Malaysia

Colour cosmetics turned in a positive performance in Malaysia in 2023, with volume and current value sales rising robustly. Premium colour cosmetics enjoyed strong growth thanks to the fuller return of shoppers to store-based outlets, which has…

Cat food is set to see solid retail volume and current value growth in Malaysia in 2024, with higher growth rates than those seen in 2023, but not as high as in the years prior. The rising cat population is one major factor in the continued strong…

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…

During the pandemic and lockdown period in 2020, the Health Ministry advised consumers to use bleach as an alternative to sanitise surfaces when surface care products such as home care disinfectants were running out of stock in both urban and rural…

Air care maintained retail volume and current value growth in 2023, with increases seen across all categories. However, car air fresheners saw the strongest increase in this year. Car is the main mode of transportation for locals, and the majority of…

Since pandemic restrictions were lifted there has been a general uptick in sales across all categories of personal accessories, with this pattern continuing into 2023. The reopening of Malaysia’s borders has seen the return of international tourism,…

Home furnishings registered steady growth in current value terms in 2023, with barbeques, home office furniture, and light-emitting diode lamps (LED) being among the most dynamic categories. Building on the work-from-home trend that developed during…

Flexible plastic is a dominant pack type in confectionery due to cost-effectiveness, product protection and consumer convenience. Flexible plastic offers a significant cost advantage for producers compared to alternative packaging materials. This…

Demand for sunglasses in Malaysian remains strong in 2024, with more consumers willing to invest in purchasing new products. This is partly thanks to the resurgence of international travel and increasingly active lifestyles. The revival of…

Eyewear in Malaysia in 2024 is seeing continued growth overall in both volume and current value terms. Sales are supported by the fuller resurgence of international travel and return to active outdoor lifestyles. Retailers are leveraging this trend…

Oral care in Malaysia continued to see growth and development in 2023. Value growth was in part driven by the preventive health trend and in part by premiumisation. Malaysians continued to maintain basic personal hygiene routines, supporting further…

Like hypermarkets, the supermarkets channel struggled for growth during the pandemic as consumers adjusted their shopping behaviour. Due to the restrictions in place and the fear of contagion, alongside a shift to home working arrangements, many…

Hypermarkets was one of the retail channels hit hardest by the pandemic as demand for large-format modern grocery retailers plummeted. Quarantine lockdowns and restrictions on movement, combined with widespread fears of contagion, discouraged…

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…

The Malaysian market for microwaves saw a decline in retail volume sales in 2023, continuing from 2022’s dip that followed a period of growth from 2019 to 2021. The decline is partly due to a reduced need for new or replacement microwaves after a…

In line with global trends, department stores in Malaysia are losing appeal due to growing interest in fast-fashion retailers such as H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, and Padini which offer the latest fashions at relatively affordable prices. Small boutique stores…

Chained self-service cafeterias continued to see low levels of popularity in Malaysia at the end of the review period. The Ikea Restaurant brand maintained its dominant position in the market. Indeed, there are no other players with a significant…

Overall other hot drinks saw off-trade unit prices rise rapidly for the second consecutive year in 2023. This was attributable to the price volatility of key raw materials that Malaysia is import-reliant on – that is, wheat, cocoa, sugar and dairy…

All of the categories in bags and luggage displayed slower growth in 2023 compared to 2022 both in retail volume and current value terms. This was partly due to a stabilisation of demand with sales having been restored to pre-pandemic levels.…

Large cooking appliances in Malaysia, after experiencing a decline during the pandemic due to economic contractions and increased home seclusion, began to show signs of recovery in 2021. Although the pandemic led to reduced disposable incomes and a…

Post-pandemic, hand sanitisers continued to see slowed growth within bath and shower in Malaysia in 2023, with a particularly sharp drop in demand from commercial players. Many consumers have turned to liquid soap as its products are generally more…

The full-service restaurants category is seeing growing consumer interest in Korean-influenced restaurants. The Muslim-dominated community in Malaysia is favouring Korean dining concepts, with food options such as Korean fried chicken, gaining…

In Malaysia, the market for small cooking appliances recorded a slight decline in terms of overall volume sales growth in 2023. The trend towards multifunctional and space-saving cooking devices like rice cookers, has been sustained, as these…

Oral care appliances continued dominate retail volume sales of personal care appliances in Malaysia in 2023 and also posted the most dynamic growth. Heightened hygiene awareness, a by-product of the pandemic's influence, has seen many consumers…

In 2023, glass jars remained the dominant packaging type for sweet spreads. Jams and preserves dominate sweet spreads packaging in Malaysia, with glass jars the dominant pack type in this category. Glass is an inert material, meaning it does not…

Men’s grooming in Malaysia registered strong growth in current value terms in 2023, with volume sales also on the up. This was driven in large part the greater attention men are paying to their appearance and overall wellbeing, particularly in the…

In 2023, total packaging unit volumes for baby food recorded solid growth. Folding cartons and flexible plastic, the leading pack types for baby food, both registered rising packaging unit volumes in this year, with folding cartons outperforming…

The toys and games market witnessed current value growth in Malaysia in 2023. Construction and action figures were the two largest categories in traditional toys and games, with action figures proving to be a key growth driver during the year. IP…

In 2023, Starbucks launched its instant coffee mixes, such as the Starbucks VIA Spring Blend, featuring small portions packaged in flexible paper pouches and flexible paper sachets of 12 sticks in a multipack. This move towards smaller portions and…

The ageing population in Malaysia acted as a key driver of growth in retail adult incontinence in 2023. We also note that Rx/reimbursement adult incontinence is not relevant in the country, which further supports growth in a retail sense.

Sales in nappies/diapers/pants in Malaysia were driven by the performance of disposable pants in 2023. Such products are seen as the most convenient option, as they are easy to change and suitable for active babies and small children. Notably, the…

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…

The Israel-Hamas War had an impact on limited-service restaurants in Malaysia from October 2023. In the majority Muslim country of Malaysia, the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War led to a series of boycotting events aimed at multinational chains such…

The market for food preparation appliances in Malaysia saw a slight dip in terms of overall volume sales in 2023, following positive trends established in previous years. The fall was curbed by a sustained interest in cooking at home, particularly…

In Malaysia, the perception of air purifiers is transitioning from a luxury to a necessity, despite their higher-than-average unit prices. 2023 saw volume sales continue to rise, thanks to a pandemic-induced heightened awareness about the importance…

The trend of label-free packaging in PET bottles is gaining momentum, particularly supported by top brands like Spritzer in bottled water. Spritzer launched label-free, 100% recyclable bottles for its silica-rich Natural Mineral Water, marking a…

Tissue and hygiene in Malaysia was being affected by inflationary pressures in 2023, notably so with regards to food inflation impacting consumers’ spending power. This is even noted in staples such as rice, placing extra pressure on consumers’…

One of the most important pandemic-related impacts on small local grocers was the huge shift towards working from home. This deprived many operators of an extremely important consumer base of busy, urban professionals looking for a quick and easy…

Post-pandemic the demand for home laundry appliances has been declining in Malaysia, following a pandemic-era trend of increased investment in such products amid a notable shift towards enhancing home comfort. With travel and holiday plans curtailed,…

Sales of home and garden products remained strong in Malaysia in current value terms in 2023. However, this was primarily due to inflation, which led to higher prices, boosting overall value sales. A surge in home renovation projects, fuelled by…

After several years of minor growth, overall other pet food is set to see static retail volume sales in Malaysia in 2024, along with insignificant current value growth. The category dragging down overall sales growth has been (and is expected to…

Mr DIY continued to expand aggressively in Malaysia in 2023, cementing its lead in a highly fragmented competitive landscape. The success of Mr DIY mainly lies in its ability to provide a large variety of good-value products under one roof, thereby…

Asian speciality drinks is seeing flat off-trade volume growth, due to the category’s performance in relation to unit price hikes. As Asian speciality drinks can be easily replaced by other categories, such as RTD tea, coconut and other plant waters,…

Celebrating its first year in the Malaysian market, TikTok Shop has become the fastest-growing emerging e-commerce player in Southeast Asia, operating as an online marketplace within the TikTok video-sharing platform. The player attributes its…

There has been a significant rise in the number of Malaysians taking up coffee drinking culture, with the country ranked third highest in terms of coffee consumption in Asia Pacific. With Malaysians becoming more coffee-savvy, there are notable…

Beauty and personal care in Malaysia continued to rise in 2023, still benefiting from 2022’s lifted restrictions reopened borders. The continued return of tourism and resumption of in-person work and study, as well as increased socialising, had a…

Guardian continued to lead health and beauty specialists overall in 2023, as well as health and personal care stores, with Watsons as its closest competitor at number two in both cases. These players are key contributors to the segment’s growth in…

Stand-alone remained the most popular consumer foodservice location in the Malaysian market in 2023. Most consumer foodservice operators opt for stand-alone locations for their outlets. There has been an increase in the number of consumer foodservice…

Eye care continued to see robust growth in retail volume terms in 2023, with standard eye care leading the way. Malaysians typically spend long periods of time on digital devices, a practice which is linked to a range of vision issues, including…

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Malaysian consumers have been increasingly focused on preventative health measures, and this trend continued into 2023. Alongside the adoption of healthier diets and exercise behaviours, consumers sought out vitamins…