Retailing

Home products specialists in Thailand saw significant expansion in 2023 as big brands continued to roll out new stores, especially upcountry, and to tailor their business models to cater to local demand. Over the review period consumers showed rising…

Amidst the backdrop of increased demand for home accessories and furniture during the pandemic, home products specialists in Taiwan witnessed a steady rise in retail sales in 2023. This growth was propelled by the surge in online sales, with homeware…

Home products specialists maintained its decline in outlet numbers in South Korea in 2023, but returned to low growth in current value terms. Homewares and home furnishings stores saw the slowest value growth rate in 2023. This channel faced…

Despite recording a marginal decline in 2023 as demand started to stabilise following the surge during the pandemic and subsequent seclusion, value sales of homewares and home furnishing stores in Singapore remained above 2019 levels. Retail giant…

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…

Home products specialists saw growth in current value terms in 2023. Increases were seen across all channels, but as in the previous year, growth was driven mainly by homewares and home furnishing stores. The leading player in this channel, Nitori,…

Home products specialists saw current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. Globally, there is currently a trend of mindful luxury consumption that involves consumers looking for products offering high quality and timeless designs. Luxury product…

Home products specialists maintained double-digit current value growth in India for a third consecutive year in 2023, along with slow growth in outlet numbers. Although growth was seen across all channels, pet shops and superstores saw the strongest…

In 2023, home products specialists saw a current value decline in Hong Kong, as although home improvement and gardening stores and pet shops and superstores maintained growth, homewares and home furnishings stores saw another year of falling sales.…

The sales of home products specialists were hit hard in China during the different waves of the pandemic, especially in 2020 and 2022, as consumers tightened their belts when it came to non-essential products, foot traffic reduced in stores, some…

Health and beauty specialists recorded a slowdown in terms of expansion of outlet numbers in Vietnam in 2023, with independent retailers in particular struggling in the face of raised rents and increased utility costs. The channel has been undergoing…

Health and beauty specialists in the Philippines saw an improved performance in current value terms in 2023. Growth was boosted by an increase in mobility, including the return of consumers to their physical offices, which

Retail current value sales in health and beauty specialists in Thailand rose again in 2023, with life returning to pre-pandemic patterns. The channel has so far shown strong recovery from the coronavirus crisis. Beauty specialist retailers such as…

After two years of decline, health and beauty specialists in Taiwan experienced a significant resurgence in 2022, a trend that continued into 2023. With the easing of pandemic restrictions and the removal of mask mandates, consumers eagerly returned…

Health and beauty specialists saw fairly static outlet numbers in South Korea in 2023, after several years of decline, but saw a second year of growth in current value terms. The largest channel in value terms, pharmacies, maintained growth in South…

Similar to other retail channels such as apparel and footwear specialists, beauty specialists in Singapore benefited from the resumption of pre-pandemic lifestyles, such as a return to the office, social activities and international travel. With…

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…

On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government announced that it would reclassify COVID-19 as a class 5 infectious disease, which is the same classification as seasonal flu. As a result, decisions regarding infection control are now left to individuals and…

Health and beauty specialists saw current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. Beauty shops such as Sephora, Guardian and Sociolla have become well-recognised by consumers. Additionally, these retailers have an extensive omnichannel network through…

Health and beauty specialists maintained double-digit current value growth in India in 2023, with increases seen across all channels. The strongest value growth was seen by beauty specialists, with sales finally returning to the pre-pandemic (2019)…

Health and beauty specialists saw another year of current value growth in Hong Kong in 2023. One of the players driving growth was Sa Sa International, the leading player in beauty specialists in Hong Kong. It reported that its sales in Hong Kong and…

In 2023, overall health and beauty specialists saw a steady increase in current value terms and in terms of outlet numbers compared with 2022 in China. Positive current value growth was achieved across all channels, including pharmacies, despite the…

Although modern trade formats continue to increase their value share in 2022, bazaars are still the dominant grocery retailing channel due in part to the fact that bazaars have a well-established place in Uzbekistani culture, with consumers being…

In 2020, the IMF discontinued funding for Pakistan as the country failed to implement policies regarding taxes and price increases on energy, which worsened Pakistan's economic woes in 2022, resulting in unstable economic and political policies.…

Kazakhstan has strong trade links with Russia in particular and its war in Ukraine negatively impacted the economy and led to high inflation. While skyrocketing international oil and gas prices boosted the local economy, its usual outflow to the…

Modern grocery retailers continued to outperform traditional retailers in terms of growth in Azerbaijan in 2022, gaining value share in a trend that is set to persist. This expansion is supported by ongoing urbanisation and investment in the…

Sales at grocery retailers were back in decline in Asia Pacific in 2022, with the impact of spiking case numbers in China, as it continued to pursue its zero-COVID policy, dragging down the overall regional performance. This followed a strong…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered the most severe global recession since World War II. In Q4 2020, the end of the pandemic started as countries began administering effective vaccines among the population; however, vaccine distribution…

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has triggered the most severe global recession in nearly a century. Businesses are operating in a world of anxieties and uncertainties, not knowing what will be the new normal or when output and consumer spending…

The global outlook has improved as of Q1 2021, thanks to vaccination progress in many developed countries. Nevertheless, the recovery prospects remain distant for most economies in the face of the spread of new, more infectious variants of the virus.…

The briefing examines how retail and wholesale industry performs globally and in the largest countries in terms of retail and wholesale output. The report also provides data for production, imports, exports, industry’s costs, industry’s profitability…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries in Q4 2023 and 2024. Global inflation is moderating, although divergence remains among the key economies. Higher volatility in the energy markets and disruption of…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is reaching a peak, although geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market remain key risks. The impact varies between countries, with…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. Global inflation is reaching a peak, although geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market remain key risks. The impact varies between countries, with…

The report examines inflation level and drivers globally and in the key countries. Global inflation is forecast to accelerate due to higher energy and commodity prices, disruptions in supply chains and weaker business confidence. Impact varies…

This report examines inflation levels and drivers globally and in key countries. In 2023, global inflation is expected to ease from its peak in 2022, but remaining significantly above-trend. Geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the energy market are…

Businesses globally face challenges in consumer markets in the short to medium term, owing to the rising cost of living and increasingly financially cautious consumers. Amidst uncertainty arise opportunities. Income and expenditure insights are…

General merchandise stores in Vietnam benefitted from increased inbound tourist flows in 2023, with Vietnam’s tourism industry continuing to rebound post-pandemic and luring millions of international visitors within the year’s first nine months.…

The general merchandise stores channel in the Philippines, which is dominated by department stores, saw buoyant growth in current value terms in 2023. An increase in mobility, including the return of consumers to their physical offices, contributed…

Variety stores in Thailand saw positive though slowed growth in terms of current value sales in 2023. The segment was hit hard by the pandemic and its economic fallout; many local consumers remained reluctant to shop from variety stores as they…

Following two years of economic downturn, general merchandise stores in Taiwan experienced a remarkable resurgence 2023, witnessing double-digit growth in retail sales. Surpassing the convenience stores channel, general merchandise stores reclaimed…

General merchandise stores maintained growth in both outlet numbers and current value sales in South Korea in 2023, with increases seen for both variety stores and department stores, although the latter remained by far the larger channel. Department…

Variety stores in Singapore continued to record solid growth in 2023, driven by the rising cost-of-living pressures, which were a key area of concern for local consumers. Amid a muted economic climate, and rising prices as a result of inflation and…

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…

In 2023, department stores benefited from a rebound in the number of tourists visiting Japan and the depreciation of the yen. Although it lagged somewhat behind other countries, Japan finally lifted COVID-19 regulations in 2023. As for the recovery…

General merchandise stores registered current value growth in Indonesia in 2023. Since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, consumer behaviour has changed rapidly. People are getting used to purchasing products online, which has diversified their…

General merchandise stores maintained dynamic double-digit current value growth in India in 2023, and finally saw the recovery of its sales to the pre-pandemic level. Growth was also seen in outlet numbers, which rose to over 4,000 stores, all of…

General merchandise stores saw a second year of double-digit current value growth in Hong Kong in 2023, finally recovering to the pre-pandemic (2019) level of sales, after disruption due to the loss of tourist flows. Although variety stores saw…

After seeing a notable decline in value sales in 2022 during the waves of COVID-19 across the country, when many consumers lost confidence in spending on non-essential durable goods, general merchandise stores saw a moderate rebound in its sales in…

Generation Z, comprising one-fifth of the global population, is poised to wield significant consumer influence. However, their polarized behaviours toward social activism, technology, and spending present challenges for businesses. This report…