Agribusiness
China towards milk self-sufficiency
Our recent market analysis found that while consumption of milk per person in China is currently 33kg pa, much lower than Japan (68kg) and Korea (73kg) foreign exporters will not gain significantly from increased consumption.
We forecast that by mid-late 2025 China will close to being self-sufficient in basic milk production as there continues to be massive investment into the local dairy industry with the emergence of huge Chinese dairy corporations, in addition to foreign-owned dairy supply chain in countries such as Australia where China has been a large investor.
However, there will be opportunities for milk exporting countries such as Australia and New Zealand to supply premium products to the growing segment of Chinese consumers who are willing to pay more for "clean and green" higher quality and innovative products.
April 15
automotive
Vietnam's car sales poised to soar
Growth in car ownership in Vietnam has been relatively slow, largely due to the government putting in high cost restrictions on ownership, as the road infrastructure in main cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh have been unable to cope with increased traffic.
As a result, car ownership in 2019 was 28 per 1,000 people. However, a recent market analysis project of Vietnam’s automotive industry, involving market sizing and growth forecasting undertaken by APMI Partners has found that with the governments proposed reduction in the cost of car ownership through tax reductions, in addition to increasing demand, ownership will increase to 47 per 1,000 people by 2025.
March 27
Chemicals
Bitumen demand in Myanmar
Bitumen, the black petrochemical used for making roads is in high demand throughout Myanmar as the country seeks to modernize and the government has given a priority to road infrastructure.
Our market analysis has found that in 2023 there was a 8% increase in bitumen usage and by 2025 there will be a further 7% increase. With domestic production unable to meet demand, coupled with the ongoing civil unrest, by 2026 around 60% of bitumen will be imported.
February 22
Clothing & FOOTWEAR
Asian youth less influenced by the west
Our annual research into youth markets across 9 countries in Asia found that fashion trends are increasingly influenced from within Asia and less from the west. Japan continues to have the largest influence, followed closely by South Korea.
Social media continues to dominate influences, led by TikTok which has continued to grow it’s influence over the last 12 months, largely at the expense of Instagram.
Across all 9 countries the average amount spent on clothing and footwear increased by 6% over the last 12 months, with the highest increases in Singapore 11%, India 10% and Indonesia 9%.
May 3
CONSTRUCTION
China's residential construction downturn
Much of China's economic growth over the last 20 years has been due to massive construction activity across the country which accounts for around 25% of GDP. However, with increasing signs of significant over-supply, APMI Partners in-depth analysis of the residential construction found just how much it has slowed.
In 2022 residential construction decreased by 16% compared to 2021. This decline continued in 2023 by 14% compared to 2022. In terms of the oversupply of residential properties, our research found that by the end of 2023 there was 64.8 million empty apartments.
We also found that in late 2023 there were 62 newly built, but empty “Ghost” cities intended to have populations of 100,000+.
April 26
CONSUMER GOODS
Green products are increasingly sought
Environmentally friendly ‘green consumer goods’ such as dishwashing liquids, laundry detergents and household cleaning products continue to gain popularity in many Asian countries.
A recent study found that a large and growing segment of consumers in Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan, having market shares of 16% - 23% across thee countries, actively sought green dishwashing, laundry detergents and household cleaning products.
The study also found that many products do not meet acceptable standards and there are gaps in the market for products to be more environmentally friendly, such as comprising more recyclable packaging and being made of more environmentally friendly chemicals.
March 12
EDUCATION
Strong growth for international students
Our annual analysis and forecasting of higher education across the Asia Pacific has found that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are over, with numbers returning to pre-pandemic levels and in some areas, now exceeding them.
However, the economic downturn in China is having an impact. In 2024 outbound student numbers from China will be 87% compared to the pre-pandemic numbers of 2019. There also appears to be a developing trend where an increasing number of potential Chinese international students are choosing not to pursue higher education overseas due to a growing belief that it is not as beneficial as it once was to career development, principally due to the challenges of finding suitable employment in China.
This decrease in outbound students from China is being more than made up for with outbound students from India, where in 2024 there will be a 21% increase in outbound student numbers, compared to 2019.
March 15
ELECTRONICS
Chinese and household electronics
Sales of household electronics continue to increase across most categories in China despite overall downturn in the domestic economy, with much of the growth coming from second and third tier cities.
Aspirational items such as large screen TV's, digital cameras and air conditioners sales have increased by 6% over the last 12 months to March 2024.
Our analysis also found that 17% of Chinese consumers will pay on average, a 9% price premium for a foreign branded electronics product over an equivalent Chinese product, such as a TV, camera or smartphone. However, this is down from 23% & 11% respectively, 12 months ago, a likely indication of the worsening domestic economy.
To this end, there is also increasing patriotism towards Chinese brands where 38% of consumers said they prefer to buy Chinese brands to support the economy and country.
May 3
ENERGY & RESOURCES
Australians will pay for renewable energy
A recent survey of 2,000 Australian households found that 15% would pay up to 10% more pa for their electricity if they knew that at least 25% was generated from renewable sources. This being a 4% increase from 12 months ago when the same survey was conducted.
The survey also found that 36% of households actively undertake routine activities to save electricity costs and that women aged 50-59 are the most conscious towards saving money through reducing household electricity costs, followed by those aged 40-49.
Asked if there were sufficient renewable energy options currently available for their household, only 17% believed there were.
April 22
FINANCIAL SERVICES
CEO’s: Challenges for 1st Half of 2024
In our end of year survey of CEO's across the Asia Pacific region, we asked a series of questions about how the second half of 2023 was for their organization and what they believed the first half of 2024 would look like, in terms of general trends and developments, in addition to opportunities and challenges for their organization.
One question asked “What do you believe will be the largest challenge facing your organization in the first half of 2024?” The main response given was “Economic Downturn” which accounted for 21% of overall responses. This was followed by “Competitive Environment” (19%); “Inflation” (18%); “Supply Chains” (16%) and “Employee Retention” (12%). Other responses made up the remaining 14%, where the most common were labour shortages; bringing new products and services to market; responding to changes in the regulatory environment and adopting hybrid working.
Another series of questions sought to gauge the level of optimism for the first half of 2024, where CEO’s from the energy & resources, healthcare and agribusiness industries were the most optimistic. Conversely, those from the consumer goods, media & entertainment and retail industries were the most pessimistic.
The survey used a methodology where 1,534 CEO’s across 12 countries and all industry sectors throughout the Asia Pacific region, were interviewed between 15th - 30th January 2024.
February 9
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Decline in ghost kitchens in China
Food delivery services have been a fast-growing business in China, as in many other countries, over recent years, particularly during the pandemic. Along with this growth, has been the growth in ghost kitchens, also known as shared kitchens, dark kitchens or virtual restaurants.
Ghost kitchens do not have a physical dining area for customers to eat on-site and typically operate out of a central location where they supply meals to restaurants and fast-food chains, enabling them to expand their delivery reach and streamline their operations. Ghost kitchens also provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs to start food businesses with lower overhead costs compared to traditional restaurants.
The growth in ghost kitchens throughout China has been rapid, particularly from 2018-2022, fuelled by the rise in online food ordering platforms such as Meituan and ele.me and the pandemic, where is was estimated to have been worth around US$700 billion.
However, an oversupply of ghost kitchens, coupled with the downturn in the Chinese economy and slowing growth in online food ordering, resulted in a 6% decline in the number of ghost kitchens operating in China in 2023, with a further 7% decline forecast for 2024.
These findings were obtained from a Market Intelligence study focussed on the online food delivery industry in China, conducted February - April 2024.
May 7
GOVERNMENT
ASEAN gaining from foreign investment
A recent survey of 142 multinationals based outside of ASEAN nations, found that 57% of them have strategies in place to take advantage of the investment attractiveness within ASEAN member countries.
Of most interest to 62% of these multinationals is the tariff reductions on most goods and services to between 0-5%.
Multinationals with the highest interest and plans for future investment in ASEAN were from Japan and South Korea, followed by the US and Germany. In terms of industries, the highest interest and plans for future investment were from multinationals involved in the automotive industry, followed by electronics, clothing & footwear and telecommunications.
April 12
HEALTHCARE
Thailand: Pregnancy & Booster Jabs
In recent months Thailand’s COVID-19 vaccination program has seen a reduction in the number of people receiving booster vaccinations, with increasing hesitancy developing, especially amongst younger to middle aged adults.
As part of a market research project investigating attitudes towards ongoing COVID-19 vaccination, specifically boosters, currently pregnant women were one of the population segments focussed on, investigating their attitudes towards booster vaccinations. It was found that 92% of the currently pregnant women had received both initial COVID-19 vaccinations and of these women, 43% had received the first booster vaccination.
However, only 12% of those who had not received the first booster vaccination, intend to have it before their baby is born. The main reasons given for not wishing to receive the first booster vaccination while pregnant were: belief that it may be harmful to their baby; advised not to have it by family or friends and a belief that it is not necessary.
The survey used a methodology where where a nationwide sample of 1,500 women who were in their 2nd or 3rd trimester.
May 21
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Australia's shortage of IT professionals
Our analysis of the Australian IT industry has found that there is currently a shortage of 17,500 suitably qualified IT professionals throughout Australia.
Forecasting, we found that by late 2023 the shortage will increase to 22,000. The number of students studying IT at Australian universities is far below industry demand and it appears that the temporary skilled migrant visa scheme will continue to make up much of the shortfall.
June 2
LOGISTICS & TRANSPORTATION
Customers in Australia prefer Uber
A recent survey we undertook of 750 taxi and Uber customers in Australia's three largest cities Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane found that the Uber is preferred for several reasons.
Firstly, cost, where Uber fares were 19% less than comparable taxi fares. Secondly, waiting times, where Uber drivers arrived on average 3 minutes quicker than taxi's. Thirdly, the overall experience including the cleanliness of the car and friendliness of the driver was reported better with Uber by 68% of customers.
June 23
MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
Streaming Video on Demand in Asia
Throughout many countries in Asia, Streaming Video on Demand (SVOD) services are growing quickly to cater to local consumers.
In a recent market analysis project, APMI Partners found there are 37 significant SVOD providers in South East Asia and 51 in North East Asia. Local content such Bollywood films in India and local soap operas in South Korea is the main subscription driver, followed by cost, where prices are as low as US$1.70 per month are affordable to large numbers. International services such as Netflix will find it difficult to gain significant market share in these countries without offering local content and drastically reducing prices for local consumers.
May 18
NOT FOR PROFIT
Indonesia tops the most corrupt country
For the third consecutive year, Indonesia has been found to be the most corrupt country in the Asia Pacific.
Our survey of individuals, businesses and organisations throughout 17 countries found that corruption has remained the same in Indonesia over the last 12 months despite government efforts to reduce it.
The largest decrease of 4%, was in Vietnam, followed by a 3% decrease in China. In terms of the least corrupt countries, New Zealand remains at the top for the second consecutive year, followed by Japan and then Singapore.
April 14
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Outsourcing experiencing rapid growth
The outsourcing of professional services, namely accounting, financial, legal and engineering from developed to developing countries is continuing to experience rapid growth throughout the Asia Pacific region.
In a recent study, we found that in 2020 outsourced accounting services in the Philippines grew by 14%, largely coming from Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. In 2021 the growth rate had slowed due to the pandemic to 7% compared to 2020.
However, in 2023 high growth rates are expected to return, for example the outsourcing of engineering services to India is forecast to increase by 12% in 2023 compared to 2022.
June 6
PROPERTY & REAL ESTATE
Chinese money slows into Australia
The boom in the housing market of Australia's largest cities, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, has been attributable mainly to a long period of record low interest rates and a supply shortage, in addition to significant investment by foreign buyers, principally from China.
However, the interest from Chinese buyers slowed considerably in the last 12 months, predominately due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns continuing in China.
A recent market analysis study has found that during the last 12 months, there has been a 39% decrease in Chinese investors buying new and off-the-plan properties compared to 2019 before the pandemic.
The main reasons found for the decline are the increasing difficulty for Chinese investors getting their money out of China and decreased personal wealth due to the property downturn within China.
May 17
RETAIL
Japan's premium dog food sales increase
Sales of premium dog food increased 9% in 2022 and is forecast to increase by 11% in 2023.
The main drivers are consumers becoming more aware of their dog's nutritional needs, concerns regarding the quality and nutrition of standard dog food and a larger number of premium brands being introduced into the market.
In terms of retail channels, 51% of premium dog food sales are through online retailers and this is expected to reach 57% by late 2023.
June 20
SPORT
Unmet demand for major sporting events
Attendances at major sporting events across Asia were increasing strongly prior to COVID-19 and our recent market analysis has found that there will be significant unmet demand in many countries over the next 5 years.
For example, in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, there is unmet monthly demand of 140,000 and 125,000 potential spectators for major sporting events such as international football matches.
June 13
telecommunications
Mobile Internet growth in Bangladesh
The mobile phone market in Bangladesh has experienced slowing growth over the last 12 months as a result of market penetration reaching 133 million users out of the population of 164.6 million.
However, our recent market sizing and growth forecasting of the market found that mobile Internet is quickly becoming the driver of current and future growth. With 63 million current mobile Internet users at present, we forecast this to increase to 90 million by the the end of 2023, with mobile Internet users on average spending 1.9 times more than mobile users who do not access the Internet.
April 6
trAVEL & TOURISM
Tourists want to go back to Bhutan
Bhutan, the small Kingdom in the Eastern Himalayas has always been a difficult destination to get to for tourists, both geographically and in lieu of the limits on the number of visas granted and other controls such as the need to travel as part of a planned, prepaid tour package.
For those who do make it to what is called the happiest country in the world, many want to return again.
Earlier this year we undertook 250 exit interviews amongst tourists who were departing the country after a holiday and found that 71% would like to return again. The survey also found that 77% believed it was the most unique country they had ever visited and 86% said it was the best holiday destination they had ever been to.
June 2