Asia Pacific

With the end of the zero-COVID policy towards the end of 2022, China’s consumer landscape has undergone a gradual transition back to normalcy. While 2023 experienced a temporary dip in sales of apparel and footwear, influenced by both COVID-19 and…

Apparel and footwear in Hong Kong is showing significant signs of recovery in 2023, with double-digit retail volume and current value growth. The local government gradually relaxed the city’s social restrictions from the second half of 2022 to early…

India’s distinction as having one of the youngest populations globally provides a significant advantage, particularly when it comes to fashion. With a substantial proportion of the population belonging to younger age groups, the country boasts a…

Retail sales of apparel and footwear in Indonesia registered relatively modest growth in constant value terms in 2023, when compared to the previous two years. As the country emerged from the pandemic, Indonesians became increasingly keen to travel,…

The fading of COVID-19 has been a significant turning point for Japanese consumers, who have been leaving their homes and therefore driving the return of footfall in town centres. In May 2023, the Japanese government changed the legitimate…

Sales of apparel and footwear saw dynamic growth in 2022, with constant value sales fast approaching pre-pandemic levels. As the country emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers became increasingly keen to travel, socialise and spend more time…

2023 has seen life return to normal in Singapore, with consumers resuming all their pre-pandemic activities. The return to normalcy is set to help drive retail volume and current value sales of apparel and footwear in this year, with consumers…

Apparel and footwear is posting positive but slower current value and retail volume growth in 2023 compared to the previous year, as many consumers’ needs/wants for new apparel and footwear have been largely fulfilled following the lifting of social…

Apparel and footwear in Taiwan is poised to register a negative result in volume terms for a second consecutive year in 2023, while current value growth looks set to be down slightly on 2022. This is mainly due to increased caution around…

Apparel and footwear in Thailand continues on the path to recovery in 2023, albeit sales have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels in current value terms. Even though the country continues to record COVID-19 cases, Thai consumers have learnt to…

According to the Philippines Statistics Authority, the Philippines saw a population increase of 1.5% in 2023 compared with the previous year. The growth in the population is expanding the consumer base for apparel and footwear. In addition to this,…

Vietnam's GDP is predicted to grow by approximately 4.5% by the end of 2023 according to the country’s General Statistical Office, which is less than the 6.5% predicted at the start of the year. Due to the impact of price inflation, consumers are…

After a year of significant decline in 2022 due to pandemic restrictions, in 2023 apparel and footwear specialists continued to see a slight fall in current value sales in China, despite the lifting of restrictions. With the end of the pandemic,…

Apparel and footwear specialists saw a significant rebound in sales in Hong Kong in current value terms in 2023. Inbound tourism and private consumption continued to recover in 2023, and improvements in household income helped retail sales to rebound…

Apparel and footwear specialists maintained double-digit current value growth in India in 2023, along with continued growth in outlet numbers. After significant disruption during the pandemic, the channel returned to the 2019 level of sales for the…

Apparel and footwear specialists saw further current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. In the post-COVID-19 environment, consumer experience has become increasingly important, with consumers expecting comfort and unique design in stores. Gen Z and…

The leading player in apparel and footwear specialists, Fast Retailing, has been focusing on experiences in its stores. Having both an offline and online presence, the retailer aims to differentiate its physical stores by providing customers with…

Reopened borders in 2022 and relaxed movement restrictions resulted in sharp rises in foot traffic in malls, boosted by locals and the return of international tourism. Festivities such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the widespread use of promotions…

Apparel and footwear specialists in Singapore continued to record robust growth in 2023. This was largely driven by the full-scale resumption of social activities and international travel. 2023 witnessed a full year of the effects and benefits of…

Outlet numbers in apparel and footwear specialists in South Korea remained fairly static in 2023, after several years of decline. Meanwhile, although sales failed to return to anywhere near the pre-pandemic level in current value terms, they…

In 2023, the retail sales of apparel specialist retailers in Taiwan bounced back significantly. Following a double-digit growth rate in 2022, which surpassed the modest growth recorded in 2021, several major international brands displayed remarkable…

Overall current value sales rose in 2023 for apparel and footwear specialists in Thailand, partly benefitting from the continued post-pandemic rebound. Thailand is a difficult market for fast fashion players, however. Even before the pandemic,…

Apparel and footwear specialists registered strong growth in current value terms in 2023. This was attributable to an increase in mobility, with consumers returning to their pre-pandemic shopping routines. The year also saw more consumers returning…

Apparel and footwear specialists in Vietnam remained significantly impacted by a range of negative factors throughout 2023, even though global inflationary pressures led the Vietnamese government to lower the tax rate to 8% from July until the year’s…

In 2023, sales of consumer appliances and consumer electronics saw solid growth in China, thanks to the end of the pandemic, and the “Old for new”, and “Subsidies for green and energy-saving household appliances” policies. However, despite this, and…

After the disruptions to value sales during the 2019 protests and pandemic in 2020, appliances and electronics specialists returned to current value growth in Hong Kong in 2021 and 2022. However, in 2023 appliances and electronics specialists…

Appliances and electronics specialists maintained solid current value growth and growth in outlet numbers in India in 2023, despite the competition from online retailers of such products. This is mostly because store-based retailers have been…

Appliances and electronics specialists saw continued current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. While some of the leading players in this channel, such as Erajaya Swasembada and Electronic City, continued to expand their retail networks in 2023, the…

Yodobashi partnered with Fortress Investment Group in the acquisition of the department store brands Seibu and Sogo from Seven & i Holdings Co Ltd, and is hoping to establish a new store in Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro is one of the largest towns in Japan,…

The pandemic lockdowns negatively affected some store-based appliances and electronics specialists. Nonetheless, with the lifting of restrictions and the reopening of international borders, sales benefited from the pent-up demand accumulated during…

Albeit recording slower growth compared to the previous year, appliances and electronics specialists in Singapore experienced another positive performance in 2023. In February 2022, the local government announced that the prevailing rate of Goods and…

Appliances and electronics specialists maintained its long-standing decline in outlet numbers in South Korea in 2023, and although it returned to growth in current value terms, this only made a small dent in the losses experienced since 2019. The…

Appliances and electronics specialists in Taiwan witnessed a fluctuating trajectory in 2023, shaped significantly by seasonal sales trends. While the pandemic-induced surge in demand for remote working and online schooling propelled sales of personal…

Current value sales in appliances and electronics specialists in Thailand continued their post-pandemic rebound in 2023. Over the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023, the Thai government introduced several stimulus measures, including the offer of cash…

2023 proved to be a positive year for appliances and electronics specialists in the Philippines, supported by increased foot traffic in shopping malls and other retail centres. There was also an improvement in consumer confidence, particularly during…

2023 saw declines in demand for appliances and electronics specialists in Vietnam, with deep drops in current value sales as global economic uncertainty prompted consumers to adopt a more cautious approach towards their spending habits - particularly…

Asian speciality drinks in China continued to see declines in both on-trade and off-trade volume and current value sales in 2023, due to the weak performance of the major product type, fruit vinegar. Fruit vinegar is a traditional beverage that…

Asian speciality drinks in Hong Kong, particularly herbal teas focusing on health benefits, regained growth momentum in 2023 as tourists returned following the easing of travel restrictions in late 2022. This presented an opportunity for brands to…

Asian speciality drinks in Indonesia saw positive growth in terms of off-trade volume sales in 2023, though the pace was lower than that recorded in 2022. This slowdown was the result of a second year of price hikes at a double-digit rate.…

Asian speciality drinks was well-positioned to benefit from the increased focus on health brought about by COVID-19. However, most of these products are also available in liquid concentrate format. With consumers staying at home, off-trade volume…

Asian speciality drinks is seeing flat off-trade volume growth, due to the category’s performance in relation to unit price hikes. As Asian speciality drinks can be easily replaced by other categories, such as RTD tea, coconut and other plant waters,…

Asian speciality drinks in Singapore is set to see on-trade volume growth in 2023, whereas off-trade volume sales are expected to see a moderate decline. In Singapore, Asian speciality drinks are more commonly consumed in on-trade premises, such as…

Sales of Asian speciality drinks in South Korea continue to grow in 2022 as consumers look for perceived healthier drink options. In addition to the longer-term pursuit of healthier lifestyles, the pandemic encouraged local consumers to seek clear…

Asian speciality drinks showed improved results in off- and on-trade volume sales terms in 2023, largely thanks to the easing of the pandemic and the ending of associated restrictions. With concerns surrounding COVID-19 having reinforced the…

Asian speciality drinks has witnessed slower growth in off-trade volume terms in 2023 compared to other years in the review period. This is in part due to the economic pressures facing many households with elevated inflation and a sharp rise in the…

Away-from-home tissue and hygiene in Azerbaijan saw positive indicators in both value and volume terms, with sales supported by consumers return to out-of-home lifestyles, including tourism and hospitality – being areas where away-from-home tissue is…

On the one hand, toilet paper has become more prevalent in public spaces in China, including shopping centres, restaurants, hotels, airports and railway stations. This is, in part, a result of the government-led “toilet revolution” which aims to…

The away-from-home (AFH) tissue market is seeing a recovery to pre-pandemic levels, with healthy growth in value terms in 2023. The recovery of AFH tissue sales in Hong Kong has been driven by the normalisation of travel and the resurgence of…

Away-from-home (AFH) tissue and hygiene maintained a second year of double-digit current value growth in India in 2023. AFH hygiene, which consists only of AFH incontinence products, saw the strongest increase. With the growing prevalence of…

Away-from-home (AFH) tissue and hygiene in Indonesia saw significant growth in terms of both volume and current value sales in 2023, buoyed by improving economic conditions and the expansion of related sectors. The steady improvement in the country’s…