South Korea

Shoe polish is the largest category in polishes and faced a weaker performance in 2023 following the strong rebound in sales during 2022. Demand for shoe polish rebounded strongly in 2022, as professionals returning to offices opted for formal attire…

Retail volume and current value sales of cigarettes declined in 2023, maintaining the trend seen in 2022. Nevertheless, cigarettes still constitute a large proportion of sales in the overall tobacco industry. Whilst cigarettes experienced a negative…

In the dynamic landscape of wipes in South Korea, eco-friendly and biodegradable wipes are experiencing consistent growth. As environmental consciousness continues to gain prominence amongst consumers, there has been a notable and sustained uptick in…

Spectacles in South Korea saw only slow current value growth in 2023, and this trend is anticipated to continue into 2024, with the expectation of a further slowdown in year-on-year growth. However, within spectacles, the three categories – readymade…

Ongoing high inflation and economic difficulties have been discouraging consumer spending on luxury products and discretionary items, including jewellery. Nonetheless, despite the expectation of a slight decline in retail volume terms, in current…

Historically, gum experienced long-term stagnation or decline, with even more significant falls in sales seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, sales of gum in South Korea saw a resurgence in 2023 following the end of the pandemic, and growth is…

In 2023, sales of sunglasses in South Korea soared in current value terms, seeing a double-digit increase, reflecting a significant upward trend that is expected to accelerate in 2024. This impressive growth can be attributed to a variety of factors,…

Fragrances maintained double-digit current value growth in South Korea in 2023, with premium fragrances continuing to overwhelmingly dominate, and also seeing the strongest growth in this year. The super-premium segment in fragrances is primarily…

In 2023, retail in South Korea maintained solid current value growth both online and offline, with growth also returning to outlet numbers in the offline space. Value increases were seen across most channels, although growth in outlet numbers was…

In 2024, overall eyewear in South Korea is set to see current value growth. The prevalence of vision impairments is on the rise in Korea, with an increasing number of people affected by presbyopia, myopia, and hyperopia. The overall increase in…