Asia Pacific

In 2022, the gradual removal of pandemic-related restrictions in South Korea led to a significant surge in outbound travel demand. This trend continues in 2023. Outbound travellers in both 2022 and 2023 have also been spending considerable sums of…

The travel industry in Taiwan continued on its road to recovery in 2023, with the volume of inbound arrivals having recorded high triple-digit growth over the previous year. Following the lifting of all COVID-19-related entry restrictions in October…

As of 1 October 2022, Thailand fully lifted all pandemic-related border requirements. To enter the country, international travellers no longer needed to show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test. This resulted in a strong recovery for…

The Filipino travel industry continued to recover in 2023, with the volume of inbound arrivals having recorded triple-digit growth over the previous year. This followed the easing of all remaining international travel restrictions, including COVID-19…

Travel in Vietnam is being supported by the revival of tourism following the era of the pandemic when such activities and industries were curtailed. In 2023, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong signed Decision No. 405/QD-BVHTTDL, which issued the…

In 2022, vacuum cleaners experienced disruption, with retail volume sales experiencing a decline. This was primarily due to the resurgence of COVID-19, which had a negative impact on production and delivery. However, following the end of the pandemic…

Strong retail volume growth has been seen for robotic vacuum cleaners for several years, and although the rate of increase is set to slow in 2023, solid growth is still expected. This is partly because pandemic restrictions have been removed,…

While growth for vacuum cleaners increased during the pandemic due to the unavailability of domestic workers, demand for the category slowed considerably in 2023 due to inflationary pressures and the return of hired help. In India, there is a…

Vacuum cleaners saw a rapid surge in popularity in Indonesia during the review period, with this pattern continuing in 2023. Many middle- to upper-income urban consumers are recognising the convenience and effectiveness of using these products to…

It has long been a trend in vacuum cleaners that volume sales of cylinder vacuum cleaners are shifting to stick vacuum cleaners. This started around 2010, when Dyson began to sell stick vacuum cleaners in Japan with the phrase, “the only vacuum…

In Malaysia, the market for vacuum cleaners continued its growth in 2023, with a more impressive rate than was seen in 2022 but at a moderated pace compared to the surge experienced during the height of the pandemic. This growth is underpinned by a…

In 2023, demand for vacuum cleaners in Singapore remains stable, supported by significant technological advancements and a greater focus on hygiene since the pandemic. However, consumers’ priorities are shifting. With COVID-19 spreading widely in…

Retail volume sales of vacuum cleaners as a whole are falling in 2023, despite another dynamic performance by robotic vacuum cleaners with robust double-digit volume and value growth. Standard vacuum cleaners are relatively mature in South Korea,…

Vacuum cleaners posted positive retail volume sales in 2023. However, growth was somewhat stunted by a shift from spending on goods to experiences and services. Following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, many consumers were keen to travel and…

Sales of vacuum cleaners in Thailand continued to experience strong growth in retail volume terms in 2023 driven by various factors that reflect the changing lifestyles and priorities of the local population. Rapid technological advancements, coupled…

Vacuum cleaners continued to enjoy fast growth in demand in 2023. This performance continued to be supported by heightened awareness of the importance of hygiene and cleanliness to health since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The public health…

Sales in vacuum cleaners are supported by consumers’ rising standards of hygiene within the home. This is particularly notable in big cities, due to urban air pollution levels. It is noted that PM2.5 dust is a concern for consumers living in the big…

In 2022, the distribution of vegetables was adversely affected by the ongoing impact of pandemic-related restrictions in China, resulting in disruptions to various purchasing channels, including foodservice and institutional establishments, and…

Vegetables is set to see low total volume growth in India in 2023. However, the rate of increase is expected to be slower than seen in previous years, as although most categories have been seeing rising sales, the strong decline in sales of tomatoes…

Overall demand for vegetables in Japan continues to increase in 2023, mainly driven by the more impressive performance by foodservice. Like many other categories of fresh food, foodservice sales of vegetables in Japan suffered significant declines at…

Vegetables in Thailand saw a notable and sustained increase in unit prices throughout 2022 and 2023, primarily attributed to the combined impact of drought and severe flooding. Drought conditions have resulted in reduced water availability for…

The vegetables category experienced positive growth in Vietnam in 2023, particularly in the institutional and foodservice sectors. With a 100% vaccination rate amongst children by the end of 2022, more parents were allowing their children to stay in…

After a year of minimal current value growth in 2022, when consumers limited their trips outside the home due to COVID-19 outbreaks, vending saw a strong increase in its growth rate in China in 2023. A double-digit rise was seen in value sales –…

Vending saw a second year of double-digit current value growth in Hong Kong in 2023. After sales were negatively affected by the lack of mobility during the pandemic, in 2023 they finally returned to the pre-pandemic (2019) level. Vending machines…

Vending machines have a significant presence in Japan, and have been part of the local culture for decades. Vending is a contactless, unmanned, compact, and convenient way of shopping. Although sales declined during the pandemic, a rebound was seen…

The number of vending machines increased in Malaysia in 2023, with several offering health supplements and others dispensing skin care products. There are even machines offering products as diverse as cacti and NFTs, suggesting that the novelty…

2023 witnessed the full effect of the removal of pandemic-related restrictions concerning social activity and international travel, with vending in Singapore continuing to record strong growth due to greater mobility. The vending format thrives on…

In 2023, vending maintained dynamic current value growth in South Korea, driven by the surge in outdoor activities following the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, although it remained a small channel within the overall retail landscape. This uptick…

In Taiwan, traditional vending machines are giving way to smart vending solutions, leveraging advanced technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and big data. These smart machines offer more than just snacks and…

Vending saw current value sales rise in Thailand in 2023. The country has been home to vending machines for over 20 years, but vending has recently gained ground with new brands entering the market and brining in new technology and payment systems.…

Vending in the Philippines continued on its road to recovery in 2023, with healthy growth in current value terms. Sales were boosted an increase in mobility, including the return of Filipinos to their physical offices, which gave rise to more…

In 2023, video games in China exhibited a strong rebound, with a double-digit growth rate in current value terms. This resurgence can be attributed to several key factors. First, the normalisation of new game licenses in 2023 injected new vitality…

Static consoles in Hong Kong recorded further growth in 2023, supporting leading brand Nintendo Switch. This was due to the commercial success of popular game titles such as Pokémon: Scarlet and Violet, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which have…

Video games in India maintained its strong growth trajectory in current value terms in 2023, although the rate of increase slowed compared with 2022, due to factors such as economic uncertainty, inflation, and greater mobility outside the home.…

Video games in Indonesia saw an improved performance in 2023, when compared to the previous year. However the rate of current value growth remained significantly below the heights achieved in 2020 and 2021, largely due to individuals returning to…

Video games in Japan saw slow current value growth in 2023, with growth driven by video games hardware. Thanks to PlayStation 5 finally seeing a significant boost to its sales, this category saw a double-digit current value increase in 2023. Sony…

Overall, video games saw current value growth in Malaysia in 2023. Sony’s PS4 and PS5 contributed to significant volume sales in static consoles in 2023, with sales supported by PS5 stock availability and also the availability of the newer version,…

Video games in Singapore maintained dynamic, although slower, current value growth in 2023, with stronger growth for video games software than hardware. In light of the relentless pace of life in Singapore, consumers are increasingly drawn to games…

In 2023, video games in South Korea experienced a notable current value decline. This turnaround, after years of growth, was propelled by various factors, foremost among them being the waning impact of COVID-19, which led to a resurgence in outdoor…

Video games in Taiwan, similar to traditional toys and games, was impacted by 2023 being the country’s first full year without COVID-19 restrictions. Shrinking consumption power due to austerity and worries over inflation amid stagnant payment levels…

Video games in Thailand significantly outperformed traditional toys and games in retail value sales and growth terms in 2023, continuing the trend witnessed during the review period. Interest spiked in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.…

Video games continued to outperform traditional toys and games in 2023, with the category continuing to record healthy growth in current value terms despite the challenging market conditions. Nonetheless, the picture varied between the performance of…

Even though Azerbaijan enjoys abundant sunlight, Vitamin D sales are doing particularly well in 2023, with the market for vitamins more generally showing strong resilience. The trend is set to become entrenched, with the COVID-19 pandemic having…

Vitamins enjoyed a surge in demand throughout the COVID-19 wave which started after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in December 2022, and lasted during the first half of 2023. Products with the purpose of immune support, such as vitamin C, which…

The significant increase in vitamins sales in Hong Kong in 2023 can be attributed to several factors. There has been a growing emphasis among local consumers on taking preventive measures to enhance their overall health and wellbeing. This trend has…

Vitamins is set to maintain consistent solid current value growth in India in 2023. The pandemic accelerated the growth of vitamins in India, as consumers began to better understand the importance of health and wellness. This trend has continued, and…

In 2023, overall vitamins is expected to maintain current value growth, although volume sales are set to turn to decline. However, this is unlikely to be part of a larger trend, as a return to growth is expected in the forecast period. It is more…

Sales of multivitamins and single vitamins in Japan have continued to grow in current value terms in 2023, reflecting the ongoing consumer interest in healthy living. Multivitamins are seen as an easy and convenient way for consumers to address their…

Overall, vitamins is expected to see a further decline in retail volume sales, as well as a drop in retail current value sales, due to the struggles of multivitamins, over 2023. As the huge positive impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,…

Demand for vitamins continued to grow at a rapid pace in 2023 as Malaysians increasingly focused on preventative health measures. Indeed, despite the transition of COVID-19 into an endemic virus, consumers continued to seek out products that claimed…