Malaysia

Standard towels maintained their popularity in menstrual care in Malaysia in 2023, thanks to their affordable prices and good protection. Despite the rise in demand for added-value options in tissue and hygiene (eg eco-friendly products, etc.),…

Direct selling in Malaysia showed resilience during the pandemic, particularly in the case of companies specialising in health and wellness products. Seeking ways to stay healthy, local consumers increasingly turned to health supplements and…

In 2023, the Malaysian consumer foodservice market saw the continued strengthening of the country’s coffee drinking culture, which provided a notable boost to the performance of the specialist coffee and tea shops channel during the year. The end of…

Sales of soft drinks in Malaysia are generally benefitting from the rebound of tourism and foodservice in the post-pandemic landscape. For example, fountain sales are accelerating for carbonates and RTD tea, supported by the growth of hotels in the…

Sales in energy drinks are only seeing modest off-trade growth, as the category has a fairly limited consumer audience and faces competition from other soft drinks. On the positive side, the revival of domestic and international travel helps to…

Off-trade volume sales in concentrates are relatively stable, thanks to the baseline demand for liquid concentrates in households in Malaysia. Indeed, liquid concentrates are especially in demand with large families, as they are perceived to offer…

Colourings, markers and highlighters were the most dynamic categories in writing instruments in 2023 with sales of these products thriving. This was partly due to a flurry of new product launches as players looked to benefit from the returning demand…

Both costume jewellery and fine jewellery registered weaker growth in 2023 both in retail volume and current value terms. Demand was impacted by the rising inflationary pressures being faced by Malaysians with most households seeing a significant…

Demand for dishwashers in Malaysia has been heavily influenced by the reduced presence of expatriates, who traditionally constituted a significant customer segment for this appliance. The adoption of remote working policies by businesses, both local…

Following reopened borders and lifted restrictions in 2022, Malaysia's retail sector witnessed a surge in consumer revenge spending throughout the year. However, starting from the second quarter of 2023, the trend showed signs of decline as consumer…

As of August 2023, dengue cases were up 117% year-on-year, bringing the total cases to 73,680 from January to August 2023, compared with 39,769 cases in the same period in 2022. By September 2023, cases had risen to 88,672, with a massive surge in…

We note a trend towards premiumisation in retail tissue in 2023 in Malaysia. This is evidenced by Vinda Deluxe (Vinda Malaysia Sdn Bhd) continuing to grow its share. This player uses strong marketing and promotional campaigns across online platforms,…

Social distancing measures remained in effect in Malaysia in 2021, with consumers forced to avoid spending time outside of the home wherever possible, and huge numbers of white-collar professionals, office workers and service industry personnel were…

Toilet care maintained solid retail volume and current value growth in 2023, although from a relatively low base. Many consumers, especially those with young children, remain in the habit of periodically cleaning the toilet. Even post-pandemic,…

Home care disinfectants saw a retail volume decline in 2022, after the pandemic high. However, the habit of using such products remains, especially amongst many younger consumers, and those with children, and growth resumed in 2023. Consumers…

Off-trade volume sales are lower than those in on-trade channels in juice, albeit still remaining positive. Consumers with large families (at least four persons per household) tend to prefer liquid concentrates over juice, seeing such as offering…

Food price inflation remained elevated in 2023, as the country is a net food importer, and huge increases in the prices of imported white rice came into effect in September 2023. Although it is still unknown how overall consumer spending will be…

The lifting of restrictions in 2022 has reshaped the Malaysian consumer landscape, with local consumers no longer confined to their homes. The newfound freedom has boosted spending in sectors such as tourism and food service, detracting from consumer…

Fountain sales and on-trade volume growth are supported in RTD tea, in part due to the expansion of hotels in Malaysia, such as the Hyatt Place Kuala Lumpur, INNSiDE by Meliá Kuala Lumpur, and Courtyard by Marriott Melaka. It has become the norm for…

On-trade volume and fountain sales in carbonates are being supported by developments in foodservice and hospitality channels. For example, as seen with the growth of hotels in the country, such as the Hyatt Place Kuala Lumpur, INNSiDE by Meliá Kuala…