific

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Malaysian consumers have been increasingly focused on preventative health measures, and this trend continued into 2023. Alongside the adoption of healthier diets and exercise behaviours, consumers sought out vitamins…

Consumers are increasingly adopting a preventative approach to maintaining good health, which continues to drive interest in vitamins and dietary supplements in 2023. Established brands continue to dominate sales as brand loyalty is relatively high…

Pakistan’s economy continues to struggle and the government secured a further USD3 billion bailout with the IMF in July 2023, avoiding an impending default. Inflation continues to be very high and is being driven by several factors, including…

With the threat of the pandemic leaving people’s minds in 2023, growth in consumer health in Singapore is set to stabilise, due to the gradual normalisation of consumers’ lives. With the majority of the population vaccinated, and COVID-19 likened to…

The self-medication trend is growing in South Korea, supporting further sales growth for analgesics, and cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies, especially since the prevalence of the “tripledemic” in the country, consisting of COVID-19,…

During the pandemic Sri Lanka received international support to purchase the necessary medication to help them fight COVID-19. However, due to the current economic crisis the Government of Sri Lanka has had to impose import restrictions due to…

Consumer health in Taiwan has performed positively on the whole in 2023, with growth in total current value sales remaining robust and most categories either expanding in volume terms or contracting at a slower pace than in 2022. The easing of the…

The market for consumer health products in Thailand continued to enjoy healthy growth in current value terms in 2023. This was driven, to a large extent, by the revival of normal pre-pandemic patterns of behaviour, including the return of consumers…

Positive sales growth was registered across most categories of consumer health in the Philippines in 2023 as the strong focus on health and wellbeing that has spread among the population since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to spur…

Consumer health in 2023 is exhibiting solid current value growth as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic diminishes. With the resurgence of seasonal ailments, categories such as cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies and analgesics are…

Current value sales of consumer health in Vietnam continue to record strong growth in line with the rising trend of health and wellness in the country. Post-pandemic, the majority of Vietnamese consumers are taking greater care of their health, and…

Demand for consumer lending is set to see a moderate rebound in 2023, as the pandemic has eased, and consumer spending has returned, especially on services and in other discretionary categories. However, growth in consumer lending in China is…

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…

Consumer lending is growing at a healthy pace in India, driven by evolving lifestyle preferences where consumers strive for a higher standard of living and access to modern amenities. The country’s growing economy, rising disposable incomes, and…

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…

Consumer lending in Japan is growing in 2023 in line with demand for greater convenience and easy access to lending services, mainly due to more services being accessed online. New emerging players, such as LINE Pocket Money by LINE Credit…

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…

Gross consumer lending’s growth is continuing to outperform outstanding balance, driven by card lending, as local consumers spend more with the reopening of society and cross-border travel. However, outstanding balance on card lending (encompassing…

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…

Following impressive double-digit growth surpassing most beauty- and fashion-related categories in 2023, contact lenses in China is expected to return to stable mid-single-digit current value growth in 2024. On the one hand, the rapid expansion of…

The popular trend of wearing daily disposable lenses (DD) in Hong Kong continues to drive overall category growth. There is greater awareness of health and hygiene among local consumers since the pandemic. Daily disposable lenses do not require…

Contact lenses in India has been experiencing robust growth, with a further double-digit current value increase expected to be observed in 2024. This expansion can be attributed to rising awareness amongst consumers regarding the usage and benefits…

Contact lenses is set to see current value growth in Indonesia in 2024. In an era in which self-expression is key, the younger generation often look for ways to stand out and express their personalities through style and appearance. To do so they…

Contact lenses in Japan is set to continue to see volume and current value growth in 2024. One factor driving growth has been children. More and more children are suffering from myopia. While spectacles is still the main treatment method for children…

Contact lenses in Malaysia is seeing a continued consumer shift from frequent replacement lenses to daily disposable lenses in 2024. This is being driven by changing lifestyles and evolving demand. In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, local…

Contact lenses in Singapore is projected to continue growing in volume and current value terms in 2024. The boom in outdoor and sporting activities is helping to drive growth, as it is much easier to participate in sports when wearing contact lenses…

Contact lenses in South Korea is set to maintain solid but slower current value growth in 2024. Multifocal lenses are gaining significant popularity in the country, largely driven by the ageing population. As the demographic shift towards an older…

Contact lenses and solutions continue to recover from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2024. Despite some government intervention in 2022, retail volume and current value sales still remain lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The…

Contact lenses and solutions in Thailand is seeing innovation informed by diverse demand from local consumers in 2024. Broadly, the main users of contact lenses in the country can be classified into three groups. First, those with eye problems who…

The market for contact lenses and solutions in the Philippines is expected to see dynamic growth in current value terms in 2024, driven by greater accessibility. Accelerated urbanisation has led to the emergence of a growing number of optical goods…

Even after seeing strong performances throughout the pandemic years, convenience retailers maintained its growth momentum in current value terms in China in 2023, with growth in outlet numbers also continuing. Even as the pandemic eased, consumers…

Although seeing a slowing of its growth rate compared with the previous year, convenience retailers maintained solid current value growth in Hong Kong in 2023. Convenience stores remained overwhelmingly dominant within convenience retailers in 2023,…

Convenience retailers returned to current value growth in India in 2023. This is a relatively small channel with low penetration in the country, with outlets predominantly located in tier 1 and tier 2 cities. There are just a few major players in the…

Convenience retailers saw current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. Urbanisation is a key factor influencing the growth of convenience stores in the country. Many people move to big cities in search of work or education, and they need places to shop…

On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government announced that it would reclassify COVID-19 as a class 5 infectious disease, which is the same classification as seasonal flu. This shift pushed consumers in Japan to go back to their pre-COVID-19 behaviours,…

Social distancing measures remained in effect in Malaysia in 2021, with consumers forced to avoid spending time outside of the home wherever possible, and huge numbers of white-collar professionals, office workers and service industry personnel were…

The full recovery of convenience stores in Singapore, which dominates value sales and outlet numbers within convenience retailers, has been driven by the resumption of pre-pandemic lifestyles. Consumers have returned to schools and offices, as the…

Convenience retailers maintained dynamic growth in current value terms and in terms of outlet numbers in South Korea in 2023. The number of convenience retailers surpassed 50,000 in 2021, and this figure increased to nearly 60,000 in 2023. The…

In 2023, convenience stores in Taiwan experienced expansion driven by various factors such as summer travels, festive seasons, typhoons, and back-to-school/work periods, all of which boosted demand for fresh food, coffee, packaged snacks, and…

Convenience stores in Thailand continued to recover and rise in 2023, with expansion in terms of outlet numbers a major driver. Rapid urbanisation, longer working hours, and declines in average household size boosted demand for smaller-format stores…

Convenience retailers in in the Philippines recorded a dynamic performance in current value terms in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. This was largely attributable to the aggressive activities of incumbent players, such as Philippine…

2023 saw convenience stores in Vietnam continue to expand rapidly in terms of number of outlets, especially into urban areas, as local lifestyles became increasingly busy. Convenience stores resonate with Gen Z consumers and students, gaining…

Cooking ingredients and meals is witnessing greater stability in 2023 following the price shocks of 2022, which created much upheaval for the category. There was a significant increase in prices across the cooking ingredients and meals category in…

In 2023, a surge in living costs has driven price increases of 20-60% in cooking ingredients. As a result, demand has declined, especially among lower-middle-income consumers. To combat this, manufacturers have been focusing on smaller packs. On a…

In 2023, cooking ingredients and meals will see an improved performance in comparison with 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic finally coming to an end and inflation finally stabilising. In line with the economic reopening and tourism resuming, demand…

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…