Malaysia

Air care maintained retail volume and current value growth in 2023, with increases seen across all categories. However, car air fresheners saw the strongest increase in this year. Car is the main mode of transportation for locals, and the majority of…

In Malaysia, the perception of air purifiers is transitioning from a luxury to a necessity, despite their higher-than-average unit prices. 2023 saw volume sales continue to rise, thanks to a pandemic-induced heightened awareness about the importance…

Airlines in Malaysia experienced strong growth in terms of domestic flights in 2022 while international air travel is expected to rise significantly in 2023 now that global border restrictions have been lifted. As a result, the number of people…

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…

The removal of COVID-19 restrictions on mobility, foodservice and inbound tourism into Malaysia drove a recovery in volume sales of alcoholic drinks packaging in 2022, following two years of decline. As the majority of the Malaysian population is…

The return of consumers to their busy-pandemic lifestyles had a positive impact on demand for analgesics in Malaysia in 2023. Within this, topical analgesics/anaesthetic remained the largest subcategory, as well as being the key driver of growth.…

Retail sales of apparel accessories continued to see healthy growth in current value terms in 2023. With consumers returning to their physical offices, there was a return to more formal clothing styles, with ties and belts seeing a particularly…

Sales of apparel and footwear saw dynamic growth in 2022, with constant value sales fast approaching pre-pandemic levels. As the country emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers became increasingly keen to travel, socialise and spend more time…

Reopened borders in 2022 and relaxed movement restrictions resulted in sharp rises in foot traffic in malls, boosted by locals and the return of international tourism. Festivities such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri and the widespread use of promotions…

The pandemic lockdowns negatively affected some store-based appliances and electronics specialists. Nonetheless, with the lifting of restrictions and the reopening of international borders, sales benefited from the pent-up demand accumulated during…

Asian speciality drinks is seeing flat off-trade volume growth, due to the category’s performance in relation to unit price hikes. As Asian speciality drinks can be easily replaced by other categories, such as RTD tea, coconut and other plant waters,…

The rebound of tourism and foodservice continued to boost growth in away-from-home tissue and hygiene in 2023. Indeed, the post-pandemic landscape means borders have reopened, travel and tourism have resumed, and foodservice and hospitality…

Baby and child-specific products in Malaysia saw growth in 2023 propelled by the accelerating trend towards natural and clean products, as parents sought to avoid ingredients perceived to be potentially harmful to children’s health. Examples of…

In 2023, baby food is expected to continue to recover from decreases in retail volume sales in the early-to-mid review period. However, the growth in demand is predicted to be moderate, with retail volume sales in 2023 slightly lower than at the…

In 2022, total packaging volumes for baby food recorded solid growth. Flexible plastic remained the leading pack type for baby food, followed closely by folding cartons, and despite their already high base, they still witnessed above-average growth…

All of the categories in bags and luggage displayed slower growth in 2023 compared to 2022 both in retail volume and current value terms. This was partly due to a stabilisation of demand with sales having been restored to pre-pandemic levels.…

Baked goods, such as packaged leavened bread, packaged cakes and packaged pastries, are considered essential foods by Malaysians, being typically consumed for breakfast or during tea breaks throughout the day. Packaged baked goods are also widely…

Post-pandemic, hand sanitisers continued to see slowed growth within bath and shower in Malaysia in 2023, with a particularly sharp drop in demand from commercial players. Many consumers have turned to liquid soap as its products are generally more…

Beauty and personal care in Malaysia continued to rise in 2023, still benefiting from 2022’s lifted restrictions reopened borders. The continued return of tourism and resumption of in-person work and study, as well as increased socialising, had a…

Plastic pollution is becoming an increasingly pressing concern the world over, and Malaysia is no different. In an effort to minimise the amount of plastic waste it generates, Colgate-Palmolive introduced 100% recyclable HDPE tubes for its toothpaste…

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…

Sustainability issues are pushing forward a new chapter in how people get around in cities. From using shared mobility, to buying electric vehicles, urban mobility is a fast-changing industry. The briefing examines urban mobility trends, focusing on…

During the pandemic and lockdown period in 2020, the Health Ministry advised consumers to use bleach as an alternative to sanitise surfaces when surface care products such as home care disinfectants were running out of stock in both urban and rural…

Tourism Malaysia is looking for new ways to expand its reach and entice more travellers to book a holiday in the country. For example, Tourism Malaysia collaborated with Indonesian travel platform Traveloka on a smart partnership campaign to promote…

Whilst volume sales are lower in off-trade channels compared to on-trade, bottled water is achieving positive growth. However, potential sales are suppressed by unit prices hikes, which are affecting soft drinks as a whole. Ultimately, this led to a…

Retail sales of breakfast cereals in Malaysia recorded continued growth in volume terms in 2023. This was in spite of the weakening of the local currency, the ringgit, against the US dollar, which brought about higher import costs. With Malaysia…

Malaysia offers a favourable environment for business operations, ranking among the top third in the Economic Freedom ranking. The country’s businesses benefit from robust economic expansion, numerous free trade agreements, strategic location and…

During much of 2020 and 2021 consumers found themselves confined to their homes due to the government’s measures to stem the tide of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This encouraged them to take up cooking and baking as a hobby. This trend had a…

There has been a significant rise in the number of Malaysians taking up coffee drinking culture, with the country ranked third highest in terms of coffee consumption in Asia Pacific. With Malaysians becoming more coffee-savvy, there are notable…

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…

Cat food is set to see solid retail volume and current value growth in Malaysia in 2024, with higher growth rates than those seen in 2023, but not as high as in the years prior. The rising cat population is one major factor in the continued strong…

Charge cards continue to struggle to appeal widely, and consumer demand is set to remain relatively low at the end of the review period. This situation is confirmed by the limited supply of charge cards from banking institutions in Malaysia. Indeed,…

The dominant category in both retail volume and value terms, processed cheese (excluding spreadable), is being developed by significant new product development towards the end of the review period. The domestic foodservice operator QSR Trading Sdn…

Compared to other areas of apparel and footwear, childrenswear saw relatively modest growth in current value terms in 2023. Sales of childrenswear were comparatively unaffected by the pandemic, as despite the lockdown, parents still needed to…

2023 is seeing innovative product development proving to be a significant driver of demand for countlines and chocolate pouches and bags in chocolate confectionery in Malaysia. Among the key players, Nestlé is showing a particular focus on…

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…

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…

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…

Coffee consumption has become the norm in Malaysia, with more consumers drinking coffee daily in line with rising urbanisation and busy lifestyles. Volume sales rose dynamically through the on-trade channel in 2023 and saw marginal decline in the…

Colour cosmetics turned in a positive performance in Malaysia in 2023, with volume and current value sales rising robustly. Premium colour cosmetics enjoyed strong growth thanks to the fuller return of shoppers to store-based outlets, which has…

The commodities country overview provides comprehensive data on production, consumption and price trends on key commodities markets. The commodities overview in Malaysia covers production and consumption trends in agricultural commodities, energy…

The report examines key factors in supply chain risks in metals, energy and agricultural commodities. Production, market supply concentration and political risks analysis can help to better identify potential risks and prepare for potential…

Retail volume sales of computers and peripherals fell for the second consecutive year in 2023, following strong growth in 2021. The latter was due to a switch to remote working and schooling, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced consumers to spend more…

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…

In 2022, confectionery packaging saw a second year of rebounding sales after a poor performance in 2020, during the first year of the pandemic, which helped drive volumes above the 2019 level. In 2022, plastic pouches witnessed an increase in pack…

Asian Pacific economies were hard hit by COVID-19, leading to setback in construction activities in the first half of 2020. Robust Chinese recovery, however, boosted construction output in the second half of the year. Heavy infrastructure…

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…

In 2021 and 2022, many local consumers used personal loans when faced with unplanned expenses or a personal financial emergency. Malaysian banks were very active in offering personal loans to individuals, providing flexible repayments and offering…

Consumer electronics in Malaysia saw modest growth in 2023, although sales remained well below 2021 levels in constant value (2023 prices) terms. As the country emerged from the pandemic, consumers became increasingly keen to travel, socialise and…

Stand-alone remained the most popular consumer foodservice location in the Malaysian market in 2023. Most consumer foodservice operators opt for stand-alone locations for their outlets. There has been an increase in the number of consumer foodservice…