Retailing

Direct selling registered constant value growth in 2022, in spite of high inflation, which was mainly caused by the war in Ukraine. With concerns surrounding COVID-19 putting a spotlight on the concept of preventive health, many Kazakhstanis have…

Direct selling in Malaysia showed resilience during the pandemic, particularly in the case of companies specialising in health and wellness products. Seeking ways to stay healthy, local consumers increasingly turned to health supplements and…

Despite growing consumer awareness and the presence of questionable brands and products in the direct selling channel, the channel continues to remain relevant, particularly in rural areas where malls and shopping centres are fewer in number. In…

2022 was a strong growth year for direct selling in Singapore, due to the resumption of events and pre-pandemic lifestyles, which made it easier for sales agents to conduct outreach and engagement activities. While the channel recorded a marginal…

Direct selling saw little movement in its value sales in current terms in South Korea in 2023, with just a slight decline seen. In April 2023, a legal shift unfolded, permitting sponsored direct sellers to engage in non-face-to-face transactions…

Direct selling companies in Taiwan are undergoing a significant transformation as they adapt to the evolving retail landscape, with a notable trend being the embrace of digital transformation. Recognising the increasing prominence of e-commerce and…

Direct selling in Thailand continued to fall in terms of current value sales in 2023, in a persistent decline that began in 2020 and has not let up since. However, the rate of the drop was significantly slower than in the previous year of 2022. The…

Following a three-year period of decline, direct selling in the Philippines registered modest growth in current value terms in 2023. The channel suffered losses during the pandemic, when agents were unable to sell to their customers on a face-to-face…

Direct selling re-emerged during the review period, following many years of absence from Uzbekistan. Following poor performances, most companies had exited this channel prior to the review period in 2012, due to tightening restrictions, including…

Direct selling declined in terms of current value sales in Vietnam in 2023, with the drop driven by the continued fall of leading brands Herbalife Nutrition, New Image, and Amway as they struggled in the context of global inflationary pressures.…

Robust growth momentum was seen for discounters in China in 2023, with increases in both current value terms and in outlet numbers. This was driven by increasing economic uncertainty in the country, which led more Chinese consumers to seek products…

The leading chained players in discounters have been eyeing potential expansion opportunities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the improved situation has made it easier for them to justify greater investment in outlet growth. Players have…

Discounters remained only a small retail channel in South Korea in 2023, and continued to see a decline in outlet numbers in this year, although returned to slight current value growth. In South Korea, major retailers have embraced private label…

2023 proved to be a challenging year for discounters in the Philippines, in light of a limited store count and fierce competition with other retailers. With the revival of hectic pre-pandemic lifestyles, including the return of consumers to their…

Asia Pacific houses the biggest country market for e-commerce (China) and the nation with the second highest e-commerce per capita consumption in value terms (South Korea). As a region, it therefore houses highly developed e-commerce countries, but…

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…

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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. 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…

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…

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…

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 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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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 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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…