Asia Pacific

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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 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…

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 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…

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 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 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,…

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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)…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…