Asia Pacific

Total demand for starchy roots in Japan continues to improve in 2023, mainly driven by foodservice and retail channels. Like many categories of fresh food, foodservice volume sales of starchy roots experienced significant declines at the height of…

The unit prices of starchy roots increased significantly throughout 2022 and 2023 due to constant rises in the costs of production and unfavourable weather conditions throughout the year. Like other fresh food categories, the farming and production…

In 2023, an increased awareness of the importance of health and wellness contributed to the rise in demand for starchy roots in Vietnam. The nutritional advantages of eating these foods, such as high-quality carbs, dietary fibre, and crucial…

Store cards remains a negligible category in the country. The majority of establishments in India tend to offer loyalty cards (these can be used to add and store reward points as credit currency, a simpler solution without the threat of debt…

Store cards are often referred to as “Gaisho cards” in Japan. Gaisho is a department most often found in department stores, positioned somewhat like direct selling. Gaisho are elite staff members with high levels of skill and experience, and these…

Store cards in South Korea is experiencing a trend of stagnant growth. Despite the enduring appeal of store cards and their unique set of benefits, the growth rates in both 2022 and 2023 feature stabilisation rather than substantial expansion.…

Store cards are not available in Taiwan. Hypermarket chain Carrefour was the last retailer to offer such cards and it ceased its operations in 2005. A trend towards alternative payment options such as digital wallets and the widespread popularity of…

At the beginning of 2023, the Thai government launched the Shop Dee Mee Khuen (Shop and Pay tax deductions program) allowing a personal income tax deduction of up to THB40,000. This programme covers a variety of goods and services such as fuel, food…

Store cards have a negligible presence in Vietnam with there being little interest or awareness of these card products. Furthermore, the government strictly controls the supply of credit in Vietnam which makes it a complicated and lengthy process to…

While the global luxury goods market contracted notably, Asia showed signs of recovery as early as Q2 2020, minimising the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This report analyses the background to the quick recovery of personal luxury…

Street stalls/kiosks benefited from the normalisation of consumers’ daily routine outside of the home in 2023, with chained tea street stalls leading the surge. While other formats of street stalls/kiosks, such as those offering braised snacks, fried…

Street stalls/kiosks returned to growth in current value terms in Hong Kong in 2023, with transaction volumes and outlet numbers also rising. Street stalls/kiosks in Hong Kong have become synonymous with local delicacies, offering a wide range of…

Street stalls/kiosks maintained growth in outlet numbers and current value sales in India in 2023, with transaction volumes also finally exceeding the pre-pandemic (2019) level in this year. Street stalls/kiosks has historically been dominated by…

Street stalls/kiosks saw a second year of double-digit growth in current value terms in 2023. These small booths typically targeted low- to middle-income consumers, who remained highly price sensitive. With the return of on-site working and…

Street stalls/kiosks continued to see an increase in current value sales in 2023, thanks to the rising popularity of food trucks. Even during the pandemic, food trucks were less negatively impacted thanks to their mobility, which allowed them to…

Jom Cha by Farm Fresh is one of the latest street stalls/kiosks serving varieties of drinks such as bubble tea. One of the marketing tactics employed is the use of renowned fresh milk, Farm Fresh, which is produced locally and enables the player to…

Street stalls/kiosks in Singapore are expected to be affected by the local government’s increasing focus on health and wellness. Singapore has been exploring potential regulatory measures aimed at lowering the sodium content in food since September…

In 2023, tanghulu (sugar-coated fruits on a bamboo skewer) emerged as the most prominent snacking mega-trend in the entire food industry in South Korea. The popularity of tanghulu began with mukbang YouTubers who focused on ASMR content, creating…

There was a major shift in street-stalls/kiosks in Taiwan at the end of the review period. After a three-year pandemic, the re-opening of the Taiwanese border in October 2022 led to a surge in tourism, which resulted in crowding at tourist spots,…

Street stalls /kiosks in Thailand witnessed healthy growth in current value terms in 2023, with sales approaching pre-pandemic levels. This was driven to a large extent by the recovery of both domestic and inbound tourism, as both locals and…

Street stalls/kiosks continued to experience buoyant growth in current value terms in 2023. Sales were boosted by an increase in foot traffic in shopping malls, where a high number of chained outlets are located. Standalone stalls also benefited from…

Street-stalls/kiosks registered a marked slowdown in growth in terms of both current value and number of transactions in 2023. Such outlets are especially popular with lower-income segments, which were particularly impacted by the elevated rate of…

In 2023, the performance of sugar and sweeteners, like other fresh food categories, is being influenced by the post-pandemic scenario, leading to reduced home consumption and an increase in foodservice volumes, with the latter driving overall demand.…

Sugar and sweeteners is expected to see continued total volume growth in India in 2023. Meanwhile, retail current value growth is expected to be significantly higher than retail volume growth, primarily due to retail price increases as a result of…

Total demand for sugar and sweeteners in Japan remains stable in 2023 compared to the previous year, with foodservice volume sales partially offsetting the decline in retail volume sales. Foodservice volume sales had suffered throughout 2020 and…

Hikes in production costs have pushed up prices of sugar and sweeteners in Thailand. Retail prices rose throughout 2023, continuing a trend that began at the outbreak of COVID-19. Thailand's farmers and agricultural producers were threatened by the…

In 2023, amidst challenging economic conditions, there was a noticeable decrease in local consumers dining out compared to the pre-COVID-19 era. However, the sugar and sweeteners industry experienced a healthy increase in volume sales, particularly…

Sugar confectionery is expected to register moderate volume and constant value growth in 2023, despite continuing economic uncertainty. Azerbaijan’s high energy export revenue should protect the economy to an extent. That being said, inflation is…

Afte a year of decline in 2022 during the pandemic restrictions, sugar confectionery in China returned to retail current value growth in 2023, and this trend is set to be maintained in 2024. With increasing consumer health consciousness…

Sugar confectionery in Hong Kong continues to record positive growth rates in 2024, despite a slowdown in overall snacking habits due to less time spent at home. Driven by heightened health awareness, local consumers are increasingly seeking…

In a category saturated with toffees, caramels and nougat, boiled sweets and mints in India, pastilles, gummies, jellies, and chews bring a novelty factor in terms of product format, healthier alternative perspective and interesting flavours. Falero,…

The growing health-consciousness trend in Indonesia has led to an increased demand for sugar-free, reduced-sugar, and functional confectionery products, as consumers seek guilt-free alternatives to traditional sweets. Functional ingredients, such as…

Sugar confectionery in Japan is set to see low growth in retail volume terms and more dynamic growth in current value terms in 2024. There is an abundance of Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) in sugar confectionery, with new products and concepts…

The sugar confectionery category experienced similar problems to chocolate confectionery in 2022, as a key ingredient used in the production of these products is sugar, which was in short supply due to export restrictions from Russia. As a result,…

In 2023, medicated confectionery and standard mints are posting the most significant current value growth within sugar confectionery overall in Malaysia. During the pandemic and as a result of subsequent extremely hot weather, local consumers turned…