Asia Pacific

After e-commerce showed double-digit current value growth during COVID-19 in 2020, growth slowed significantly in 2021, and remained at this lower level in 2022 and 2023, as with the reopening of physical stores post-pandemic, fewer people made the…

E-commerce continued to grow but at a slower rate, partly due to the geopolitical situation. The war in Ukraine has resulted in supply chain disruptions, higher transportation tariffs and high inflation also higher prices for imports, due to currency…

Celebrating its first year in the Malaysian market, TikTok Shop has become the fastest-growing emerging e-commerce player in Southeast Asia, operating as an online marketplace within the TikTok video-sharing platform. The player attributes its…

Clicky, a fast-fashion e-commerce platform focused on apparel, footwear and accessories, has received investments from notable investors such as Fatima Ventures and Souq, a UAE-based company that was later acquired by Amazon. In December 2021, the…

E-commerce in Singapore experienced a marginal decline in value sales in 2023 due to the normalisation of shopping habits. This was expected, given the sharp growth recorded by the channel during the pandemic, when consumers had limited alternatives…

In 2023, retail e-commerce maintained double-digit current value growth in South Korea. In recent times, the retail landscape in the country witnessed a remarkable surge in online shopping activities, driving a substantial increase in online…

As e-commerce in Taiwan matures, the dynamics of online shopping are undergoing significant shifts, presenting both challenges and opportunities for retailers. Despite experiencing growth in retail value sales in 2023, the pace of expansion has…

E-commerce sales in Thailand saw slowed but strong growth in terms of current value in 2023. The channel still accounts for an only small percentage of retail overall, though growth has been rapid and remained robust in 2023. At the same time, there…

While 2023 saw higher foot traffic in shopping malls and other physical retail locations. e-commerce continued see significant expansion in current value terms. Online marketplaces, such as Lazada, Shopee, and Zalora were instrumental to driving up…

In 2022, retail e-commerce continued to gain significant value share in Uzbekistan. However, its penetration level still lagged behind neighbouring countries such as Kazakhstan. Several factors hindered the further development of retail e-commerce in…

In 2023 retail e-commerce in Vietnam continued to see robust rises, recording faster current value sales growth than it did in 2022. Vietnamese consumers are increasingly family with e-commerce marketplaces, drawn to the very frequent offer of a…

Following the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that caused oil prices to collapse in 2020 and annual real GDP to contract by 4.2% in 2020, the Azerbaijani economy rebounded strongly and grew by 5.6% in annual real terms in 2021. This is partly…

Retail generated positive growth in 2022 despite high inflation and pressure on consumer spending. Higher levels of investment from key players boosted chained grocery retailing and e-commerce as consumers become more accustomed to more modern and…

The reopening of society after the pandemic is beneficial for Cambodia retail. While the majority of consumers still shop in traditional outlets, the retail landscape in developed cities is being modernised. This is driven by a growing number of…

Retail in China maintained current value growth in 2023. In early December 2022, the Chinese government announced “New Ten Measures” to optimise COVID-19 prevention, and it cancelled the zero-COVID policy. The whole country saw an end to…

Retail saw another year of solid current value growth in Hong Kong in 2023. However, the increase was mainly due to the low base, and sales were unable to recover to the 2018 level – pre-pandemic and protests. Nevertheless, benefiting from the…

The retail industry showed dynamic current value growth in India in 2023, driven by conducive macroeconomic factors, as well as the full return of mobility and travel after the end of the pandemic. The strong performance in 2023 can be attributed to…

Retail saw current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. More premium orientated retailers saw particularly strong performances, as their core consumer base was less severely impacted by the economic difficulties seen at the end of the review period.…

Retail maintained solid current value growth in Japan in 2023, with increases across both offline and e-commerce. In 2023, offline retail regained stronger momentum due to the return of mobility post-COVID-19. On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government…

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…

Inflation remains high, making imported goods more expensive for consumers and restricting purchases of non-essentials, despite a degree of post-COVID-19 recovery. Retailing remains underdeveloped, with informal retailing dominant and benefiting from…

Following reopened borders and lifted restrictions in 2022, Malaysia's retail sector witnessed a surge in consumer revenge spending throughout the year. However, starting from the second quarter of 2023, the trend showed signs of decline as consumer…

Retail in Myanmar witnessed double-digit growth in current value terms in 2022 but this was largely driven by high inflation and the depreciation of the local currency exchange rate. Households became more price sensitive amidst declining purchasing…

In 2022, retail in Pakistan was severely impacted by the devastating floods and the economic crisis. Dwindling consumer purchasing power, supply chain disruptions, reduced agriculture output, weak lending activity by commercial banks and currency…

Retail in Singapore has left the impact of the pandemic behind following the easing of restrictions, and has continued with resilient, albeit slower, growth in 2023. The full-scale resumption of social activities and the reopening of international…

In 2023, retail in South Korea maintained solid current value growth both online and offline, with growth also returning to outlet numbers in the offline space. Value increases were seen across most channels, although growth in outlet numbers was…

Sri Lanka experienced an economic crisis in 2022 with hyperinflation and severe import restrictions due to a lack of dollars. Many retailers struggled to meet demand with the country experiencing severe shortages, including for key products such as…

Retail in 2023 presented a mixed landscape in Taiwan, marked by economic challenges as the country grappled with a recession in the first quarter. This downturn was primarily attributed to a decline in exports and subdued global demand for…

Thailand’s retail industry in 2023 continued to evolve and improve, responding to growing demand from consumers with convenience as a key driver. The wholesale and retail sectors, along with the vehicle maintenance and household goods sectors, have…

Despite persisting inflationary pressures, retail in the Philippines recorded healthy growth in in current value terms in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. Sales were boosted an increase in mobility, including the return of Filipinos…

Despite the deleterious impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Uzbekistan recorded positive annual real GDP growth of 1.9% in 2020. With the reopening of the economy, as well as higher state investment and a recovery in remittance inflows that bolstered…

Retail in Vietnam struggled in 2023, facing pressures from inflation and a weakening export market, among other things. Local consumers cut back on spending which negatively impacted several retail categories, including appliances and electronics…

In a cross-category trend, inflation was creating sales patterns in retail tissue in Azerbaijan in 2023. Despite the inflationary pressures starting to slow down in 2023, there has been a lot of disruption with supply chains (connected to the ongoing…

While the Chinese economy is slowly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, consumer confidence has not yet been restored. People are struggling in the face of a potential economic downturn and have cut down consumption of consumer goods across all…

In general, the growth of the category has been driven by unit price increases caused by the rising cost of raw materials. However, manufacturers are reluctant to raise their retail prices significantly, as consumers are sensitive to price increases.…

In 2023, retail tissue continued to experience double-digit retail volume and current value growth in India, on the basis of changing hygiene practices, increasing consumer awareness, and habit persistence. Traditionally, cloth rags and fabric were…

Retail tissue in Indonesia saw a boost in overall volume and current value sales in 2023, driven by consistent population growth and a growing trend towards urbanisation. The migration from rural to urban areas is leading to improved standards of…

Retail tissue turned to decline in Japan in volume terms in 2023, although current value growth continued. 2022 and 2023 were years of price increases for the category. For instance, Daio Paper increased the B2C product shipment price by 15% or more…

There was a fall in constant value sales for retail tissue in Kazakhstan in 2023. Volume growth was also subdued, in spite of continuing population growth. Russia is a key exporter of cellulose, but due to the war in Ukraine and sanctions, it found…

We note a trend towards premiumisation in retail tissue in 2023 in Malaysia. This is evidenced by Vinda Deluxe (Vinda Malaysia Sdn Bhd) continuing to grow its share. This player uses strong marketing and promotional campaigns across online platforms,…

Retail tissue in Pakistan performed strongly across the board in 2023 in terms of volume growth. Toilet paper, in particular, registered significant growth, with volume sales increasing by a fifth. Continuing population growth supported increased…

In Singapore, there has been a discernible uptick in the demand for premium tissue products, particularly in the realm of toilet paper. Consumers are increasingly gravitating towards higher-quality options, reflecting a shift in preferences towards a…

In the aftermath of COVID-19, retail tissue in South Korea was initially poised for decline, along with the return to activities outside the home; however, the category demonstrated resilience in 2023. Contrary to expectations, retail tissue recorded…

Retail tissue in Taiwan saw a vastly improved performance in and current value terms in 2023. This trend was due to some extent to rising raw material and supply chain costs, which led to price increases across their category. Retailers and…

Retail tissue saw accelerated growth in Thailand in 2023 with a notable increase in retail volume terms. This was driven by evolving trends in family hygiene practices, particularly in rural areas where there has been a transition to using retail…

Retail tissue saw continued growth in both volume terms and current value terms in 2023. This trend was supported better economic conditions, combined with enhanced hygiene concerns as a result of the recent pandemic. The category is dominated by…

Retail tissue was seeing strong value growth in Uzbekistan in 2023, primarily attributed to hikes in unit prices. These price increases have come about due to manufacturers’ elevated costs of raw materials, energy and utilities, logistics, and…

A greater focus on hygiene and improving living standards continued to drive strong and stable growth for retail tissue in Vietnam in both value and volume terms. Whereas in the past most people in rural areas of Vietnam were used toilet paper for…

Overall, rice, pasta and noodles is expected to register moderate constant value and volume growth. Rice continues to account for most volume sales and it is a key ingredient in local dishes. Pasta registers lower volume growth in 2023 than rice, as…

The performance of rice, pasta and noodles is expected to show a mixed picture in China in 2023, reflecting changing consumer preferences and market dynamics. Retail volume declines are expected for the main categories, rice and noodles, mainly due…