China

Home video in China is set to continue to decline in retail volume terms in 2024, with the performance of the overall category dictated by televisions, as sales in video players are expected to be negligible and declining in 2024. Retail volume sales…

Off-trade volume and current value sales of carbonates continued to see dynamic growth in China in 2023. Brands were able to maintain growth through innovations in areas such as sugar reduction and flavours. Sugar reduction (the use of sweeteners)…

In 2023, bottled water in China registered low off-trade volume growth, and slightly higher current value growth. The average unit price of bottled water trended upwards in 2023, as an increasing number of consumers opted for mid-range or even…

In 2023, video games in China exhibited a strong rebound, with a double-digit growth rate in current value terms. This resurgence can be attributed to several key factors. First, the normalisation of new game licenses in 2023 injected new vitality…

In 2023, deodorants in China exhibited a modest recovery, after recording a decline in 2022 during the pandemic outbreaks, although sales did not return to the 2021 level. Leading players such as Nivea (Beiersdorf) and Unilever continued to face…

Despite seeing a halt to the decline in outlet numbers in 2023, hypermarkets continued its long-standing decline in retail current value terms in China in 2023. One driver of the fall in sales is that the channel is under intense competition from…

Despite the anticipated recovery in commercial activities in 2023, following the easing of COVID-19-related restrictions in China, sales of polishes experienced another year of only moderate value growth, while volume sales declined. This was mainly…

In 2023, retail value sales of laundry care in China saw moderate growth. Overall demand for new purchases has slowed down in the post-pandemic era, because stockpiling consumers need to consume laundry care products that they stocked up during the…

In 2023, retail sales of air care products continued to grow in both volume and value. The annual sales growth rate in 2023 rebounded compared to the pandemic years from 2020 to 2022, although achieving the near double-digit annual sales growth rates…

With the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the normalisation of offline classes, the supressed demand for writing instruments amongst students was released in 2023, when stores selling stationery reopened offline. However, online schooling during…

Following the end of the zero-COVID policy, sales of jewellery, which remained stagnant in 2022, have witnessed a resurgence in 2023, with double-digit current value growth expected in the year overall. The increasing prevalence of social activities,…

Since peaking in 2016, China’s birth rate has been seeing a continuous decline, dropping below 10 million for the first time in 2022, and only 9.02 million births recorded in 2023. Although the decline in 2023 was slightly less steep compared with…

Shaped liquid cartons, already a major pack type within the category, were gaining share in dairy food packaging in China in 2023 due to their versatility, convenience and superior branding possibilities. These cartons are easy to handle, pour and…

Savoury snacks in China is set to see a slowdown in retail current value growth in 2024, even though the growth rate in 2023 was already minimal. Overall economic slowdown in China and increasing uncertainty about the future have driven consumers…

Total volume of alcoholic drinks in China saw a marginal rebound in 2023, shifting from decline in 2022 to a slight single-digit increase in 2023. However, the off-trade channel experienced a slight decrease in volume sales, while the on-trade…

Sports drinks in China saw significant off-trade volume and current value growth in 2021 and 2022, and growth continued in 2023, although at slower rates. This dynamism was due to comprehensive consumer education on the hydration benefits of…

Energy drinks in China registered dynamic off-trade volume and current value growth in 2023, with growth rates exceeding those of most other soft drinks categories. Growth in energy drinks was driven by three main factors. The first was the recovery…

After many years of double-digit current value growth for pet products in China, growth slowed to single-digit in 2023, and a further slowing of growth is expected in 2024, although remaining solid. The growth of cat litter is expected to stabilise…

After a year of minimal current value growth in 2022, when consumers limited their trips outside the home due to COVID-19 outbreaks, vending saw a strong increase in its growth rate in China in 2023. A double-digit rise was seen in value sales –…

The other dairy category is set to see stabilisation of its retail volume and current value sales in China in 2024, after seeing significant declines in 2023. The previous declines were mainly due to the shift in consumer behaviour following the end…