China

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…

With the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the normalisation of offline classes, the supressed demand for writing instruments amongst students was released in 2023, when stores selling stationery reopened offline. However, online schooling during…

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…

With the end to the zero-COVID policy in the country, and the return to a more normal consumer environment, womenswear is expected to experience a substantial single-digit current value rebound in China in 2023, drawing close to the level of sales…

In 2023, the 3-year growth streak for general purpose wipes ended as emergent demands coming from the pandemic saw sharp decline and the growth pattern for the category returned to normal. While personal hygiene awareness is here to stay, Chinese…

In 2023, wine in China experienced declines in both total volume and total current value terms, with overall sales and revenue showing low single-digit decreases. Chinese consumers’ willingness to purchase and consume wine has decreased. In China,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 –…

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…

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…

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…

After a year of decline due to the pandemic in 2022, traditional toys and games in China saw a rebound to growth in current value terms in 2023. Dolls and accessories experienced a relatively high value growth rate in 2023, in the high single digits.…

In 2023, following the post-COVID-19 reopening, traditional and connected watches in China began to gradually recover, particularly after travel and health restrictions were lifted. After seeing a strong decline in 2022, the category is set to see…

Following the decline during the pandemic and lockdown period in 2022, a current value resurgence was witnessed for toys and games in China in 2023, with growth for both traditional toys and games and video games. The lifting of lockdown policies…

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…

While the COVID-19 pandemic has ceased to be prominent, as the Chinese government announced it would remove most pandemic-related restriction in late 2022, consumer awareness around keeping their homes safe and hygienic remains significant, leading…

Tobacco in China saw a fairly stable performance in 2023, with volume sales increasing marginally across all categories except e-vapour products. Cigarettes continued to see slow increases in both retail volume and current value sales, driven by…

Despite the lift in pandemic restrictions at the beginning of the year and the corresponding resumption of offline activities, the total value sales of retail tissue and hygiene registered a rather mild rebound in 2023. These products have high…

Tea is set to register mid single-digit retail current value growth in China in 2023, along with slower retail volume growth, with foodservice volumes also expected to continue to rebound. Actual retail value growth is mainly attributable to black…

Glass jars remained the leading pack type for sweet spreads packaging in China at the end of the review period. This was due to glass jars being highly favoured for their ability to preserve the freshness and flavour of sweet spreads, providing an…

In 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding lockdown measures, which affected consumers’ in-store shopping, and led to disruptions in product transportation for e-commerce platforms, sweet spreads experienced retail volume and current…

In 2024, sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks in China is expected to maintain the trend from the previous year and witness steady minimal growth in retail current value terms. This is mainly due to the overall economic slowdown in China, and…

The majority of Chinese consumers try to positively impact the planet, leading to a rise in Meat Avoidance, with most of these consumers willing to pay more for sustainable products. As such, the largest industry of Dairy Products and Alternatives is…

COVID-19 strengthened Chinese public hygiene awareness and drove surface care sales, with double-digit growth in retail sales value in 2022. In 2023, with the end of COVID-19 restrictions in China, surface care product growth slowed to a…

Supermarkets saw moderate growth in current value terms in China in 2023. Consumer confidence is yet to pick up significantly in China, as economic uncertainty lingers in the country. Many supermarkets are also struggling with quality control,…

Sunglasses in China is anticipated to continue growing in current value terms in 2024, albeit under the influence of market conditions, and it is not expected that sales will return to the level seen in 2021. Nevertheless, there are positive…

After a year of decline in 2022, following the easing of pandemic restrictions in China sun care experienced full recovery in current value terms in 2023, returning to the pre-pandemic level of sales. The remarkable resilience of the sun care…

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…

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.…

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…

In 2023, as local consumers return to more normal lifestyles, total volume sales of starchy roots are starting to recover from the previous year’s disruptions when pandemic-related restrictions in China were still in place, which negatively impacted…

Pandemic restrictions were lifted in China at the beginning of 2023; thus, production, logistics, and product availability have gradually resumed in staple foods. However, after a year of exceptional growth in 2022, retail volume sales are set to…

The massive lockdowns and widespread COVID-19 infections in 2022 weighed down sales of sportswear in China, which registered a slight current value decline in this year. Nevertheless, outdoor apparel and footwear kept outperforming the overall…

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…

Sports drinks in China saw significant off-trade volume and current value growth in 2021 and 2022, and growth continued in 2023, although at slower rates. This dynamism was due to comprehensive consumer education on the hydration benefits of…

Spirits in China showed different trends in total volume and total current value terms in 2023. Total volume sales declined both off-trade and on-trade, primarily due to the continued decrease in sales of Chinese spirits. Although the lifting of…

Following a rebound in 2023, which saw strong double-digit current value growth, spectacles in China is set to return to high single-digit growth in 2024, indicating a return to a more stable growth trajectory. In terms of category performances,…

The PET bottle, which continued to record increasing packaging unit volumes in 2023, remained the dominant pack type across the soft drinks industry in China in this year, with this expected to continue over the forecast period. This is because this…

In 2023, soft drinks in China maintained low off-trade volume growth, and a stronger current value increase. Meanwhile, although on-trade volume sales of soft drinks continued to decline, it was at a much slower rate, and current value sales saw a…

As consumers’ lives gradually returned to normal in 2023, retail current value sales of snacks experienced a return to growth. However, in 2024, the growth rate for snacks in China is set to slow slightly, becoming almost static, due to the impact of…

In 2023, e-vapour products in China witnessed an exceptional decline in retail current value sales, marking the lowest level of sales since 2014. This was due to the enforcement of “requirements of the Measures for the Administration of E-cigarettes”…

Small local grocers in China includes a broad range of outlet types, from mom-and-pop stores to wet markets. After a year of significant decline in 2022, small local grocers returned to growth in 2023. This was mainly due to the end of COVID-19…

Retail volume sales of small cooking appliances are expected to decline by a high single-digit rate in 2023. In the post-pandemic era, demand for small cooking appliances has weakened further, mainly because consumers are cooking less at home. With…

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…

In 2023, despite the end of the zero-COVID policy, skin care in China did not witness the anticipated strong rebound, but instead experienced a modest recovery in the low single digits in current value terms, with actual value sales remaining lower…

In 2023, self-service restaurants experienced a revival of its growth rate, following the challenges posed by the COVID-19 lockdown the previous year. However, the average spend per transaction continued to decline, which was primarily linked to the…

Savoury snacks in China is set to see a slowdown in retail current value growth in 2024, even though the growth rate in 2023 was already minimal. Overall economic slowdown in China and increasing uncertainty about the future have driven consumers…