Asia Pacific

Demand for standard eye care, the largest category in overall OTC eye care in South Korea, continues to improve in 2023, in line with heightened exposure to digital screens in everyday life, and a return to out-of-home activities, including the…

Consumer demand has been shifting from manufactured goods back towards services. Due to this, value sales of experiential luxury grew by 13% to amount to KRW642 million in 2023, boosted by wealthier individuals resuming their normal activities,…

Tourist visitor levels in Singapore were seen to rebound in 2023, despite global macroeconomic pressures such as high inflation and the rapid escalation of living costs. This represented an improvement on 2021 and 2022, when restrictions related to…

Despite macroeconomic adversity on a global scale, tourism demand was on the rise in 2023, with a growing number of visitors taking their holidays in Hong Kong. This represented an improvement on 2021 and 2022, when restrictions related to COVID-19…

Due to changes in dietary habits during the pandemic, such as the increase in delivery food, demand for certain digestive remedies exploded, while home seclusion during this time, resulting in sedentary lifestyles, supported the surge in demand for…

There is an Increasing prevalence of digestive problems in Pakistan due to sedentary lifestyles and increased consumption of processed food, which in turn is driving demand for digestive remedies. Popular digestive remedies include antacids,…

Growth for digestive remedies in Azerbaijan is slow and steady in 2023. With the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions, there was a brief shot of adrenaline as people returned to the office and resumed their social lives. However, any expectation…

Ginseng remains by far the largest value category within dietary supplements in South Korea. As ginseng is well-known for its overall immunity support, this category is experiencing stable demand, whilst also remaining popular for gifting, with red…

Value sales for dietary supplements continue to be low in Pakistan and significantly lower than for vitamins. However, it is expected to register healthy growth in 2023, as wealthier consumers take increasingly take a preventative approach to their…

In dietary supplements in Azerbaijan, sales are seeing positive though slowed volume sale growth in 2023, buoyed by fierce competition among market players. However, there is a regulatory hurdle that is curbing growth potential, in that the…

Dermatologicals is a saturated category in South Korea and has lost some of its growth momentum in terms of retail volume sales. A lack of new product development is one factor hampering stronger growth for some products, whilst another is increasing…

Skin diseases across all age groups continues to drive growth for dermatologicals. Skin diseases are common in rural areas due to poor hygiene and in urban areas due to overcrowded neighbourhoods, with many having no access to proper sanitary…

Dermatologicals in Azerbaijan is recording an upward trajectory in 2023 but at a pace that could generously be called moderate, and notably slower in terms of volume sales compared to 2022. When it comes to dermatologicals, local consumer education…

Like analgesics, sales of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies continue to rise, benefiting from the “tripledemic” of rising COVID-19 cases, the stronger return of influenza due to greater mobility outside of the home and contact with others,…

As people become more aware of the importance of self-care, there is a growing demand for OTC medications to treat cough and cold. Access to healthcare is limited and as such it is easier to buy OTC medications. Therefore, despite the increase in…

As COVID-19 restrictions lift and society returns to face-to-face interaction, the regular seasonal sicknesses —colds and flus—are making their own return to Azerbaijan. More social mingling means not just handshakes and hugs on the rise; sniffling…

The self-medication trend is growing in South Korea, supporting further sales growth for analgesics, and cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies, especially since the prevalence of the “tripledemic” in the country, consisting of COVID-19,…

Pakistan’s economy continues to struggle and the government secured a further USD3 billion bailout with the IMF in July 2023, avoiding an impending default. Inflation continues to be very high and is being driven by several factors, including…

Consumer health in Azerbaijan is seeing something of a resurgence in 2023. New entrants are livening up the marketplace, and fresh medications are making their mark. The once-stringent Tariff Regulatory Authority has taken a step back, loosening the…

Despite the overall waning impact of the pandemic in South Korea, simultaneous new outbreaks of COVID-19, influenza, and the common cold (referred to as a “tripledemic” in the country) are leading to a sharp increase in the number of consumers…