Asia Pacific

Heated tobacco in Japan continued to see double-digit growth in retail volume terms in 2023. Heated tobacco is regarded by consumers as a relatively lower harm option compared with cigarettes, and the weaker smell of these products compared with…

Heated tobacco products saw solid current value growth and moderate retail volume growth in 2023. Compared with cigarettes, the competitive price of heated tobacco benefits the category. In addition, wider availability in convenience stores,…

There was continued double-digit constant value growth for e-vaping in Pakistan in 2023. Its consumer base was made up of people looking to quit smoking, as well as younger consumers, mainly under 20 years of age, who often have never smoked and…

Since 2012, gutkha, a popular smokeless tobacco product, has been banned across India. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned the manufacture, sale, and distribution of gutkha, categorising it as a food product. Some states…

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…

In 2023, heated tobacco products in South Korea maintained double-digit retail volume and current value growth. The competition for the top spots in heated tobacco is intensifying. KT&G, Philip Morris Korea, and Rothmans Far East (BAT) are all…

Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Uzbekistan continued to see development at the end of the review period. E-vapour products, a new category in Uzbekistan created in the early review period, gradually emerged and gained…

Overall, it was a positive picture for smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Azerbaijan in 2023. In terms of e-vaping products, closed system single use registered significant value and volume growth, with Chinese brands…

On 30 April 2022, the sale of alternative smoking products came to an end in Hong Kong. The legislation prohibited the import, promotion, manufacturing, sale, or possession of any kind of alternative smoking product, including e-vapour products and…

Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products, and heated tobacco are banned in Singapore. Under the Control of Sale of Tobacco Products in Singapore, the sale, usage, and promotion of tobacco alternative products such as e-vapour products and heated tobacco…

E-vapour and heated tobacco products remains an underdeveloped category in Vietnam, however, this is expected to develop further over the forecast period. During 2022, the Vietnamese government and associated authorities, especially the Ministry of…

Smokeless tobacco, e-vapour products and heated tobacco in Kazakhstan faced significant challenges at the end of the review period. Heated tobacco products, by far the biggest category in terms of retail value sales, posted declines in retail volume…

Small local grocers have been finding it increasingly difficult to compete with other retail channels. In 2023 the rapid growth of convenience stores and the persistent rise in e-commerce purchases continued to take their toll on traditional grocery…

While modern grocery outlets such as supermarkets and convenience stores, recorded stronger current value growth than small local grocers in the Philippines in 2023, the accessibility and traditional appeal of sari-sari stores meant that they…

Current value sales for traditional small grocers in Thailand continued to rise in 2023, though at a significantly slower rate than in 2022, as the trend towards shopping in small stores close to homes continued. Small local grocers also benefit from…

Small local grocers in Taiwan recorded solid growth in value sales in 2023. The country boasts over 300 night markets, housing about 20,000 vendors and merchants, with a majority situated in towns and rural areas. These vibrant hubs represent the…

In 2023, small local grocers in South Korea saw yet another year of decline in both current value sales and outlet numbers. The channel has been encountering difficulties as consumer preference is tending to shift towards e-commerce and convenience…

“Mama shops”, which are small local grocers in Singapore typically located within older and mature residential estates, used to be the cornerstone of grocery retailers in the local market. Such a traditional retail format used to thrive on the…

One of the most important pandemic-related impacts on small local grocers was the huge shift towards working from home. This deprived many operators of an extremely important consumer base of busy, urban professionals looking for a quick and easy…

Traditionally, Japanese consumers have enjoyed shopping in areas called Shotengai, where many small shops, including small local grocers, are lined up along the streets. Customers visit different specialist shops to buy their vegetables, fish, and…