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 –…

Both retail current value and volume sales of cheese are expected to continue to see double-digit declines in China in 2024. Falling sales are primarily being driven by the sharp drop in sales of cheese sticks seen within processed cheese (excl…

As consumers’ lives gradually returned to normal in 2023, retail current value sales of snacks experienced a return to growth. However, in 2024, the growth rate for snacks in China is set to slow slightly, becoming almost static, due to the impact of…

In 2023, cider/perry in China maintained high growth rates, with total volume and current value growth rates in the double digits. Particularly high growth was seen in the on-trade channel, with growth rates exceeding 20%. The strong growth of…

Sunglasses in China is anticipated to continue growing in current value terms in 2024, albeit under the influence of market conditions, and it is not expected that sales will return to the level seen in 2021. Nevertheless, there are positive…

After a year of slight decline in 2022, depilatories showed current value growth in China in 2023, and rebounded to the 2021 level of sales, mainly due to the easing of pandemic restrictions and increasing consumer awareness. The relaxation of…

After experiencing a significant current value decline in 2022, colour cosmetics in China witnessed a double-digit rebound in 2023, although it did not return to the level of sales seen in 2021. With the end of the zero-COVID policy, people’s lives…

Retail in China maintained current value growth in 2023. In early December 2022, the Chinese government announced “New Ten Measures” to optimise COVID-19 prevention, and it cancelled the zero-COVID policy. The whole country saw an end to…

While the COVID-19 pandemic has ceased to be prominent, as the Chinese government announced it would remove most pandemic-related restriction in late 2022, consumer awareness around keeping their homes safe and hygienic remains significant, leading…

In 2023, total value sales of home insecticides continued to decline in current terms. This was a result of various factors, including weather, government policies and changing lifestyles. Hot weather prevailed in many parts of China from early June…

In China, retail value sales home care are estimated to have grown at a modest rate in 2023, after a recovery in 2022. Due to the resurgence of COVID-19 in early 2022, many cities and regions in China implemented strict control policies, forcing…

In 2024, portable players in China is set to maintain a similar performance to 2023, with decline in retail volume terms, but growth in current value terms. Overall, the advances in technology seen in multifunctional consumer electronics such as…

After a year of dynamic growth in 2023, sales of imaging devices in China are expected to stabilise in 2024, with both retail volume and current value sales expected to see moderate declines. On the one hand, giants in imaging devices, such as Canon…

The overall volume performance of headphones in China is expected to remain robust in 2024, with strong single-digit retail volume growth, although with falling unit prices retail current value sales are set to see a negligible decline. Certainly,…

RTDs in China maintained strong growth in both off-trade volume and current value terms in 2023, with both increasing by double digits, with on-trade sales also rising. Generally, younger consumers of legal purchasing age in China are gradually…

In the post-pandemic era, while the impact of COVID-19 is gradually waning, the slowdown in China’s macroeconomic environment is influencing the overall consumer landscape. Overall eyewear in China is therefore set to see a slower but solid…

While the dog population has been declining, the cat population has been expanding, and this is expected to continue in 2024. In a notable shift, the cat population surpassed that of dogs for the first time in 2021, and the gap has continued to widen…

Several years of current value decline were seen in direct selling in China during the pandemic, as the direct selling business model relies heavily on hosting meetings or gatherings to introduce products and recruit new sales personnel, which was…

In 2023, the 3-year growth streak for general purpose wipes ended as emergent demands coming from the pandemic saw sharp decline and the growth pattern for the category returned to normal. While personal hygiene awareness is here to stay, Chinese…

Despite the overall economy rebound in 2023 with the lifting of pandemic restrictions and the resumption of offline activities, menstrual care continued its stable growth in 2023 as it is a very mature category in China with a high penetration rate…

Bleach saw low single-digit growth in retail value in 2023, though the growth rate continued fell compared with the previous two years. Bleach saw relatively strong growth during the period 2020-2022 compared to previous years, mainly due to…

Overall wearable electronics in China is expected to see another year of low retail volume decline in 2024. Factors contributing to the decline in wearable electronics in 2024 include rising unit prices across categories, and the lengthening…

After a period of retail volume decline, sales of mobile phones in China returned to growth in the second half of 2023, and the category is expected to see a positive performance in 2024 overall, with solid growth anticipated in volume terms, and…

Afte a year of decline in 2022 during the pandemic restrictions, sugar confectionery in China returned to retail current value growth in 2023, and this trend is set to be maintained in 2024. With increasing consumer health consciousness…

After experiencing rapid growth in 2021 and 2022, retail current value sales of ice cream in China saw a significant decline in 2023. Several factors contributed to this downturn. Compared with 2022, there were fewer days with high temperatures,…

In 2023, wine in China experienced declines in both total volume and total current value terms, with overall sales and revenue showing low single-digit decreases. Chinese consumers’ willingness to purchase and consume wine has decreased. In China,…

Spirits in China showed different trends in total volume and total current value terms in 2023. Total volume sales declined both off-trade and on-trade, primarily due to the continued decrease in sales of Chinese spirits. Although the lifting of…

In 2023, beer in China saw a slight rebound in total volume sales compared with 2022, mainly driven by the easing of pandemic restrictions and a return to growth in on-trade sales. However, total volume sales were still short of the 2019 figure in…

Following a rebound in 2023, which saw strong double-digit current value growth, spectacles in China is set to return to high single-digit growth in 2024, indicating a return to a more stable growth trajectory. In terms of category performances,…

After seeing a notable decline in 2022, home furnishings in China experienced minimal growth in current value terms in 2023. This limited rebound was primarily due to economic uncertainties, including fluctuations in the housing market and changes in…

Following the lifting of the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2023 and the return to normalcy, offline activities resumed, which is set to lead to a gradual slowdown in the decrease of the total dog population in 2024. However, future projections indicate a…

In 2023, despite the end of the zero-COVID policy, skin care in China did not witness the anticipated strong rebound, but instead experienced a modest recovery in the low single digits in current value terms, with actual value sales remaining lower…