China

In 2023, retail sales of air care products continued to grow in both volume and value. The annual sales growth rate in 2023 rebounded compared to the pandemic years from 2020 to 2022, although achieving the near double-digit annual sales growth rates…

Fuelled by a significant rise in volume sales of split air conditioners, air treatment products in China is set to return to growth in 2023, after seeing a single-digit decline the year before. However, air purifiers is set to maintain a significant…

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…

Total volume of alcoholic drinks in China saw a marginal rebound in 2023, shifting from decline in 2022 to a slight single-digit increase in 2023. However, the off-trade channel experienced a slight decrease in volume sales, while the on-trade…

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…

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…

While many people have adopted a more casual and minimalist approach to their clothing style, their pursuit of aesthetics and individuality remains undiminished. They tend to lean towards using apparel accessories to embellish their simple attire and…

With the end of the zero-COVID policy towards the end of 2022, China’s consumer landscape has undergone a gradual transition back to normalcy. While 2023 experienced a temporary dip in sales of apparel and footwear, influenced by both COVID-19 and…

After a year of significant decline in 2022 due to pandemic restrictions, in 2023 apparel and footwear specialists continued to see a slight fall in current value sales in China, despite the lifting of restrictions. With the end of the pandemic,…

In 2023, sales of consumer appliances and consumer electronics saw solid growth in China, thanks to the end of the pandemic, and the “Old for new”, and “Subsidies for green and energy-saving household appliances” policies. However, despite this, and…

Asian speciality drinks in China continued to see declines in both on-trade and off-trade volume and current value sales in 2023, due to the weak performance of the major product type, fruit vinegar. Fruit vinegar is a traditional beverage that…

On the one hand, toilet paper has become more prevalent in public spaces in China, including shopping centres, restaurants, hotels, airports and railway stations. This is, in part, a result of the government-led “toilet revolution” which aims to…

Despite a declining birth rate in China impacting the overall market for baby-related products, in 2023 baby and child-specific products exhibited recovery from its 2022 current value decline. This resilience can be attributed to its comparatively…

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…

Flexible plastic remains the preferred pack type in dried baby food packaging in China due to its numerous advantages that align with consumer needs and market demands. This packaging type offers superior barrier properties, ensuring the preservation…

The resurgence of both volume and current value sales of bags and luggage is anticipated in 2023 overall, primarily owing to the relaxation of pandemic constraints and the lifting of restrictions in the early months of the year. As offline activities…

Baked goods is set to return to growth in retail volume and current value terms in 2023. In this year, leavened bread, which is the main category within bread, is set to see mid-single-digit retail current value growth in China, mainly driven by the…

With the easing of pandemic restrictions, there remained heightened attention towards personal care and items such as bath and shower products. However, hoarding habits from the pandemic period led to continued stockpiles of such products, which…

Seeing a partial rebound from decline in 2022, beauty and personal care in China achieved a low single-digit current value growth rate in 2023, but value sales did not return to the level seen in 2021. This was mainly due to the continuation of…

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…

In 2023, beer in China saw a slight rebound in total volume sales compared with 2022, mainly driven by the easing of pandemic restrictions and a return to growth in on-trade sales. However, total volume sales were still short of the 2019 figure in…

Bleach saw low single-digit growth in retail value in 2023, though the growth rate continued fell compared with the previous two years. Bleach saw relatively strong growth during the period 2020-2022 compared to previous years, mainly due to…

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…

In 2023, bottled water in China registered low off-trade volume growth, and slightly higher current value growth. The average unit price of bottled water trended upwards in 2023, as an increasing number of consumers opted for mid-range or even…

In 2023, retail current value sales of breakfast cereals are expected to return to growth after decline in 2022. However, value growth is set to be negligible, and retail volume sales are set to see a slight decline, partly due to the return to…

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.…

In 2022, due to the resurgence of COVID-19 and the implementation of lockdowns, offline businesses were severely impacted, leading to a significant reduction in traffic and a high-single-digit decline in retail value sales of cafés/bars. Nonetheless,…

Off-trade volume and current value sales of carbonates continued to see dynamic growth in China in 2023. Brands were able to maintain growth through innovations in areas such as sugar reduction and flavours. Sugar reduction (the use of sweeteners)…

While the dog population has been declining, the cat population has been expanding, and this is expected to continue in 2024. In a notable shift, the cat population surpassed that of dogs for the first time in 2021, and the gap has continued to widen…

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…

As pandemic restrictions were lifted in China at the beginning of 2023, bricks-and-mortar sales have gradually been returning after the 2022 decline due to periodic lockdowns. The apparel and footwear industry, including childrenswear, is therefore…

Chocolate confectionery in China saw solid retail current value growth in 2023, and this trend is expected to be maintained in 2024. Beyond the traditional formats, chocolate confectionery continues to evolve in terms of textures and tastes. First,…

In 2023, cider/perry in China maintained high growth rates, with total volume and current value growth rates in the double digits. Particularly high growth was seen in the on-trade channel, with growth rates exceeding 20%. The strong growth of…

In 2023, retail volume sales of cigarettes in China maintained negligible growth. Cigarettes in China is strictly regulated by The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA). In recent years, cigarette production remained relatively stable. With…

Compared with cigarettes, cigars is still a niche category in China, with a relatively low penetration rate. This is primarily because the compact and convenient nature of cigarettes aligns better with consumers’ busy lifestyles and work rhythms.…

Foodservice volume sales of coffee are set to record high single-digit growth in China in 2023. This is mainly due to the complete resumption of foodservice operations in China, as the stringent zero-COVID policy came to an end in late 2022. In…

After experiencing a significant current value decline in 2022, colour cosmetics in China witnessed a double-digit rebound in 2023, although it did not return to the level of sales seen in 2021. With the end of the zero-COVID policy, people’s lives…

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…

Concentrates in China saw off-trade RTD volume and current value declines in 2023. Nevertheless, liquid concentrates maintained solid growth by both measures in this year, driven by coffee liquid concentrates, which are being increasingly popular in…

In 2023, flexible plastic packaging continued to dominate confectionery packaging in China in unit volume terms. This was due to its lightweight and flexible nature, which offers convenience in handling and transportation. It is also ideal for…

2022 witnessed a mid-single-digit decline in retail volume sales of consumer appliances due to the resurgence of COVID-19, and it is expected that the retail volume decline will continue, although at a slower rate, in 2023. 2023 has seen consumer…

Consumer credit is set to see a moderate rebound in 2023, following subdued demand in 2022, affected by the pandemic. The pick-up in consumer credit growth has largely been due to rises in home and card lending, reflecting some improvement in…

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…

In the context of foodservice by location in 2023, there was a noticeable increase in the proportion of dining within retail, travel, leisure, and lodging locations compared with 2022. The primary reason for this shift was the impact of COVID-related…

In 2023, consumer foodservice in China saw a robust recovery in terms of value sales and transaction volumes, benefiting from the relatively low base of 2022, when consumer foodservice outlets were severely negatively impacted by prolonged periods of…

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…

Demand for consumer lending is set to see a moderate rebound in 2023, as the pandemic has eased, and consumer spending has returned, especially on services and in other discretionary categories. However, growth in consumer lending in China is…

Following impressive double-digit growth surpassing most beauty- and fashion-related categories in 2023, contact lenses in China is expected to return to stable mid-single-digit current value growth in 2024. On the one hand, the rapid expansion of…

Even after seeing strong performances throughout the pandemic years, convenience retailers maintained its growth momentum in current value terms in China in 2023, with growth in outlet numbers also continuing. Even as the pandemic eased, consumers…

In 2023, overall cooking ingredients and meals is expected to see retail volume and current value declines. This is primarily due to the Chinese government’s removal of the zero-COVID policy at the end of 2022. With no more lockdown measures in…