Malaysia

In Malaysia, glass bottles are the dominant pack type used in ketchup packaging. These bottles, whether cylindrical or sporting unique shapes, offer a distinct advantage – transparency. Consumers can easily see the rich colour and consistency of the…

Brick liquid cartons’ dominance can be attributed to both product functionality and consumer preferences. They offer excellent protection for plant-based milk. The multi-layered structure provides a barrier against light and air exposure, both of…

The pandemic lockdowns negatively affected some store-based appliances and electronics specialists. Nonetheless, with the lifting of restrictions and the reopening of international borders, sales benefited from the pent-up demand accumulated during…

Reopened borders in 2022 and relaxed movement restrictions resulted in sharp rises in foot traffic in malls, boosted by locals and the return of international tourism. Festivities such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the widespread use of promotions…

The resumption of daily routines as the country emerges out of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has sparked spending on both personal and commercial credit cards. In 2023, the number of commercial credit cards in circulation is rebounding, following…

Compared to other areas of apparel and footwear, childrenswear saw relatively modest growth in current value terms in 2023. Sales of childrenswear were comparatively unaffected by the pandemic, as despite the lockdown, parents still needed to…

Demand for vitamins continued to grow at a rapid pace in 2023 as Malaysians increasingly focused on preventative health measures. Indeed, despite the transition of COVID-19 into an endemic virus, consumers continued to seek out products that claimed…

Consumer electronics in Malaysia saw modest growth in 2023, although sales remained well below 2021 levels in constant value (2023 prices) terms. As the country emerged from the pandemic, consumers became increasingly keen to travel, socialise and…

2023 is seeing innovative product development proving to be a significant driver of demand for countlines and chocolate pouches and bags in chocolate confectionery in Malaysia. Among the key players, Nestlé is showing a particular focus on…

Malaysia’s economic freedom is ‘moderately free’ and the state is addressing corruption. However, the new government has yet to prove its democratic credentials. The economy grew extremely strongly in 2022 and, although output expansion is expected…

Overall, traditional toys and games saw current value growth in Malaysia in 2023. IP was a key driver of demand in action figures, dolls and accessories, and construction in 2023, with several movies, including The Super Mario Bros Movie, Guardian of…

Retail sales of staple foods in Malaysia recorded continued growth in volume terms in 2023. This was in spite of rising food prices, thanks to the weakening of the local currency, the ringgit, against the US dollar, which brought about higher import…

Baked goods, such as packaged leavened bread, packaged cakes and packaged pastries, are considered essential foods by Malaysians, being typically consumed for breakfast or during tea breaks throughout the day. Packaged baked goods are also widely…

Wider acceptance is boosting the use of personal debit cards in Malaysia. The rising popularity of personal debit cards underpins the growth in the number of cards and volume and value transactions. The increased numbers of POS terminals is widening…

Charge cards continue to struggle to appeal widely, and consumer demand is set to remain relatively low at the end of the review period. This situation is confirmed by the limited supply of charge cards from banking institutions in Malaysia. Indeed,…

In 2021 and 2022, many local consumers used personal loans when faced with unplanned expenses or a personal financial emergency. Malaysian banks were very active in offering personal loans to individuals, providing flexible repayments and offering…

Sales of womenswear registered a second year of robust growth in 2023, with current value sales edging even closer to pre-pandemic levels. As the country emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysian women became increasingly keen to socialise and…

Menswear saw another year of healthy growth in current value terms in 2023, with sales exceeding pre-pandemic levels. The return of Malaysians to their physical offices supported demand in a number of product areas, with items such as men’s suits,…

Wound care continued to see positive growth in retail volume terms in 2023, as life returned to normal following the pandemic. With people spending more time outside the home, including taking part in sport, this led to an increase in the number of…

Savoury snacks in Malaysia is grappling with a persistent disruption in the supply of raw materials in 2023. This supply shortage, coupled with price increases, has led to a surge in production costs, particularly impacting potato chips and other…

Sales of spirits rebounded strongly in total volume terms in 2022 although the performances of the different categories varied. For instance, standard vodka as well as standard and premium English gin enjoyed healthy growth in total volume terms in…

The removal of COVID-19 restrictions on mobility, foodservice and inbound tourism into Malaysia drove a recovery in volume sales of alcoholic drinks packaging in 2022, following two years of decline. As the majority of the Malaysian population is…

Retail volume sales of computers and peripherals fell for the second consecutive year in 2023, following strong growth in 2021. The latter was due to a switch to remote working and schooling, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced consumers to spend more…

Around the world, a rising number of consumers are looking to cut down on their consumption of meat due to concerns about health, the environment and animal welfare, and manufacturers are increasingly targeting this trend with new product…

Despite the fact that fears surrounding COVID-19 had largely subsided by 2023, many parents remained concerned about their children’s health, and as such, showed a willingness to invest in preventative health solutions. For example, paediatric…

Retail sales of in-car entertainment saw an accelerated decline in both volume and constant value terms in 2023, in spite of rising levels of new car ownership. In the case of the latter, tax incentives were a key contributor to this trend, as…

Herbal and traditional products have a long-standing tradition within consumer health in Malaysia. Such products are often sold in kiosks, as well as herbal/traditional healthcare stores, and as such, are easy to obtain. For example, Tongkat Ali, one…

“Other” plant-based milk is projected to continue to see dynamic retail volume and current value and foodservice volume growth to continue to gain on soy drinks over 2023. “Other” plant-based milk is increasingly present on menus in foodservice…

Despite increased competition from other payment methods, pre-paid cards retains the potential for growth as Malaysia continues to shift towards a cashless society. With the use of cash in long-term decline, a trend accelerated by the Coronavirus…

During much of 2020 and 2021 consumers found themselves confined to their homes due to the government’s measures to stem the tide of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This encouraged them to take up cooking and baking as a hobby. This trend had a…

Sales of apparel and footwear saw dynamic growth in 2022, with constant value sales fast approaching pre-pandemic levels. As the country emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers became increasingly keen to travel, socialise and spend more time…

Further retail volume and current value growth is expected across drinking milk products in 2023. The constant strong upward trajectory in the demand for drinking milk products through the review period, including the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis of…

Prior to the pandemic, volume sales of home care products in Malaysia had been growing due to rapid urbanisation and an increased awareness of the need to maintain a hygienic living environment. The pandemic accelerated growth in the category in 2020…

The rebound of tourism and foodservice continued to boost growth in away-from-home tissue and hygiene in 2023. Indeed, the post-pandemic landscape means borders have reopened, travel and tourism have resumed, and foodservice and hospitality…

Heated tobacco products saw solid current value growth and moderate retail volume growth in 2023. Compared with cigarettes, the competitive price of heated tobacco benefits the category. In addition, wider availability in convenience stores,…

Financial cards and payments in Malaysia in 2023 exhibited significant continuation with 2022 in terms of the direction of travel in the post-Coronavirus (COVID-19) period. The strong moves towards a cashless society in Malaysia, pushed by the…

Retail sales of home audio and cinema continued to decline in both volume and current value terms in 2023. The category is dominated by hi-fi systems and home cinema and speaker systems, demand for which is being undermined by the growing popularity…

Plastic pollution is becoming an increasingly pressing concern the world over, and Malaysia is no different. In an effort to minimise the amount of plastic waste it generates, Colgate-Palmolive introduced 100% recyclable HDPE tubes for its toothpaste…

In 2023, yoghurt is expected to continue to recover slowly from the decreases in retail volume sales registered in the early-to-mid review period, including, but not limited to, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Therefore, the market size is…

Consumers continued to dine out more often in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis in 2023 as the return to busy lifestyles left them with limited time to cook from scratch at home and drove down in-home consumption. However, consumers continued to…

Retail sales of rice saw continued growth in volume terms in 2023. This was in spite of the rising price of imported rice, thanks to the depreciation of the local currency, the ringgit, and disruptions to the global supply chain. Malaysia imports a…

Weight management and wellbeing continued to record healthy growth in both volume and constant value terms in 2023. This was led by supplement nutrition drinks, continuing the pattern seen over the review period. Consumers are becoming increasingly…

With consumers having returned to normal, busy lifestyles and COVID-19 related restrictions having been lifted, dining out was once again a popular option for consumers in 2023. In the midst of hectic schedules, consumers only cooked at home…

As processed fruit and vegetables are commonly used ingredients in foodservice, the continued recovery of foodservice industry in 2023 had a positive impact on demand. Indeed foodservice volumes grew much faster than their retail counterparts, thanks…

An increasing of smokers looked to quit the habit in 2023 and as such, retail volume sales of NRT smoking cessation aids continued to see strong growth as a result. The Malaysian government also continued to with its efforts to raise awareness of the…

Value sales of premium and luxury cars are set to rise by 5% in current terms to total MYR13.4 billion in 2023. Growth is being supported by elevated demand from more affluent consumers who are continuing to invest in new vehicles despite the…

Value sales of fine wines/Champagne and spirits are set to grow by 9% to total MYR292 million in 2023. Socialising over a drink with friends remains a priority pastime for many and this has boosted sales in 2023, following the limits placed on…

Baby food continues to be adversely affected by falling birth rates, economic difficulties, breastfeeding and home-cooked alternatives and variances in distribution. Dried and prepared baby food can be easily replaced by home-cooked food, while…

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies witnessed an improved performance in constant value terms in 2023. This was due, in a large part, to a return of pre-pandemic lifestyles, including the reopening of schools and workspaces, which…

Retail volume sales of processed meat, seafood and alternatives saw modest growth in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. Products such as chilled processed meat have a low level of demand in Malaysia, due to an overwhelming consumer…