Taiwan

The volume of people travelling by air more than doubled in 2023, supported by the relaxation of border control measures, both within Taiwan and neighbouring Asian countries. With air travel having been off-limits during the pandemic, there was a…

Contact lenses and solutions continue to recover from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2024. Despite some government intervention in 2022, retail volume and current value sales still remain lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The…

In 2023, Taiwan's premium beauty and personal care recorded positive retail growth, above mass market goods. Trends in premium sales were aligned to mass market trends, with growth strongest in premium colour cosmetics and fragrances. Much of this…

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…

In 2023, the retail sales of apparel specialist retailers in Taiwan bounced back significantly. Following a double-digit growth rate in 2022, which surpassed the modest growth recorded in 2021, several major international brands displayed remarkable…

There has been a noted revival of classic watches in Taiwan, with a renewed appreciation for traditional, mechanical watches. This is aiding sales of quartz analogue devices, with mid and high quartz analogue watches recording positive retail volume…

Off-trade volume growth for sports drinks in 2023 was up markedly on that recorded in 2022. This improvement was partly explained by the success of reduced sugar and sugar-free options introduced towards the end of the review period, which have…

Following consistent declines earlier in the review period, RTD coffee recorded modest growth in off-trade volume sales in 2023. This turnaround was partly explained by the increased incidence of impulse purchases and on-the-go consumption occasions…

100% juice was the most dynamic of the main juice categories in Taiwan in off-trade volume growth terms in 2023. This was primarily due to the increasing preference for healthier soft drinks among consumers, as such products are perceived to be…

Total volume sales growth for womenswear in Taiwan in 2023 is expected to be down slightly on the previous year. This is partly explained by the normalisation of consumption patterns following the impressive rebound that accompanied the easing of the…

Debit card transactions experienced a noticeable decline in transaction value in 2022, a trend that commenced during the pandemic in 2021. This decline was primarily attributed to the increased prevalence of digital wallet transactions and the…

While wound care is poised to record a static performance in total volume sales terms in 2023, this will be an improvement from the declines witnessed over 2021-2022. Stockpiles accumulated by Taiwanese households during the early stages of the…

Wearable electronics continued to see a healthy performance in retail volume terms in 2023, supported by increased purchases of activity watches and smart wearables. Prevailing health and wellness trends and the high levels of convenience and…

Retail volume sales of imaging devices suffered a further decline in 2023, continuing the trend of the review period. This was due to the waning fortunes of digital cameras, which were severely challenged by continuous advancements in smartphone…

In 2022, more consumers, particularly those of the younger generation, started looking for high protein staple foods as a result of the fitness craze. An increasing number of people began to visit gyms and exercise regularly in the review period.…

In the first half of 2022, due to the surge in confirmed cases and a high number of people under home quarantine, there was a significant increase in demand for large-sized soy milk products and plant-based milk products that can be stored at room…

Apparel and footwear in Taiwan is poised to register a negative result in volume terms for a second consecutive year in 2023, while current value growth looks set to be down slightly on 2022. This is mainly due to increased caution around…

Retail volume sales of computers and peripherals registered a dramatic slump in 2023, in contrast to the positive performances of the previous two years. Households were reluctant to spend their hard-earned money on discretionary purchases, as fears…

Asian speciality drinks showed improved results in off- and on-trade volume sales terms in 2023, largely thanks to the easing of the pandemic and the ending of associated restrictions. With concerns surrounding COVID-19 having reinforced the…

Paediatric consumer health remains underdeveloped in Taiwan, with just two categories – paediatric vitamins and dietary supplements and paediatric cough/cold remedies – registering measurable sales during the review period. This is mainly because…

Demand for instant tea is being dampened as Taiwanese consumers shift towards a healthier mindset in light of the COVID-19 crisis. It is a trend for consumers to have their drinks without sugar in order to stay healthy. Indeed, sugar has become a…

The health and wellness industry continues to grow in importance post-pandemic as consumers become more aware of the negative health impact of processed foods, seeking healthier foods and beverages from a range of claims such as natural, organic,…

In-car entertainment continued its downward spiral in 2023, a trend that is set to continue throughout the entire forecast period. In-car navigation saw the most significant decline in sales in retail volume terms, largely due to the deepening…

In March 2022, as pandemic restrictions gradually eased, a coexistence with the virus emerged. Consequently, the number of confirmed cases began to peak, reaching new daily highs. During the initial two quarters of 2022, most consumers stayed home to…

Despite the rise of digital wallets, physical credit cards and pre-paid cards still play a significant role in payments. Notably, digital wallets often cannot link to popular pre-paid cards like EasyCard, the largest transportation card in Taiwan,…

There has been a general increase in awareness of health and wellness amongst Taiwanese consumers since the COVID-19 crisis, which is having a direct impact on consumers’ decision-making when they are purchasing soft drinks. Local consumer demand for…

Herbal/traditional products has continued to post robust growth in total current value sales in 2023, while all categories look set to record improved results in volume terms as compared to 2022. Buoyant demand is mainly explained by rising…

During the first half of 2022, the high number of confirmed COVID-19 cases led to a significant portion of the population being under home isolation. This resulted in heightened demand for larger-sized drinking milk products, as well as shelf-stable…

Retail volume sales of smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco plummeted in 2023, following the total ban of e-vapour products in Taiwan. However, heated tobacco products made strong progress from a low base. E-vapour products had…

Away-from-home (AFH) tissue and hygiene in Taiwan saw buoyant growth in current value terms in 2023, continuing the trend of the previous year. This was due to the return of consumers to their familiar pre-pandemic lifestyles, including more frequent…

Sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks is set to see current value growth in Taiwan in 2024. In 2023, there was a decline in overall demand for sweet biscuits as consumers decreased their home snacking habits and bulk purchasing. This…

In 2023, the overall retail demand for processed meat, seafood and alternatives to meat dropped in Taiwan as consumers resumed pre-COVID-19 pandemic lifestyles. The category had seen a surge in demand in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by…

In 2023, electronic and mobile payments have taken centre stage, greatly reducing reliance on cash transactions in Taiwan. Local residents have enthusiastically adopted various digital payment options, particularly digital wallets, which have emerged…

Despite Taiwan aiming to live with COVID-19 and return to normal lifestyles, confirmed COVID-19 case numbers spiked in 2022 with more than 10,000 cases per day. In line with heightened health consciousness, which has been bolstered by the experiences…

In keeping with the negative trajectory observed throughout the review period, NRT smoking cessation aids is set to contract in volume and current value terms in 2023. Demand continues to be undermined by the fact that the rate of smoking prevalence…

Value sales of fine wines/champagne and spirits grew by 7% to total TWD20.8 billion in 2023, as a result of a consumer desire to have fun and enjoy experiences after the pandemic. Enjoying a drink with friends remains a priority leisure activity,…

2023 marks a significant change in consumer behaviour and preferences within dairy products and alternatives, driven by the gradual easing of the pandemic's impact and evolving lifestyle changes. As consumers regain confidence and return to their…

Home audio and cinema continued to decline in retail volume and current value terms in 2023, a course that looks set to persist into the forecast period. Products such as hi-fi systems are seen as unnecessary for most Taiwanese, and increasingly…

Volume growth rates for all weight management and wellbeing categories in 2023 are set to surpass those recorded in 2022. The uptick is partly explained by the fact that many consumers in Taiwan gained weight during the recent period of lockdowns and…

Value sales of premium and luxury cars went up by 8% to total TWD194.5 billion in 2023, due to increased demand from high-income consumers, who proved to be steadfast in their purchases despite macroeconomic headwinds. Demand for premium and luxury…

Similar to drinking milk products, the demand for yoghurt and drinking yoghurt ceased to grow starting from the second half of 2022, mainly due to the easing impact of the pandemic. As consumers regained confidence in going out and dining outside,…

The increasingly sophisticated character of consumer demand for dairy products continued to be driven by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout 2022, despite the fact that related restrictions were lifted in October of that year. Before…

Store cards are not available in Taiwan. Hypermarket chain Carrefour was the last retailer to offer such cards and it ceased its operations in 2005. A trend towards alternative payment options such as digital wallets and the widespread popularity of…

In line with rising health-consciousness, people in Taiwan are becoming more worried about the potentially hazardous side effects and contraindications of active pharmaceutical ingredients in standard OTC medications. This has continued to buoy…