Malaysia managed to generate stronger GDP of 4% in 2017 compared to 2016. Despite marginally stronger GDP growth, Malays continued to display low consumer sentiment. Eyewear in Malaysia sustained steady growth in 2017 with demand for spectacle frames...

Branded optical goods stores continued to rapidly expand in Malaysia offering spectacles. Local consumers were attracted largely to the competitive pricing offered by fast fashion brands with open concept stores, such as Whoosh Eyewear, eGG Optical ...

Price discounts remained an important marketing strategy for bags and luggage retailers in 2017. Large numbers of bags and luggage retailers organised sales and promotional activities to attract more customers. This was because consumers had lower ...

Public events continued to be organised by private international jewellery exhibition companies such as MIJ Exhibition. Malaysia International Jewellery Festival (MIJF) was launched as a major jewellery exhibition that features hundreds of jewellery ...

Personal accessories in Malaysia recorded marginally stronger current value growth in 2017, despite global economic uncertainties. Malaysia saw GDP growth of 4% in 2017, which was a marginally stronger growth rate compared with 2016. Despite soft ...

Manufacturers and retailers of watches in Malaysia reduced their spending on the launch of watch exhibitions in 2017. The recent 10th edition of A Journey Through Time was celebrated over a 10-day period in Starhill Gallery during November 2016. ...

In 2017, the price war between major writing instruments brands such as Faber-Castell, Stabilo, Staedtler, Paper Mate and Pilot remained intense. These players engaged in price discounts as a crucial marketing strategy to attract sales, as consumers ...

As well as being one of the world’s major palm oil producers, Malaysia is also a key player in Asia Pacific’s energy security, as it is the third largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) globally. However, given the relative importance of ...

Given government efforts to make Malaysia into a high-income country, the business environment has undergone reforms. Although the labour market is flexible, a considerable gender gap exists, with relatively low female employment rates. Skills ...

Following the implementation of GST in 2015, which resulted in a price rise for beer, the new excise tax in 2016 again affected demand for beer, particularly for beer with an ABV of higher than 5%, as the new tax structure is calculated based on ...

Total volume sales of cider/perry posted 15% growth in 2016 to reach sales of 80,400 litres. Growth was driven by younger consumers, females and new alcohol consumers due to the lighter and sweeter tastes of cider/perry compared with other alcoholic ...

Alcoholic drinks underperformed in Malaysia after the government revised alcohol taxes after a decade in 2016, further raising unit prices since the implementation of GST (goods and services tax) in 2015. This move further weakened consumer demand. ...

In 2016, total volume sales of RTDs/high-strength premixes in Malaysia increased by 12% to reach one million litres; however, growth in 2016 was slower than the average for the review period as demand began to stabilise. In addition, Kampai ...

Spirits declined in total volume terms for the first time over the review period in 2016. The decline was attributable to the revision of excise duties, which became calculated based on alcohol strength. As spirits have the highest alcohol content ...

Wine drinkers are largely Malaysia’s growing middle class and drinking wine is perceived to give off a sophisticated image. With higher education level and globalisation, more Malays are aware of Western trends, such as wine drinking, and were ...

Toys and game continued to see healthy value growth in 2016, driven by further strong growth in video games. Mobile games and digital console games were among the most dynamic areas in video games, whilst action figures and accessories and ...

Hollywood blockbuster films such as Captain America: Civil War, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Deadpool, Zootopia, Trolls, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Stars Wars Story were seen to be a strong driver of sales of traditional ...

Sony Corp launched its first PlayStation VR in Malaysia in October 2016, and PlayStation 4 Pro in November 2016. PlayStation VR and PlayStation 4 Pro seem to be gaining popularity, as they have long waiting lists, and most stores continually run out ...

Malaysia represents a family-friendly household market, although urbanisation and lifestyle changes are resulting in smaller households and a surge in singletons. Local homes have high durables penetration, and strong household digitalisation creates...

The real growth rate of Malaysia’s disposable income and spending eased over 2015-2016, due to the impact of global oil price trends on the country’s external sector. Nevertheless, higher incomes continue to support a rise in discretionary spending ...