Sales research and market expertise from GfK Asia

GfK Asia, a GfK Retail and Technology company, has over 25 years of experience providing reliable retail and technology market data in Asia. Our analysts track a broad range of consumer products, technical consumer equipment, optical products and gaming software. We are also active in the automotive sector.

Based in Singapore, GfK Asia offers extensive coverage in:

Latest News:

Food preparation appliances becoming increasingly popular with Singaporean households: GfK

20 May 2013, SINGAPORE – Walk into a kitchen in Singapore and you are likely to find one or more food preparation appliances such as liquidizer, hand mixer, hand blender, chopper, food processor or kitchen machines. According to latest retail sales tracking report from GfK, such tools have been rising in take-up over the last four years, with the latest 12 months registering an increased sales volume of nearly 13,500 over the previous year. MORE

Smartphones continue to drive vibrant performance of mobile phone sector in Southeast Asia: GfK

17 May 2013, SINGAPORE – Consumers in Southeast Asian markets continue to snap up mobile handsets at a rapid pace, propelling the region’s overall mobile phone market to expand further in the latest 12 months by 14 percent in value and 8 percent in units. Declining demand for basic feature phones are met by the corresponding spike in smartphone sales as consumers forked out almost USD 3.4 billion more on over 16 million units more smartphones compared to the previous year. MORE

Passenger car tire sales in Malaysia’s central region rises to nearly 1.2 million pieces in first quarter of 2013: GfK

13 May, 2013, KUALA LUMPUR – Rising affluence and car ownership has created a strong demand for passenger car tires in Malaysia’s booming central region. Latest GfK retail audit report showed that sales of passenger car tires in the high traffic states of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor have been rising consecutively in the last two years, with the first quarter of this year reporting a surge of 14.6 percent over the same period in 2012. MORE

Global consumers are concerned about green issues but more than half unaware of how they can help: GfK

8 May 2013, SINGAPORE – All over the world, much has been said and reported about green issues and the impact of climate change over the years. Latest Green Gauge Global findings by GfK has revealed that over 7 in 10 consumers globally as well as in the Asia Pacific region are concerned about environmental pollution and a similar proportion (67 percent) view global warming as a concern. MORE

Vietnamese consumers spent nearly USD1.14 billion on 3.5 million units of air-conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines in the past 12 months: GfK

3 May 2013, HO CHI MINH – In the past 12 months, households in Vietnam have been spending more on household appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines. GfK retail audit in Vietnam revealed a significant growth in their combined overall market value by 14 percent over the previous year, albeit a slightly lower volume demand of 2 percent. MORE

Vietnam’s Mekong River Delta is home to nearly 6,300 crop protection stores: GfK

29 April 2013, HO CHI MINH –Mekong River Delta is one of  the most intensive rice production region in Asia, churning out some 22.4 million tonnes (2011) or over half the country’s rice needs. The latest retail census findings from GfK Vietnam reveal the existence of around 6,300 stores selling crop protection products in Mekong River Delta contributing to this rice production.  MORE

Southeast Asian consumers spending more on and buying more small domestic appliances: GfK

23 April 2013, SINGAPORE – The Small Domestic Appliances (SDA) market in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand in the last 12 months totaled more than USD 804 million, expanding by nearly 6 percent in value compared to the same period a year ago. According to GfK retail audit findings, this value growth is a result of consumers buying nearly 1.6 million more small household appliances such as food preparation appliances, irons, rice cookers and vacuum cleaners compared to the previous year. MORE

Digital still cameras with Wi-Fi capabilities gaining grounds in Southeast Asia, making up nearly one in five sold: GfK

4 April 2013, SINGAPORE – The proliferation of social media along with rising popularity for Internet-connected devices has hit another electronic gadget which is seeing surging adoption across the region. In the last two years, digital still cameras with Wi-Fi capabilities have been enjoying brisk sales in Southeast Asia, registering nearly two fold value growth in the span of a year, as reported by recent GfK findings. MORE

More than 5000 home improvement supplies stores are located across Indonesia’s eight key cities: GfK

26 March 2013, JAKARTA – Rapid urbanization and a stabilized economic situation in the world’s fourth most populous country have been encouraging factors which have spurred population migration to the big cities in recent years. The increased number of dwellings has been key to the subsistence of some 5000 stores supplying home improvement materials to consumers across Indonesia’s eight major cities of Indonesia—Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, Medan, Banjarmasin, Makassar, and Denpasar. MORE

Contact Lens market across six Asian countries reached USD 846 million in 2012: GfK

22 March 2013, SINGAPORE – Contact lens users in the six key markets of China, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore bought more contact lenses in 2012 to fuel growth of the market by nearly seven percent over the previous year. According to GfK Asia’s findings for 2012, South Korea is the biggest contact lens market in the region in terms of value of garnered contact lens sales, accounting for nearly two-fifth (38%) of this total worth, followed by Taiwan at 20 percent. MORE

More than 11 million liters of car engine oil sold in Jakarta and Surabaya: GfK

11 March 2013, JAKARTA – Cars in the main Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Surabaya consumed nearly 11.7 million liters of car engine oil in the full year of 2012. GfK Indonesia’s retail audit of car engine oil reported the open market channel to be worth around USD 61.3 million last year. MORE

Three in five Southeast Asia markets showed strong growth in technical consumer goods market in 2012 Q4: GfK

6 March, 2013, SINGAPORE – Technical consumer goods (TCG) in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand continue to expand in the fourth consecutive quarter of 2012, making them the three fastest growing markets in the region with their robust growth of 15, 15 and 12 percent respectively in the full year of 2012. MORE

Festive buying drove up demand for technical consumer goods in Singapore: GfK

28 February, 2013, SINGAPORE – December is usually boom time for manufacturers and retailers as consumers shop and buy more than the usual month, thanks to the year-end festivities. Latest GfK report for Technical Consumer Goods (TCG) in Singapore revealed record breaking sales for a number of key categories, including tablets, smartphones, Blu-ray players, digital cameras, shavers and epilators—which all registered their highest monthly volume sales in the last month of 2012. MORE

Almost three-quarter of flat panel TVs sold in Vietnam today is an LED TV: GfK Vietnam

22 February, 2013, HO CHI MINH – LED TVs are readily being adopted and growing in prevalence in Vietnam. Rising awareness and technological sophistication of consumers in the developing market have been heightening demand for this TV type, which sold over 730,000 units in 2012, representing a 176 percent surge in volume sales compared to the previous year. MORE

Hong Kong consumers increasingly turning to apps on their tablets: GfK Hong Kong

20 February, 2013, HONG KONG— Rising adoption of smart devices have enticed increasing numbers of app producers to create useful or fun apps that appeal to users. A recent iPanel study conducted by GfK Hong Kong revealed interesting tablet apps usage and behavioral patterns among consumers in Hong Kong. MORE

Double digit growth momentum continues for major domestic appliances sector in Southeast Asia in 2012: GfK Asia

18 February, 2013, SINGAPORE – The rising affluence of contrasting ends of consumers is stimulating sales of major domestic appliances in Southeast Asia. This mix in consumer development has grown the total market worth of the washers, air-conditioners, refrigerators and microwave ovens by a healthy 13 percent in 2012 over the previous year. MORE

Malaysian consumers bought over 800,000 tablets in 2012: GfK Malaysia

7 February, 2013, KUALA LUMPUR – The uptrend in tablet adoption saw around 823,000 units of the gadget being snapped up by consumers in Malaysia in 2012, reflecting a whopping growth of 87 percent or 384,000 units more compared to 2011. According to the latest data from GfK Malaysia, the total worth of the tablet industry in the country during the twelve months reached USD415 million. MORE

Soaring sales of mobile devices pave way for shopper mobility insights by GfK

6 February 2013, KUALA LUMPUR – Smart device penetration is booming in Southeast Asia, especially in the six key markets tracked by GfK—Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines. According to latest GfK report, sales volume of tablets doubled across the region in 2012, while demand for smartphones continued to grow, surging by 50 percent in volume over 2011. MORE

Consumers in Hong Kong multi-task with tablets: GfK Hong Kong

4 February, 2013, HONG KONG— Tablet devices have become one of the fastest growing technologies in recent times, with GfK Hong Kong retail audit data reflecting heightening adoption rate in the country. Sales of this device have been on the uptrend, hitting 1.9 million units in 2012—over 44 percent more compared to the previous year. MORE

Portable video games console increases volume share in Taiwan’s video games hardware market: GfK

31 January, 2013, TAIPEI – Avid video gamers in Taiwan spent USD 69 million on nearly 265,000 units of home and portable video game consoles in 2012. The latest insights on the video games entertainment market from GfK Taiwan showed that on-the-go gaming is gaining popularity in the country, driven largely by new product launches last year which managed to stimulate the sales of portable consoles. MORE

Indonesian consumers bought nearly USD 600 million worth of small domestic appliances in 2012: GfK Indonesia

29 January 2013, Jakarta – The developing economy of Indonesia is going through an upgrading phase where consumers are switching to newer, better and more expensive technologies. Households in the world’s fourth largest country are buying more of and upgrading their small domestic appliances such as rice cookers, vacuum cleaners, blenders, irons and electric fans, etc contributing to sales of over 24 million units worth USD595 million in 2012. MORE

Demand for flat screen TV continues to surge across Southeast Asia

22 January, 2013, SINGAPORE – The constant evolution and innovation in the world of TV technology have been successfully fueling consumer demand and driving consistent growth in the industry over the last few years. In the Southeast Asia region, flat panel TVs have continued to register a surge in demand in 2012, selling over 8.3 million units in the first eleven months of the year and reflecting a 26 percent volume growth over the previous year. MORE

Global consumers increasingly seek value, instant access to goods, services

11 January, 2013, SINGAPORE – As digital technology has become more prevalent globally, it has become a key driver of consumer trends, greatly influencing expectations, attitudes, behaviors and values. A recent GfK global study uncovered two key findings -- the growing importance consumers place on "instant, convenient access” and "best value” in goods and services. MORE

Consumers in key Chinese cities increasingly buying baby care products on the Internet: GfK

3 January, 2013, HONG KONG – China’s productive population is giving birth to approximately 17 million babies annually and this, backed by rapid urbanization as well as fast rising personal income are contributing to the strong sales performance of baby care products in the country. The GfK baby care panel showed that the market across ten key Chinese cities tracked , including Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou etc., reached over USD425 million in total value in 2011, having expanded 16 percent over the previous year, and is expected to grow even further in 2012. MORE

Nearly USD557 million worth of IT hardware sold in Indonesia’s corporate market in last six months :  GfK Indonesia

10 December, 2012, JAKARTA – Corporations in Indonesia spent around USD557 million on some 1,150,000 units of IT hardware during the six month period from April to September 2012. According to latest GfK Indonesia results across four major IT product groups—desktop PC, laptop, monitor, and printer, the corporate sector constitute a substantial 44 and 32 percent in sales value and volume to the total IT market in the country. MORE

One in ten consumers across eight key Asia Pacific markets actively engages in social networking: GfK

6 December, 2012, SINGAPORE – New research from GfK shows that 23 percent of today’s most digitally savvy people live in the Asia Pacific region. These ‘Super Connected’ APAC consumers are distinguished by unusually high engagement with social media – global sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as regional networks.  MORE

Three in five of Southeast Asia’s key technical consumer goods markets registered growth in third quarter of 2012: GfK Asia

26 November, 2012, SINGAPORE – The developing markets of Indonesia and Malaysia continue to turn in strong results in their technical consumer goods (TCG) sector consecutively quarters after quarters. Along with Thailand, these three countries are the three strongest performing markets across Southeast Asia in the third quarter, turning in overall positive showings in the range of 9 to 14 percent. MORE

Southeast Asia’s laptop and tablet markets expand further as  consumers buy 1.8 million more of such devices in first three quarters of 2012 :  GfK Asia

Singapore, 22 November 2012 – Convenience, portability, and connectivity take center stage in today’s fast pace society where mobile Internet devices such as laptops and tablets continue to see surge in demand and experience exponential growth. In January to September this year, consumers across six key markets in Southeast Asia spent over USD4.72 billion on nearly 8.8 million tablets and laptops, reflecting a substantial growth of 12 percent in value and 26 percent in volume compared to the same period last year. MORE

Over one in two TV sets sold in Vientiane in last six months is a flat screen TV : GfK

Bangkok, 19 November 2012 – Consumers in one of the lesser developed TV markets in Southeast Asia, Laos, is slowly but surely transitioning from purchasing the traditional CRT TVs to the more advanced flat panel TVs. According to GfK findings for TV sales in Vientiane for the last six months, the third quarter of this year saw an apparent 20 percent increase in overall share of the flat panel TV segment from the 47 percent reported in the previous quarter. MORE

Nearly 60,000 air treatment appliances sold in Singapore in last twelve months: GfK Singapore

Singapore, 31 October 2012 – Consumers in Singapore concerned about air quality have spent almost USD 13 million on 59,100 units of air treatment appliances in the last twelve months. According to the latest GfK Asia retail audit data for the air treatment category, local consumers are forking out money on such products which average in the low range of USD114 for air humidifiers to as high as USD422 for dehumidifiers. MORE

Contact lens market across Asia, Europe and the US continue to expand with Asia being fastest growing region: GfK

Hong Kong, 29 October 2012 – Global demand for contact lens remains strong with a consistent upward growth in market value registered in the three regions of US, Europe and Asia. A recent GfK contact lens retail audit report for these regions revealed sustained single-digit expansion across the board in the 12 month period from July 2011 to June 2012. MORE

GfK launches the first syndicated magazine advertising effectiveness measurement tool in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, 18 October 2012 – GfK Hong Kong launched its magazine advertising tracking tool, GfK StarchMetrix, and recently announced the findings from its first wave of measurement. The GfK StarchMetrix is a syndicated study which provides ad effectiveness evaluation on 11 major monthly and weekly magazines, covering four major product categories: Cosmetics & Beauty, Skin Care & Body Care, Fashion & Accessories and Jewelry & Watches. MORE

Hong Kong consumers spent nearly USD10 million on food preparation appliances this year: GfK Hong Kong

Hong Kong, 16 October 2012 – Hong Kong is known for its fast-paced lifestyle and small homes and kitchens as a result of high population density—key factors attributed for the low frequency of home cooking in the country. Nonetheless, demand for small domestic appliances here has surged in the first eight months of this year to turn in robust growth of more than 23 percent in value and nearly 14 percent in volume. MORE

GfK launches NIS and GeoMarketing services in Vietnam to provide mobile data consumption and Geospatial intelligence: GfK Vietnam

Hanoi, 10 October 2012 –  As mobile phone penetration rate in Vietnam hit an all-time high of 108 percent of the population and with 7.3 million 3G subscribers, the need for mobile operators and the media industry to understand subscriber mobile data consumption preferences becomes more important than ever. It is now possible to capture and easily access these valuable insights with the GfK’s Network Intelligence Solution (GfK NIS) service which will be introduced to network operators in Vietnam in October 2012.  MORE

Adoption of Internet-enabled TVs in the Philippines doubled within a year: GfK Philippines

Philippines, 3 October 2012 – The developing country of Philippines continues its rapid pace of upgrading from the traditional CRT TVs to the newer flat screen technology with the latest high tech functions. According to GfK Philippines findings, flat panel TV is today the key product category driving growth of the consumer electronics sector with its 55 percent value growth registered in the first seven months of the year. MORE

Over seven in ten TV sets sold in Singapore in first seven months of this year are LED TVs: GfK Singapore

Singapore, 24 September 2012 – The latest TV technologies are gaining grounds among tech savvy consumers in Singapore who spent a total of nearly USD174 million on some 264,000 units of TV sets in the first seven months of this year. GfK Singapore latest insights on TV sales in the local market showed substantial increase in sales of the most advanced screen display type—LED TVs, as well as those with recently introduced features like Internet-connection and 3-D capability. MORE

Southeast Asia‘s mobile phones market grew by 24 percent in volume over the last 12 months: GfK Asia

Singapore, 17 September 2012 – High consumer demand for smartphones and basic feature phones in Southeast Asia’s fast developing markets continue to drive buoyant performances in the mobile phone sector. In the last twelve month, sales of over 118 million units across the seven key markets in the region—Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines brought the total worth of the mobile phone sector to more almost USD13.7 billion, according to the latest results from GfK Asia. MORE

Car engine oil market in Jakarta and Surabaya worth nearly USD31 million in first half of 2012: GfK Indonesia

13 September 2012, Jakarta – Car owners in high traffic Jakarta and Surabaya used around 5.9 million liters of engine oil in the first half year of 2012. Latest GfK Indonesian retail audit report for passenger car engine oil registered overall sales of the mineral and synthetic car lubricant market in these two major Indonesian cities to be approximately USD 30.9 million during this six month period.  MORE

Major domestic appliances in Southeast Asia record demand surge in first half of 2012: GfK Asia

6 September, 2012, Singapore – Southeast Asian consumers are not only buying more of, but are also upgrading to bigger, better and more technologically-advanced major domestic appliances (MDA). According to GfK Asia’s first half year retail audit report for 2012, total sales volume of washing machines, air conditioners, refrigerators and microwave ovens registered an increment of 19 percent across the six key Southeast Asian markets tracked. MORE

GfK Philippines appoints new Retail Director

Manila, 5 September 2012, – GfK Philippines today announced the appointment of Ms. Mary Margaret Co Martinez as the company’s new retail director, with immediate effect. MORE

GfK to be a gold sponsor at RadioFest 2012

Sydney, 3 September 2012— GfK, one of the leading global market research firms, today announced their sponsorship at the upcoming RadioFest, to be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre on 12-13 October. MORE

Over 1 million desktop computers and laptops worth USD613 million sold in first half of 2012:  GfK Thailand

Bangkok, 3 September 2012 – A total of over 628,000 laptops and 392,000 desktop computers were sold to consumers and businesses across Thailand in the first six months of 2012, taking the combined market worth to approximately USD612.8 million. GfK’s recent findings showed that the B2B market in Thailand account for 23 percent in volume sales and contribute nearly 28 percent to the overall worth of these two IT products. MORE

Luxury watches gaining market share across Great Britain, Germany and the Netherlands: GfK

31 August, 2012, Hong Kong – Luxury watches appear to be a thriving market winning over more and more of the consumer dollar. The latest GfK retail audit for watches in Germany, Great Britain, and the Netherlands indicated a general trend towards rising market value of the watch industry in the first half of 2012 over the same period last year. MORE

Retailers in Kerala anticipate demand surge for consumer durables in months leading to festive season: GfK India

New Delhi, 27 August 2012 — The festivities leading up to Onam has been uplifting the mood of retailers in the state of Kerala as they anticipate a spike in consumer spending on durables in the next couple of months. This is in accordance to the report of a survey recently conducted by GfK among 500 durable retailers to evaluate the general industry sentiments during the festive period. MORE

Technical consumer goods in five Southeast Asian countries register positive performances in second quarter of 2012: GfK Asia

24 August, 2012, SINGAPORE – Five major markets across Southeast Asia—Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam exhibited positive showings in their technical consumer goods sector in the second quarter of 2012. According to the latest GfK TEMAX reports, Malaysia turned in the highest growth of 17 percent in revenue, while the rest of the markets also managed to grow between 2 to 8 percent in value over last year. MORE

Vacuum cleaner is best perfoming segment in first half year’s sustained performance of the small domestic appliances sector: GfK Asia

17 August, 2012, Singapore – The small domestic appliances (SDA) sector in five key Southeast Asia markets garnered almost USD 383 million in revenue through sales of over 14.5 million units of food preparation equipment, irons, rice cookers and vacuum cleaners in the first six months of 2012. According to GfK Asia, the sector in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam managed a sustained overall performance from last year’s results during the same period. MORE

GfK Asia announces new General Manager for Malaysia office

Singapore, 7 August, 2012, – Global leading market research company, GfK today announced the appointment of Selinna Chin as general manager, GfK Malaysia with immediate effect. MORE

Demand for audio docks up by 18 percent across four Southeast Asian markets this year: GfK Asia

Singapore, 24 July 2012—As smartphone penetration level continues to deepen across the region, sales of audio docks have similarly been on the upswing, reflecting a considerable rise in demand. According to GfK Asia’s retail audit of audio docks across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, a total of 66,000 units were sold in January to May 2012, nearly 10,000 more compared to the same period in 2011. MORE

One in every three mobile phones sold in the Philippines is a smartphone: GfK Philippines

16 July, 2012, Manila – Increasing affordability of smartphones has been propelling the strong growth of the sector in the Philippines, rendering the country one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the emerging Southeast Asia region. In the first five months of this year, almost 1.7 million units of smartphones have already been sold, translating to more than five times the volume sales from the same period last year. MORE

Air conditioner demand in Vietnam register 22 percent spurt in the first five months of 2012: GfK Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh, 9 July 2012—Following the lackluster performance of air conditioner sales last year due largely to restrained spending as a result of high inflation, it appears that consumers in Vietnam are now ready to loosen their purse strings once again, if the latest GfK Vietnam report on air con sales is any indication. According to the leading global market research company, nearly 76,000 more air con units were snapped up in the first five months of this year over the same period last year, signifying a substantial 22 percent spike in sales. MORE

Consumers in Singapore spent nearly USD 12 million on garment care appliances: GfK Singapore

Singapore, 5 July 2012—Removing creases from clothes and fabrics is a multi-million industry with Singapore’s consumers spending over USD11.5 million on garment care appliances to do the much dreaded task. GfK Singapore retail audit of garment care appliances, namely iron and garment steamers revealed that irons continue to be the preferred choice of tool; making up 9 in 10 of these appliances sold in the last one year. MORE

Over 2.5 million replacement car tires sold in key cities across four developing markets in Southeast Asia in Q1 2012: GfK Asia

Singapore, 28 June 2012—Demand for replacement car tire markets in the major cities of four emerging markets of Southeast Asia saw a surge of 14 percent in demand in the first quarter of this year over the previous quarter. GfK retail tracking of replacement car tires across bustling cities* in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand where vehicle ownership is highest reported some 2,557,600 car tires being replaced in the first three months of the year. MORE

Over 1.2 million flat panel television sets sold in Malaysia in the last 12 months: GfK Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, 26 June 2012—Malaysians are buying more television sets and a gradually growing proportion are reaching for those that come enhanced with LED backlit or Internet connectivity features, or even a combination of both, according to GfK Malaysia. Retail audit findings by the global leading market research company revealed these emerging trends in the fast growing USD629 million Malaysian TV market which registered 50 percent in volume and 17 percent in value growth in the last 12 months. MORE

Global Demand for Lightweight Notebooks Surged by 248 Percent in First Quarter: GfK

Taipei, 9 June 2012—Sleek and stylish notebooks are all the rage nowadays and according to GfK, global demand for ultra-thin notebooks has been seeing consistent uptrend in the last four consecutive quarters which sold over 1.2 million units worldwide. Defined as notebooks 2 centimetres or less in thickness and weigh less than 1.5 kilograms, latest findings revealed over half a million of such devices worth nearly USD1.4 billion being snapped up in the first quarter of 2012 alone.  MORE

Strong Demand for DSLR and Compact System Cameras Propel Overall Growth of Digital Camera Market in Last Twelve Months: GfK Asia

SINGAPORE, 7 June 2012—Digital single lens reflex (DSLR) and compact system cameras, also known as mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera continue to be the driving force behind the growth of Southeast Asia’s digital camera industry, which attained a value of USD 512 million in the last 12 months. Latest digital camera retail audit report by GfK Asia on the six key countries of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines revealed that although compact cameras still dominate the region’s overall camera market, considerable surges in demand continue to be seen in the other two higher priced segments. MORE

Mounting Penetration of Internet Mobile Devices Drives Uptake of Mobile Tariff Subscriptions in Taiwan in First Quarter 2012: GfK Taiwan

Taipei, 5 June 2012—The first three months of this year saw a robust market for mobile subscriptions in Taiwan, according to recent findings by GfK Taiwan. Latest reports by the global leading market research company showed that voice only subscription plans still has a good take-up rate of 48 percent, followed closely by data and voice bundled subscription plans, which formed 46 percent of the total mobile tariff contracts pie. Data only plans had the lowest share of 6 percent.  MORE

Nearly 32,000 more Tablets Sold in First Quarter of 2012 compared to Previous Quarter: GfK Indonesia

Jakarta, 31 May, 2012 – Eager tech consumers in Indonesia snapped up some 704,000 tablets worth more than USD385 million in the last twelve months, according to recent GfK Indonesia reports. Surging demand fuelled strong tablet sales over the last four consecutive quarters, with latest January to March 2012 period reaching 277,000 units sold. MORE

Malaysia and Vietnam continue to Head Growth of the Southeast Asia’s Technical Consumer Goods Market in First Quarter of 2012: GfK Asia

29 May, 2012, SINGAPORE – The developing economies of Malaysia and Indonesia were the two key growth markets across Southeast Asia registering strong first quarter growth in the Technical Consumer Goods (TCG) market. While the rest of the region, namely Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam turned in stabilized performances in quarter one this year; Malaysia and Indonesia continued its growth spurts, reporting healthy 32 and 15 percent value growth over the same period last year. MORE

Small Domestic Appliances in Five Key Southeast Asian Markets Totaled USD135 Million in First Quarter 2012:  GfK Asia

SINGAPORE, 25 May 2012—Over 4.6 million units of small domestic appliances including food preparation appliances, irons, rice cookers and vacuum cleaners were sold in the five key Southeast Asian countries of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam  in the first three months of this year. MORE

GfK integrates Global Brand and Consumer Experience practice

Nuremberg, 23 May, 2012 – GfK, one of the world’s largest market research organizations, today announced the formation of a new global practice to help marketing professionals better understand and proactively manage the dynamics of any consumer experience with their brands. MORE

IT Corporate Market in Malaysia Exceed USD 75 Million in Value in First Quarter of 2012:  GfK Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, 23 May, 2012 – Nearly 120,000 units of IT hardware—laptops, desktop computers, monitors, and printers were sold in the corporate IT market in Malaysia within the first three months of the year, bringing the value of the B2B IT market of the country to USD 75.5 million. MORE

Blu-ray Technology on the Rise across Southeast Asia with 51 Percent Growth Registered in Sales Volume in First Quarter 2012:  GfK Asia

SINGAPORE, 21 May, 2012 – The Consumer Electronics (CE) sector in five Southeast Asia countries of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam registered a slight volume growth of two percent in the first quarter of 2012 over the same period last year. Overall growth in the sector was driven mainly by heightened sales in LED TVs which fuelled increase in overall TV sales volume by 39 percent, as well as the proliferation of Blu-ray technology across all markets. MORE

First Quarter Smartphone Sales Raked in over USD255 Million in Thailand:  GfK Thailand

BANGKOK, 16 May, 2012 – Thailand’s rapidly expanding smartphone market in the first quarter of this year recorded nearly 70 percent growth since a year ago, according to GfK Thailand’s retail audit findings comparing smartphones quarter on quarter revenue performances. The heightened consumer demand has brought about a surge in sales volume of this popular gadget by over 80 percent to reach 758,000 smartphones sold in the first three months of 2012. MORE

Taiwanese Bought Over a Million More Sports Shoes in 2011: GfK Taiwan

2 May, 2012, Taipei – Governmental efforts to promote healthy living through regular exercises appears to be bearing fruit, if performance of the sports shoe market is any indication. Demand for sports shoe last year registered a 25 and 16 percent jump in value and volume respectively, bringing the total sales of sports shoes in Taiwan to exceed 8.5 million pairs, and market value to reach USD 488 million in 2011. MORE

Combined  Worth of Tablet Industry in Six Emerging  Economies in Southeast Asia Reached USD 962 Million in 2011: GfK Asia

Singapore, 2 May, 2012 – Tablet frenzy has hit Southeast Asia’s developing countries with technology lovers there having snapped up more than 1.6 million tablets over the twelve month span of 2011. According to GfK retail tracking of tablet sales in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, five out of these six countries registered consistent expansion over each previous quarter, with Indonesia seeing an almost twofold unit sales growth in quarter four. MORE

Aftermath of Thailand Flood Sees Demand for Tablets and TVs Jump While other Major Electronic Products Declined in Quarter One: GfK Thailand

Bangkok, 30 April, 2012 – Thailand’s worst flood which hit last year brought tremendous impact to millions of lives and businesses, and even in its aftermath, signs of its devastating effects still linger. At the peak of the disaster which occurred in the month of November, volume sales of products including audio home system, televisions, washing machines, air conditioners and laptops nosedived by at least 25 percent compared to the previous month. MORE

Boom Times Continue as Southeast Asia’s Smartphone Market Value Expands by 62 Percent in Quarter One 2012: GfK Asia

Singapore, April 26, 2012 – The growth momentum of Southeast Asia’s smartphone market continues rapidly with all seven key markets tracked by GfK in the region reporting a total of nearly 7.7 million units worth almost USD 2.4 billion being snapped up in the first three months of 2012. According to GfK Asia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, and Cambodia registered spikes in demand for smartphones in the range of 40 to 400 percent more over the same period last year. MORE

Cosmetic Contact Lens on the Rise and Gaining Grounds Among Malaysians: GfK Malaysia

 

Kuala Lumpur, April 23, 2012 – Malaysia’s beauty contact lens market is fast catching up with developed countries in the region such as Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, which are all exhibiting similar upward trending in the sales of these beauty accessories. GfK retail tracking reported Malaysians spending a total of nearly USD 55 million on contact lenses in 2011, of which 28 percent was contributed by the beauty segment. MORE

Taiwan’s Retail PC Market Continues to Expand with over 1.6 Million Laptops and Desktops Sold in 2011: GfK Taiwan

TAIPEI, April 18, 2012 – Continued demand for personal computers (PC) in 2011 managed to boost volume sales in Taiwan by 5 percent year on year, registering a total of 1.64 million laptops and desktops worth over USD1 billion being sold in the consumer market there. According to the recent findings from GfK Taiwan, consumers bought nearly 73,000 more units of PCs in 2011 compared to 2010, with positive market showings carrying on into the first two months of 2012. MORE

High Inflation Drive Value Growth of  Motorcycle Engine Oil Market in Vietnam’s two key cities to reach nearly USD 71 million in 2011: GfK Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh, April 5, 2012 – Vietnam’s double digit inflation has spiked oil prices significantly, propelling a significant 18 percent value growth in the overall motorcycle engine oil market in the country’s two major cities of Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi last year. MORE

Corporate Market in Vietnam Valued at over USD 23 million in January 2012:  GfK Vietnam

HO CHI MINH, March 28, 2012 – The month of January 2012 saw over 69,000 pieces of laptops, desktop computers, monitors, and printers being sold in Vietnam’s B2B market. When looking at the total worth of PC and printing devices in corporate Vietnam, laptops and desktop computer made up 40 and 41 percent of the B2B pie respectively. In volume terms however, the two highest selling products were monitors and desktop computers, each accounting for 31 percent. MORE

Demand for Tablets in Malaysia Quintupled over Last Three Quarters with Latest Quarter Sales Volume Reaching Over 260,000 : GfK Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, March 21, 2012 – With today’s hastened lifestyle where consumers are constantly on the move, portability and mobility of modern technology is more vital than ever. On top of this, the accessibility factor which allows today’s tech savvy users to constantly stay connected with the rest of the world at all times is another essential factor. These are some of the key reasons why tablets are selling like hotcakes, surging in sales by over fivefold (509%) in the last quarter of 2011 over the same period in 2010. MORE

GfK Asia Announces Appointment of Retail Specialist to Further Enhance Collaborative Efforts with Retailers in the Region

March 19, 2012, SINGAPORE – GfK Asia today announced the appointment of Lawrence Yeow as Director of Retail for APAC, Consumer Choices, with effect from 1 March, 2012. He will be based in Singapore. MORE

Contact Lens Industry Continues to Expand in Five Key Asian Markets to Achieve a New Value High of Over USD712 million: GfK Asia

Singapore, 13 March 2012 – The contact lens industry in Korea, Taiwan Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong continue to flourish, closing 2011 with an 11 percent registered growth in total sales revenue. According to GfK retail audit findings across these five countries, the two biggest contact lens markets of Korea and Taiwan were the key drivers in this region with their robust double-digit sales expansion in both unit and value terms over the previous year. MORE

Green Revolution Spurs Growth of Philippines’ Air Conditioner Market in 2011:  GfK Philippines

March 12, 2012, MANILA – Inverter air conditioners are slowly but surely gaining grounds in the developing economy of the Philippines, where consumers are predominantly still buying the traditional window type air-cons. In the recent 12 months, demand for inverter air-cons registered over a twofold surge from a year ago. MORE

Korea’s Smartphone Industry Hits USD5.4 billion Mark: GfK Korea

March 9, 2012, SEOUL – Riding high along with the global wave of smartphone frenzy is one of the world’s most technologically advanced and digitally connected country of South Korea. The ongoing smartphone boom saw the industry doubling in value in the last twelve months, selling nearly 400,000 units more than a year before; translating to an immense growth of 129 percent 55 percent in value and volume. MORE

Technical Consumer Goods in Indonesia and Malaysia Registered Substantial Growth of 28 and 25 percent in 2011: GfK Asia

March 7, 2012, SINGAPORE – 2011 was a relatively good year for the Technical Consumer Goods industry across Southeast Asia, with four out of the five key markets tracked achieving healthy value growth between 7 and 28 percent over the same period last year. MORE

Hong Kong Consumers Spent USD26 Million in Audio Home System in 2011: GfK Hong Kong

February 24, 2012, HONG KONG – When it comes to getting an audio home system, increasing number of households in Hong Kong do not seem to mind shelling out big bucks for top of the range technology. GfK Hong Kong’s retail audit of the Audio Home System (AHS) sector showed tremendous twofold growth in unit sales and 58 percent value increment in the more sophisticated, higher end 5.1 Home Theatre System with blu-ray segment, which is also the only key steering force behind the positive performance of the AHS sector in 2011. MORE

Robust Demand for Washing Machines Propels Major Domestic Appliances Industry to Achieve Double-Digit Growth in Southeast Asia in 2011: GfK Asia

February 17, 2012, SINGAPORE – Urbanization and higher purchasing power in developing economies have been boosting consumer demand for more major domestic appliances and contributing to the flourishing trade in Southeast Asia. GfK retail audit of air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines and microwave ovens across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines and Singapore reported over 17.5 million units of such appliances being sold in 2011, bringing the total value of Major Domestic Appliances (MDA) sector to USD4.95 billion—12 percent more than 2010. MORE

Coffee Craze Invades Korea with Coffee Machine Sales Hitting over USD 29 Million in 2011: GfK Korea

January 26, 2012, SEOUL – Coffee drinking has become so increasingly widespread in Korea that not only are international and local coffee franchises mushrooming across the country, coffee machines for home use are also enjoying brisk sales, according to GfK Korea. Retail audit reports from the leading global market research company revealed more than 300,000 units of such machines sold in Korea in 2011, nearly 82,000 more and a substantial 38 percent jump in volume sales as compared to the previous year. MORE 

Southeast Asian TV Industry Grew Nearly 14 Percent in First 11 months and is Expected to Exceed USD4.5 Billion in Value in 2011: GfK Asia

January 10, 2012, SINGAPORE – Lowering cost of the latest technologically advanced video display products have been driving increasing consumer spend in Southeast Asia’s television sector, which in the first 11 months of 2011 totaled nearly USD4 billion—a 14 percent growth versus the same period last year, reported leading global market research company GfK Asia. MORE

GfK Announces Appointment of Senior Executives in the Asia Pacific Region

January 5, 2012, SINGAPORE – With the launch of the company’s new global corporate strategy "Own the Future”, GfK, the fifth largest market research company in the world recently announced the appointment of several senior executives in the Asia Pacific region who will be taking on key roles commencing 1 January, 2012. MORE

Strong Demand for Small Domestic Appliances in Southeast Asia’s Five Key Markets Spurs Industry’s Double Digit Growth: GfK Asia

December 19, 2011, SINGAPORE – With only days left to close the year, it appears that 2011 is all set to be a good year for Southeast Asia’s Small Domestic Appliances (SDA) industry as monthly retail audit by GfK Asia has been consistently turning in positive showings each month. In the latest report which covers results for the first ten months of this year, the overall SDA market across Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam registered volume expansion of 13.6 percent over the same period last year, bringing its total value to date to USD446 million. MORE

Still Camera Industry Continues to Thrive with Total Worth of Southeast Asian Market Reaching Nearly USD891 Million in First Nine Months 2011: GfK Asia

December 6, 2011, SINGAPORE – Constant rejuvenation through the introduction of new technology and features have been injecting much excitement in the world of digital still cameras, spurring its continued upward growth. In the first nine months of this year, overall volume of digital still cameras sold across the Southeast Asian markets of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam hit 3.23 million units; 12 percent more compared to the same period last year. MORE

Technical Consumer Goods Industry in Thailand Affected by Flooding Situation: GfK Thailand

December 2, 2011, BANGKOK – The flooding situation that has hit Thailand in recent months has started showing an adverse effect on the overall technical consumer goods industry. As flood waters progressively travelled from the northern region southwards and inundated Central Thailand by October, increasing number of industrial estates and consumers became severely affected, causing direct impact on industrial production and consumer spending habits. MORE

Technical Consumer Goods in Three out of Five Key Southeast Asian Markets Registered Healthy Double Digit Growth in Sales in Third Quarter of 2011: GfK Asia

November 23, 2011, SINGAPORE – The Technical Consumer Goods industry achieved value growths between 7 and 30 percent in four of five major Southeast Asian markets in the third quarter of 2011 over the same period last year. According to leading global market research company GfK, all of the region's developing countries of Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia reported robust performances. MORE

The Retail Academy and GfK Asia Forms Partnership to Help Retailers in Singapore Succeed in the Industry

18 November 2011, SINGAPORE – The retail scene in Singapore and all over the world is evolving; rapidly changing along with shifting consumer preferences, globalization, advancing technology and business innovations. Retailers need to be equipped with quality information and actionable plans to succeed in this vibrant industry. MORE

Contact Lens Industry in Seven Key Asian Markets Expanded by 15 Percent to reach nearly USD615 Million in First Three Quarters of 2011: GfK Asia

November 15, 2011, SINGAPORE – Optics and eyewear is big business with an approximate global worth of USD93 billion, and nearly 11 percent is contributed by the contact lenses segment. In Asia, contact lens sales in seven key markets tracked by GfK have been registering consistent quarter-on-quarter growth in the first three quarters of 2011, with latest quarter sales hitting more than 131 million pieces and valued greater than USD211 million. MORE

New Favorite Smartphone Operating System Emerges in Southeast Asia in Third Quarter: GfK Asia

November 10, 2011, SINGAPORE – Consumers demand for smartphones in Southeast Asia is proving to be insatiable and showing no signs of slowing down. The smartphone industry across the key Southeast Asian markets of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Philippines continues to expand with third quarter findings from leading global market research company GfK reporting more than 4.7 million units worth nearly USD 1.5 billion being sold in July to September 2011. This is a reflection of volume and value growth by 9 percent and 6 percent respectively over quarter two, and over two fold increment when compared to the same period last year, at 120 percent and 109 percent. MORE

Digital Explosion Brings Exponential Growth in Global Consumer Technology Sector: GfK Asia

November 4, 2011, HANOI – Today’s era of digital revolution is bringing forth endless array of hi-tech products which are welcomed and embraced by consumers all over the world. Consumers worldwide are spending more and more on technical goods each year as manufacturers continue to introduce new and innovative gadgets. According to leading global market research company GfK, value of the global tech industry is forecasted to grow by six percent to hit over 668 billion euros in 2011. MORE

Rising Consumption of Mobile Technology Creates Greater Demand for More Sophisticated Headphones, Earphones, and Headsets: GfK Asia

September 29, 2011, SINGAPORE – Rapidly advancing technology has brought about increasing popularity of mobile tech gadgets; handy especially for today’s busy consumers constantly on the move. Along with the rise of portable devices like tablets, smart phones, MP3 players, etc, demand for accessories such as headsets and headphones have risen correspondingly. Leading global market research company GfK Asia who conducts retail audit of headphones, earphones and headsets reports key trends in these segments across major Southeast Asian markets. MORE

Proliferation of Internet Narrows Digital Divide Gap: GfK Asia

September 27, 2011, MANILA – The popularity of the Internet, along with the rise of digital convergence have created a wealth of potential for digital technology manufacturers. Whereas developed countries with high Internet penetration level have readily been embracing these new gadgets, the low penetration rate of big developing markets holds great possibility as the Internet continues to pervade and play a major role in consumers’ daily lives. MORE

Golf Club Market in South Korea Totaled Nearly USD180 million in First Half of the Year: GfK Korea

September 22, 2011, SEOUL – As a fast growing sport producing numerous world renowned star golfers, South Korea’s golfing industry is advancing rapidly as it continues to gain wide acceptance amongst local consumers. Even though it is often seen as a sport indulged only by the small elite population, GfK Korea’s retail audit of golf clubs recorded a massive USD 180 million worth of sales chalked up within the first six months of this year alone. MORE

Mobile Phone Industry in Vietnam Registers Boom amid Soaring Inflation: GfK Vietnam

September 12, 2011, Ho Chi Minh – Accelerating inflation has been plaguing Vietnam’s economy since the beginning of this year and driving up cost of living. However, despite cut-backs in general consumer spending, one area that continued to thrive is the mobile phone sector. According to leading global market research company GfK, the combined sales of smart phones and feature phones expanded by healthy double-digits of 27 percent in units and 21 percent in value in the first seven months of the year. MORE
 

Majority of Japanese lose confidence in nation's nuclear plant safety and are critical of handling of crisis

Nuremberg, September 1, 2011 – The earthquake, subsequent tsunami and the consequential nuclear disaster in Fukushima in March of this year have shaken Japan’s confidence in the safety of its power plants. According to the findings of a recent AP-GfK survey, there is also wide-ranging criticism of the way in which the crisis was handled and of the policies surrounding release of information to the public. Reconstruction and redevelopment of new energy sources are the most important objectives for the next decade as far as the population is concerned. However, nearly four in ten Japanese believe that the number of nuclear power plants should remain at their current level or be increased. MORE

Hong Kong Consumers Continues to Indulge in Technological Gadgets to Stay Well-Connected and Entertained On-the-Go: GfK Hong Kong

August 24, 2011, HONG KONG – High performance smart phones, the introduction of tablets and advancement in operating systems (OS) have brought the digital age out of the home. These technologically advanced gadgets are especially welcomed in today’s fast paced society of Hong Kong where consumers live life at an accelerated rate and crave for such mobility that allow them to stay updated, connected and entertained anytime, anywhere. MORE

Technical Consumer Goods in Four Key Southeast Asian Markets Continue to Grow in Second Quarter of 2011: GfK Asia

August 22, 2011, SINGAPORE – The Technical Consumer Goods industry in Southeast Asian’s developing markets continues on its upward curve in quarter two this year, according to the retail audit findings from leading global market research company, GfK. Its latest reports revealed that the four key developing markets in the region— Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia registered between 6 and 38 percent growth over the same time period last year. MORE

All-in-One Desktops Sustain Performance of Southeast Asia’s Overall Desktop PC Market: GfK Asia

August 17, 2011, SINGAPORE – In the face of strong competition presented by other form factors such as laptops, netbooks and tablets, the desktop market in Southeast Asia has managed to sustain its performance, driven primarily by the resurgence in popularity of the all-in-one (AIO) desktop. According to global leading market research company GfK who tracks desktop sales across Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, consumers bought nearly 800,000 units of desktop worth over USD488 million in the first six months of 2011; almost one in 10 of which was an all-in-one desktop. MORE

Contact Lens Industry in Singapore Valued at Nearly SGD35 Million in First Half of 2011: GfK Singapore

August 12, 2011, SINGAPORE – Nearly 11 million pieces of contact lenses worth SGD34.7 million were sold in Singapore in the first six months of this year. According to global leading market research company GfK, despite a general decline in overall contact lens sales of 5 percent in both value and quantity when compared to the same period last year, the cosmetic segment reported a surge in demand, reflecting 14 and 12 percent growth in value and quantity respectively. MORE

Consumers in Southeast Asia Bought over 6.3 Million TV Sets in first half of 2011: GfK Asia

August 8, 2011, SINGAPORE – The TV market in Southeast Asia expanded in the first six months of 2011 compared to the same period last year, with consumers in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam having spent over USD2.1 billion on 6.33 million units of TV. This reflects an overall industry growth of 16 and 11 percent respectively in value and volume terms, according to global leading market research company GfK Asia. MORE

Construction of New School Buildings Donated by GfK and SM Prime Holdings Completes

July 22, 2011, PHILIPPINES – The partnership between global market research leader GfK and retailer SM Prime Holdings to promote education development in the Philippines have crystallized with the opening of the two new school buildings at Dr Artemio Natividad Elementary School in Taguig City and Muntindilaw National High School in Antipolo city, constructed with each company’s donation of 3 million pesos. MORE

Washing Machine Sales Spur Growth of the Major Domestic Appliances Sector in Southeast Asia: GfK Asia

July 21, 2011, SINGAPORE – The robustness of the Major Domestic Appliances (MDA) industry in Southeast Asia brought in sales totaling more than USD2 billion in the first five months of 2011—a 10 percent growth compared to the same time period last year. The six key markets of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines reported over 7.2 million units of air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, and microwave ovens being sold since the beginning of the year.  MORE

GfK Group presents its new corporate strategy for a global and digital future

Nuremberg, June 30, 2011 – GfK, the fourth largest market research company in the world, will be operating under a new corporate strategy from January 1, 2012. This new strategy is designed to align with and take advantage of the transformations and innovations in the market research industry and the changing demands of clients in an increasingly global and digital world.  MORE

Consumers in Southeast Asia Bought Over 260,000 Tablets worth USD167 Million in First Four Months of this Year: GfK Asia

June 20, 2011, SINGAPORE – The launch of the tablet last year has taken the world by storm causing much excitement in the computing industry among both consumers and manufacturers alike. Shortly after the first of its kind—the IPad officially entered the market, consumers were snapping them up while manufacturers were coming up with new models with increasing number of new and advanced features. According to global leading market research company GfK Asia, some 261,000 tablets spanning almost ten brands were sold across seven Southeast Asian markets* from January to April this year. MORE

Consumer Electronics Post 17 Percent Value Growth across Southeast Asia during the First Quarter: GfK Asia

June 13, 2011, SINGAPORE – In today’s technologically-advanced society, tech-savvy and affluent consumers’ eagerness to splurge on new gadgets and innovations continues to spur the development of the consumer electronics industry. According to global leading market research company GfK Asia, Southeast Asia’s consumer electronics industry totaled USD1.415 billion in the first quarter of 2011, driven by the continual growth of value segments with consumers’ increasing adoption of new technologies. MORE

Consumers in Singapore Willing to Pay More for Quality when it comes to new TV Purchases: GfK Singapore

June 1, 2011, SINGAPORE – The constant evolution of better and more sophisticated gadgets in today’s technologically-advanced age has made consumers in Singapore more tech-savvy and demanding, as evidenced by their willingness to spend more on innovative new products. A recent study conducted by leading market research company, GfK Singapore, revealed that more than half of Singapore’s TV buying population is willing to pay more for top quality TV brands. MORE

Technical Consumer Goods in Five Key Southeast Asian Markets Grew by 12 Percent in First Quarter of 2011: GfK Asia

May 27, 2011, SINGAPORE – The Technical Consumer Goods industry across the five key Asian markets of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia registered healthy growth of over 12 percent in first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2010, according to global leading market research company, GfK. MORE

Smartphone Drives Good Performance of the Overall Mobile Phone Industry in Quarter One with 30 Percent Growth over Previous Quarter: GfK Asia

May 24, 2011, SINGAPORE – The overall mobile phone industry in Southeast Asia’s key markets of Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia continue to thrive with close to 20 million units of mobile phones worth nearly USD3 billion being sold in the first quarter of 2011, according to global leading market research company GfK Asia. This indicates a growth of 10 percent and 8 percent respectively in unit and value terms compared to the previous quarter. MORE

Total Value of Small Domestic Appliance Markets in Eight Asian countries Achieved 21 percent Growth to Reach USD1.37 billion in 2010: GfK Asia

April 26, 2011, SINGAPORE – The combined Small Domestic Appliances industry in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea generally registered healthy growth in 2010 with individual countries reporting revenue increment of up to 25 percent. Overall, more than 25 million units of vacuum cleaners, rice cookers, irons, and food preparation appliances were sold last year—six percent more compared to 2009. MORE

South Korean Replacement Car Tires Market Valued at Over USD 800 Million in 2010: GfK Korea

April 20, 2011, SEOUL –South Korean’s automotive industry is one of the biggest contributor to the entire local economy and just the automotive aftermarket’s replacement car tire sector alone registered sales of over 8.6 million units worth USD800.9 billion last year, according to GfK’s automotive retail audit. MORE

A New Digital Era Heralds Across Asia Pacific with Key Digital Products Market Surging to Achieve USD235 Billion in 2010: GfK Asia

 

April 18, 2011, SINGAPORE – Urbanization and economic recovery in Asia Pacific have been propelling growth of the digital technology industry which achieved a total of USD235 billion last year, according to leading market research company GfK Asia. MORE

More than Two in Five Optical Shops in Java and Bali are located in Key Provincial Cities: GfK Indonesia

April 14, 2011, JAKARTA – Capital city dwellers in Indonesia have greater accessibility and options when it comes to eye care services as compared to those residing outside, as over two in five (44%) optical shops across the whole of Java and Bali islands are located in key provincial cities. This is the latest findings by GfK Indonesia, whose recently completed census project in the two Indonesia islands identified the existence of over 2,400 optical shops operating there. MORE

Digital Camera Industry bounced back from a stagnant 2009 to register 20 percent value spike in 2010 across Nine Asian Markets: GfK Asia

April 5, 2011, SINGAPORE – Following the lackluster performance of the digital camera industry in 2009 where overall flat growth was registered over the previous year across nine markets in Asia, the industry managed an impressive comeback in the next 12 months to achieve 20 and 17 percent growth respectively in value and units. MORE

Thailand is home to some 3,200 Tire Shops: GfK Thailand

March 31, 2011, BANGKOK – The automotive industry is on a roll, particularly in Thailand, which recorded a 47-month high domestic automobile sales last November. With the economic recovery and increasing purchasing power of consumers, the automobile market have been registering high growth and this in turn give rise to the need for adequate level of aftermarket service care. MORE

More than USD623 Million worth of Contact Lens sold across Five Major Markets in Asia in 2010: GfK Asia

March 21, 2011, SINGAPORE – The contact lens industry continues to perform well in 2010, registering a healthy 12 percent growth across the five combined markets monitored by GfK Asia—Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. According to GfK’s full year retail audit findings, all these markets expanded in value within the range of 9 to 12 percent. MORE

GfK and SM Holdings Donate 3 Million Pesos each in Collaboration to Build Two Schools in the Philippines

March 14, 2011, Philippines - The GfK Group and SM Prime Holdings recently joined forces to promote education by each donating 3 million pesos to fund the construction of two school buildings in the Philippines. The groundbreaking ceremony for this project was held earlier today at one of the schools, the Dr Artemio Natividad Elementary School (DANES) in Taguig City. MORE

Contact Lens Market in Malaysia Grew Six percent in 2010 to Achieve over USD52 Million in Sales: GfK Malaysia

March 8, 2011, MALAYSIA – Increasing number of contact lens users in Malaysia grew the overall contact lens industry last year by 6 percent in value and 7 percent in volume. GfK Malaysia retail audit in 2010 posted retail sales of some 20.8 million pieces of contact lens, bringing the value of the industry to USD 52.2 million. MORE

Malaysian Replacement Car Tire Sales in Klang Valley over the Last Two Years hit a high of over USD78 Million in the Fourth Quarter of 2010: GfK Asia

February 28, 2011, MALAYSIA – Performance of Malaysian passenger car tire industry emerged strongest in the fourth quarter as sales were given a significant boost by the flurry of year-end activities which took place in the country. GfK Malaysia’s retail audit of replacement car tires in Klang Valley reported USD78 million worth of replacement car tires being sold from October to December 2010. MORE

Value of Technical Consumer Goods in Eight Markets in Asia Grew by Over 10 Percent in 2010: GfK Asia

February 25, 2011, SINGAPORE – The overall Technical Consumer Goods industry across eight Asian markets* witnessed positive growth in 2010, expanding by 11.4 percent on average compared to 2009, according to global leading market research company, GfK. MORE

Close to USD5.4 Million worth of Engine Oils sold in Jakarta and Surabaya in One Month

February 23, 2011, JAKARTA – Nearly 1.05 million litres of passenger car engine oil worth nearly USD5.4 million was sold* in Indonesia’s major cities of Jakarta and Surabaya in the first month of 2011, according to the latest retail tracking report for passenger car engine oils from GfK Indonesia. MORE

Variations in Mobile Internet Behaviour Between Operating Systems Revealed

February 15, 2011-- GfK’s Network Intelligence Solution (NIS) service has highlighted the significant variations in between different operating systems in terms of mobile web activity. The pioneering research method analyses mobile behaviour via operators’ IP traffic. MORE

More than 7.5 Million Mobile Phones Valued at over 4.5 Billion Ringgit Sold in Malaysia in 2010: GfK Malaysia

February 15, 2011, MALAYSIA – 2010 was a boom year for the mobile phone industry in Malaysia, as consumers here snapped up over 24 percent more units of mobile phone; growing the overall value of the industry by 30 percent compared to the year before.

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TV Sales Soar During Year End Festive Period: GfK Singapore

February 11, 2011, SINGAPORE – Consumers in Singapore are buying more and more television sets each year, registering over 80 percent growth in units sold within a span of three years. GfK Singapore retail audit findings on television sales reported over 443,000 television sets being sold in 2010, some 64,000 more than 2009 and over 80 percent jump in comparison to the number of units sold in 2007. MORE

SM Prime Holdings and GfK Group--New Partners in Education 

January 20, 2011 - SM Prime Holdings Inc. through the SM Foundation inked a Memorandum of Agreement with the GfK Group for a school building project recently. Under the MOA, GfK will provide a funding of 3 million pesos, which will be matched with the same amount by SM Prime for the construction of two school buildings. MORE

Economic Recovery sees more Consumer Going 'Green' and purchasing more Sophisticated Home Appliances: GfK Asia

December 21, 2010, SINGAPORE – Thanks to the economic recovery, increasing spending power of consumers in the region has been a boon to many industries, including the major household appliances sector which has managed to bounce back from its weakened performance of yesteryear. MORE

Popularity of LED Monitors Fast Spreading in Nine Asian Countries: GfK Asia

December 13, 2010, SINGAPORE – Even as the desktop monitor market is already considered to have matured in the constantly evolving PC industry, the introduction of light-emitting diodes (LED) monitor panels in the last three years has managed to rejuvenate the sector, creating much buzz in the PC monitor industry of late. MORE

Technical Consumer Goods in Eight Markets in Asia* continue to grow in Third Quarter with 10 percent increment compared to Previous Year: GfK Asia

November 29, 2010, SINGAPORE -- As economic sentiments continue to improve, consumer spending also correspondingly increase in the Technical Consumer Goods market which, in quarter three grew by almost 10 percent over the same quarter last year. MORE

Smartphone Value Share Reaches Nearly 50 percent in Third Quarter at USD1.48 Billion

November 23, 2010, SINGAPORE – Popularity of smartphones continues to skyrocket with one in every five handsets being purchased in the Asia region in the last quarter (Jul-Sept10) being a smartphone. MORE

Developing Asian Cities Register High Average Vehicle Count per Tire Servicing Garage

November 2, 2010, SINGAPORE – As the car population around the Asian region continues to grow in the wake of economic recovery, the demand for aftermarket products and services are also increasing. MORE

2011 Anticipated to be a Good Year for the Optical Industry in Asia

October 29, 2010, Singapore — Key industry players in the six Asian countries of Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand are hopeful that the current good performance of the optical market in the region will carry on into 2011, and the industry will continue to shine if not surpass this year’s excellent results. MORE

USD 42 Million Worth of Golf Clubs Retailed in South Korea in July 2010

September 17, 2010, Singapore— In just one month, golf club sales across five regions in Korea totaled USD42 million, according to the inaugural figures from GfK Retail & Technology Korea’s golf retail audit. MORE