Malaysia

Wine-based RTDs was the most dynamic category in total volume terms in 2022. This was a turnaround in fortunes for a category which was in decline even before the pandemic. The category benefited from the lifting of restrictions on bars/pubs and…

There was high global inflation in 2022 due to various factors including the fallout from the pandemic and importantly Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This in turn led to an increase in the cost of raw materials. In particular packaging costs…

Domestic mid-priced lager brands like Tiger, Carlsberg Green Pilsner, Heineken and Anchor Smooth enjoyed strong growth in 2022 due to their visibility on retailers’ shelves and wide channel coverage in both the off-trade and on-trade. Consumers…

On-trade RTD volume sales continued to see solid growth in 2022, while off-trade sales only experienced minor growth. This was due to consumers returning to food service establishments following the lifting of all remaining COVID-19 restrictions in…

Inflationary pressure increased commodity prices and the cost of living in Malaysia in 2022 and led many smokers to trade down to more affordable cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos or shift to cheaper options altogether, such as fine cut tobacco, as…

Heated tobacco products saw very strong, if slower, retail current growth and positive retail volume growth in 2022. The competitive price of heated tobacco when compared with cigarettes afforded the category good growth potential. In addition, wider…

Having experienced a drop in retail volume and current value sales in 2020, in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, cigars and cigarillos saw a return to growth in 2021. The rebound in retail volume and current value growth continued in…

Overall, economy and premium cigarettes gained retail volume share at the expense of mid-priced brands in 2022. The main reason for this trend was derived from high inflation, which drove high living costs and informed expenditure on cigarettes. Many…

Malaysia’s economic freedom is ‘moderately free’ and the state is addressing corruption. However, the new government has yet to prove its democratic credentials. The economy grew extremely strongly in 2022 and, although output expansion is expected…

Retail sales of homeware in 2022 returned to pre-pandemic levels (in constant 2022 prices), following a steep decline in 2020. During the outbreak of COVID-19, a retail value decline was recorded in all areas, with consumers being uncertain about…