Malaysia

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…

The lifting of restrictions in 2022 has reshaped the Malaysian consumer landscape, with local consumers no longer confined to their homes. The newfound freedom has boosted spending in sectors such as tourism and food service, detracting from consumer…

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…

Off-trade volume sales in concentrates are relatively stable, thanks to the baseline demand for liquid concentrates in households in Malaysia. Indeed, liquid concentrates are especially in demand with large families, as they are perceived to offer…

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…

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…

Coffee consumption has become the norm in Malaysia, with more consumers drinking coffee daily in line with rising urbanisation and busy lifestyles. Volume sales rose dynamically through the on-trade channel in 2023 and saw marginal decline in the…

The continuous pressure of inflation and a weakening of the local currency against the US dollar has increased prices across the category, slowing the post-pandemic retail volume recovery of cigars, cigarillos and smoking tobacco. Local consumers…

Overall, economy and premium cigarettes gained retail volume share at the expense of mid-priced brands in 2023. The main reason for this trend was high inflation, which drove up living costs and increased cigarette prices. British American Tobacco…

There was high global inflation in 2022 due to various factors including the fallout from the pandemic and importantly Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This in turn led to an increase in the cost of raw materials. In particular packaging costs…