China

Detergent tablets within detergents in laundry care – the largest home care category in China – recorded double-digit percentage growth in 2022, which benefited the packaging unit volume sales of its dominant pack type – other rigid containers.…

Oral care packaging remained the largest beauty and personal care packaging category in China in 2022 in terms of retail unit volume sales. Squeezable plastic tubes, folding cartons and blister and strip packs are the main packaging formats used in…

Economic freedom is negatively impacted by authoritarianism in China, with the state becoming increasingly repressive. The zero-COVID-19 policy has adversely affected the economy, but removal of restrictions could result in strong short-term…

Desktops and laptops in China are expected to witness a decline in retail volume sales in 2023, due to several factors. The prevailing economic downturn, coupled with high inflation, has resulted in reduced disposable incomes for consumers, impacting…

In 2023, consumer electronics in China is set to experience another year of overall decline as the country stumbles into its long-due post-COVID-19 recovery. The good news for consumer electronics manufacturers is that supply side constraints have…

Headphones is the winner in consumer electronics in China in 2023, with the key subcategory of TWS earbuds seeing healthy volume sales after its double-digit slump in 2022. That said, growth is still smaller than seen in previous years, due to…

Home audio and cinema in China is experiencing a downturn in 2023, following a temporary respite observed in 2020 during the pandemic lockdowns. The previous pandemic measures prompted financially affluent Chinese consumers to invest in sophisticated…

In 2023, the LCD TV market in China is poised to experience a decline in both sales value and volume. The demand for LCD TVs has exhibited a softening trend, with consumers expressing diminished intentions to make new purchases of LCD TVs. This shift…

Imaging devices remains in volume declines in 2023. On one hand, the category has gradually recovered from the impacts of chip shortage and supply chain disruptions, as a result of the global pandemic, which have since steadily returned to normal. On…

With advances in technology regarding multi-functional in-vehicle systems, the improvement of industrial policies, and consumers’ increasing demand for in-car entertainment equipment, the penetration of pre-installed in-car entertainment has grown,…

Mobile phones is still struggling to recover from the aftermath of the pandemic impacts in 2023. 2022 marked a historic year when sales for mobile phones in China underwent a double-digit decline in volumes sold, amounting to less than 290 million…

Portable players continues to see weak demand overall and remain in a negative figure slump, albeit volume sales have improved from the steep declines seen in 2022. Overall, the advances in technology seen in multifunctional consumer electronics such…

Wearable electronics is seeing small positive volume sales in 2023. 2022 was a hard year for almost all consumer electronic categories in China, as the government’s tightened pandemic control measures, thus limiting economic activities. Wearable…

The foodservice channel has seen something of rollercoaster in China in recent years. First came a significant decline in 2020, when COVID-19 first hit the country. This was followed by a strong recovery in 2021, when China seemed to have the…

Air travel appears to be experiencing robust momentum in China as regulations have moved away from lengthy pandemic-related restrictions of the past three years, benefiting both domestic and international airlines. Ticket prices could remain…

Booking in China has seen a rapid shift from offline to online sales, as the country has one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world, and local consumers are accustomed to booking travel online. However, 2023 is set to see a temporary…

Mid-market hotels continue to gain share as consumers trade up in terms of spending on accommodation, such as moving away from unrated or budget to mid-market options. This is being driven by increasing awareness of health and safety accelerated by…

Effective from 8 Jan 2023, the Chinese government lifted inbound travel restrictions, such as testing and contact tracing passes, effectively ending the country’s “zero-Covid” policy practiced for the last three years. Subsequently, international…

Travel sales in China are set to strongly rebound in 2023, following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in the country and the reopening of the border to inbound arrivals. In terms of domestic tourism, volume is predicted to recover faster than…

Even after seeing exceptional current value growth in 2022, it is anticipated that analgesics will continue to experience double-digit growth in 2023. This can primarily be attributed to the substantial increase in COVID-19 cases in China starting…

Consumer health in China recorded high single-digit current value growth in 2022, mainly due to the COVID-19-related sales surge for OTC products, and this growth trend is set to continue in 2023, mainly due to rising health awareness. In terms of…

Even though cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies recorded over 40% current value growth in 2022, it is anticipated that the category will continue to achieve high single-digit growth in 2023. Starting from late 2022, the end of the zero-COVID…

In the wake of the pandemic, marked by an increased emphasis on holistic health, skin health has experienced a robust resurgence in 2023. Forecasts indicate that dermatologicals is poised to achieve steady mid-single-digit current value growth in…

Dietary supplements is expected to register robust growth in China in 2023, after the easing of COVID-19-related restrictions. The surge in COVID-19 cases since the lifting of restrictions in late December 2022 brought health products such a dietary…

In 2023, the prevalence of the XBB strain of COVID-19 in China, which typically presents with gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhoea symptoms, has led to the rising popularity of digestive remedies, with the overall category set to achieve high…

In 2023, eye care in China is set to maintain moderate current value growth. The eyes, being one of the most vital human senses, have always been a focal point of concern, resulting in relatively stable demand for eye care products. Particularly in…

The resumption of offline activities and offline traffic is bringing back the buzz for nurturing products (also known as “yang sheng”), a major component of herbal/traditional dietary supplements. COVID-19 restrictions weighed down sales of…

Notwithstanding the decline in the birth rate and the contraction in the infant population, which has had a direct negative impact on categories such as milk formula, it has not depressed demand for upgraded consumption in paediatric consumer health.…

Sleep disorders were already in the spotlight after the outbreak of COVID-19, and demand for sleep aids rose, given the disruption to daily routines, coupled with long screen hours during the lockdowns. However, despite the easing of COVID-19…

As individuals are adapting to the new normal as restrictions have been lifted, and are seeking to regain a sense of normalcy, the return to outdoor activities and sports engagements has become a prevailing trend in 2023. This shift holds promising…

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…

Despite the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions at the end of 2022, in 2023 consumers have not fully emerged from the shadow of COVID-19. Lingering health concerns and illness have led to an increased focus on health and immunity. This heightened…

China has been investing significantly in its healthcare infrastructure, including hospitals and clinics, which has been positively impacting the demand for medical supplies, including wound care products. In 2023 overall, an intriguing phenomenon is…

Despite the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions at the beginning of the year, retail sales of milk formula continued their downward trajectory in current value terms in 2023, amid a further reduction in the national birth rate. While the country…

Retail sales of butter saw accelerated growth in current value terms in 2023. Growth was boosted by the lifting of pandemic-related measures, which saw a revival in offline consumption, combined with an enhanced consumer awareness of Western cuisine.…

While the COVID-19 pandemic control measures have eased, and logistics and offline consumption have rebounded, it is anticipated that in 2023, both the retail value and volume sales of cheese will continue to experience a double-digit decline. This…

Retail sales of dairy products and alternatives experienced a fairly static performance in current value terms in 2023, following the more significant decline of the previous year. This latter was predominantly due to disruptions caused by the…

Retail sales of drinking milk products experienced modest growth in current value terms in 2023, following a decline in the previous year. The latter was primarily due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and the government’s zero-COVID policy,…

Other dairy products saw modest growth in current value terms in 202, continuing the trend of the previous year. Within this. cream stood out as the strongest performer, primarily because it is commonly used in home baking, making it more frequently…

Being a mature product, soy drinks registered fairly modest growth in retail current value terms in 2023. This was driven primarily by price adjustments made by leading players such as Zuming and Vitasoy, due to rising costs of soybeans and labour,…

Retail sales of yoghurt declined for the fourth successive year in current value terms in 2023, due in part to consumers' increasing health concerns. Consumers perceive yoghurt to contain a high amount of sugar, as well as preservatives and other…

Tourist arrivals in China were seen to recover in 2023, despite global macroeconomic pressures such as high inflation and the rapid escalation of living costs. This was an improvement on previous years, when the pandemic prevented people from…

Value sales of fine wines/champagne and spirits grew by 9% to total CNY829.6 billion in 2023, boosted by consumers’ appetite for experiences and enjoyment after the pandemic. Socialising over a drink with friends remains a priority for many,…

Retail value sales of luxury goods in China grew by 6% in 2023 in current terms, to stand at CNY3 trillion. Growth in sales was fuelled by several factors during the post-lockdown period. One significant driver was a desire amongst affluent consumers…

Personal luxury retail value sales grew by 15% in 2023 to amount to CNY413.1 billion, thanks to growth recorded by leading brand providers such as LVMH Fashion (Shanghai) Trading Co Ltd, Richemont SA, Cie Financière, and LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis…

Value sales of premium and luxury cars rose by 4% to total CNY1.7 trillion in 2023, due to demand from higher-income consumers, with expenditure proving resilient in the face of macroeconomic headwinds. Wealth determines the degree of demand that…

The health and wellness industry continues to grow in importance post-pandemic as consumers become more aware of the negative health impact of processed foods, seeking healthier foods and beverages from a range of claims such as natural, organic,…

In recent years, there has been a notable surge in health-consciousness amongst Chinese consumers. This positive trend can be attributed, in part, to a concerted effort by the government through its "Three Reduce" campaign, which aims to curtail the…

Protein has been regarded as important nutrition for boosting immunity since the emergence of COVID-19 in 2020. This has led to the boom of high protein claims in dairy products and alternatives, and has been driving new product developments with a…

In 2022, there was a noticeable increase in consumer interest in fortified/functional hot drinks, due to the significant health and wellness benefits they offer. These hot drinks provide a convenient way for individuals to incorporate beneficial…