Tobacco

In 2022, the tobacco industry in South Korea experienced surprisingly strong current value growth. While cigarettes in South Korea saw a slight retail volume decline, this became much more moderate compared with pre-COVID-19 years, and value sales…

Retail volume sales of cigarettes continued to decline in 2022, taking them below pre-pandemic levels. The economy price band was the least impacted by retail volume declines, aided by some consumers trading down to more affordable brands.…

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…

Tobacco in Indonesia recorded stronger growth in 2022 than in the previous year, largely thanks to an increase in economic activity with the country having suffered through the COVID-19 pandemic since early 2020. The purchasing power of consumers…

In 2022, retail volume sales of cigarettes remained fairly stagnant, seeing only a minor increase, with sales limited by the fact that smoking prevalence in Hong Kong has decreased over the years thanks to a series of tobacco control initiatives. The…

The pandemic and associated lockdowns did not have a material impact on tobacco consumption in China. Both retail volume and current value sales of cigarettes continued to witness stable growth, driven by stable consumer demand, and product…

E-vapour products in China was devasted by a substantial package of industry regulations and policy updates throughout 2022, restricting the production, wholesale, and retail operations of e-cigarette players. The ban on flavoured e-vapour products,…

Smokeless tobacco had a negligible presence in Indonesia in 2022, with a limited number of sellers selling these products, with sales mainly limited to retail e-commerce. Nonetheless, Tigersnus, a Swedish-style snus, has been produced in Indonesia…

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…

Heated tobacco products experienced another year of current value and volume growth in 2022. Smokers who were not ready to quit smoking, but were sensitive to the smell of cigarette smoke, chose heated tobacco products, looking for an option they…

On 30 April 2022, the sale of alternative smoking products came to an end in Hong Kong. The legislation prohibited the import, promotion, manufacturing, sale, or possession of any kind of alternative smoking product, including e-vapour products and…

E-vapour and heated tobacco products remains an underdeveloped category in Vietnam, however, this is expected to develop further over the forecast period. During 2022, the Vietnamese government and associated authorities, especially the Ministry of…

Cigars continued to register a strong performance in 2022, with double digit volume growth. However, cigars remain relatively niche and attributed to higher-income consumers such as businessmen and executives, due to their expensive prices. Moreso,…

In 2022, cigars and cigarillos in South Korea saw significant growth. Increased consumer interest in cigars since the pandemic was the main factor supporting growth. According to local keyword search statistics from Naver, consumer searches for…

In April 2022, all nightlife-related businesses in Singapore were permitted to fully reopen, including bars, pubs, discotheques, and nightclubs. During the Circuit Breaker period in April and May 2021, all on-trade establishments were forced to close…

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…

The market for cigars and cigarillos remains fairly small in Indonesia, with the potential consumer base remaining somewhat limited. This is especially true for imported cigars which are sold at high prices which are generally only affordable to…

In 2022, retail volume sales of cigars continued to fall due to supply and logistics issues, particularly for Cuban cigars. The shortages had a significant impact on the category as a whole, as the Hong Kong market heavily depends on Cuban cigars.…

The cigars category is still at a nascent stage in China, given the relatively low penetration rate. However, in 2022 cigars witnessed robust growth in retail volume terms, in particular driven by domestically produced hand-rolled cigars, thanks to…

The end of the COVID-19 era and the removal of associated restrictions led to a boost in cigarettes sales in 2022. Vietnamese consumers have re-embraced their out-of-home lifestyles and social activities, which has ultimately led to higher incidences…