Asia’s consumer economy is entering a new stage where demand is shaped on screens but fulfilled through structured, data-driven sourcing channels. For suppliers, this “scroll-first, platform-driven” reality across APAC is creating sustained growth opportunities that can translate into repeat B2B orders when products and information are presented professionally‑driven sourcing channels. For suppliers, this “scroll‑first, platform‑driven” reality across APAC is creating sustained growth opportunities that can translate into repeat B2B orders when products and information are presented professionally.
APAC’s scroll-first buyers and the new demand engine first buyers
Over the next decade, APAC will remain a primary engine of global consumer demand as rising incomes, urbanization and digital connectivity reshape how people discover and purchase products. Household spending in Southeast Asia alone is projected to approach almost $5 trillion by 2035, powered by a fast-growing middle class and rapid urban growth in economies such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. At the same time, the global middle class population is expected to rise to about 5.3 billion by 2030, with most of that growth concentrated in Asia, underscoring the region’s long-term demand potential‑growing middle class and rapid urban growth in economies such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. At the same time, the global middle class population is expected to rise to about 5.3 billion by 2030, with most of that growth concentrated in Asia, underscoring the region’s long‑term demand potential.
Digital channels increasingly sit at the center of this expansion. Social and mobile commerce in APAC are forecast to reach well over $600 billion in gross merchandise value around the mid‑2020s, with social commerce representing roughly 20% of total e‑commerce in Southeast Asia. Consumers often first encounter products through short posts, recommendations or community discussions, but when it comes to serious purchasing and especially B2B replenishment, buying decisions shift to structured platforms where buyers can compare offers, check specifications and place or repeat orders with trustworthy suppliers.
This scroll-first, platform-driven pattern is particularly visible in categories that combine emotional appeal, everyday utility and repeat purchase, such as packaged food and beverages, educational toys, pet food and care, and compact home furniture. In each of these areas, APAC demand has shown resilience during recent economic disruptions, signaling that buyers will continue to allocate budgets even when conditions are tight. For suppliers, the opportunity lies in aligning product development and digital content with these structural drivers, then making those products discoverable and comparable on trusted B2B platforms used by regional and global buyers‑first, platform‑driven pattern is particularly visible in categories that combine emotional appeal, everyday utility and repeat purchase, such as packaged food and beverages, educational toys, pet food and care, and compact home furniture. In each of these areas, APAC demand has shown resilience during recent economic disruptions.
Packaged food and beverages: closing APAC’s “unmet potential”
Packaged food and beverages are one of the strongest entry points into APAC’s scroll-first demand, supported by clear volume gaps and robust packaging growth. Analysts estimate that APAC’s packaged food market still has an unmet potential of around 237 million metric tons in retail volume, reflecting how far consumers can move toward branded, packaged formats as incomes and food safety expectations rise. At the same time, the global food packaging market is projected to grow from about $421.4 billion in 2025 to roughly $548.5 billion by 2030, with APAC identified as the fastest-growing region, driven by urbanization, rising disposable incomes and demand for convenience foods.‑first demand, supported by clear volume gaps and robust packaging growth. Analysts estimate that APAC’s packaged food market still has an unmet potential of around 237 million metric tons in retail volume, reflecting how far‑growing region, driven by urbanization, rising disposable incomes and demand for convenience foods.
Within this broad category, packaged snacks and confectionery stand out as everyday basket drivers in online and social commerce environments. The APAC snacks market is projected to expand from $293.7 billion in 2025 to $569.2 billion by 2034 at a 7.6% CAGR, with savory products taking the largest share and better-for-you snacks gaining momentum. Nutrition bars and wellness‑focused snacks further illustrate how health priorities intersect with convenience. APAC accounts for about 29% of the global nutrition bars market, and the protein bar segment alone is estimated around $1 billion, supported by rising fitness participation and interest in plant-based diets in markets such as Australia, India and Japan. Research suggests that functional and high-protein snacks will see multiyear growth as label-conscious consumers rely on portable, portion-controlled options for workdays and commutes.‑for‑you ‑based diets in markets such as Australia, India and Japan. Research suggests that functional and high‑protein snacks will see multi‑year growth as label‑conscious consumers rely on portable, portion‑controlled options for workdays and commutes.
Coffee and tea add another layer of opportunity, combining daily rituals with premium and wellness positioning. The APAC coffee market generated about $64.2 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach around $91.8 billion by 2030, growing at 6.2% CAGR, with instant coffee recording the fastest expansion at 6.8% CAGR as improved processing narrows flavor gaps with freshly brewed options. Tea, valued at roughly $20.0 billion in APAC in 2024, is projected to reach about $37.4 billion by 2031 at a 7.2% CAGR, reflecting its deep cultural role in Chinese Mainland, Japan and India and its increasing association with health and relaxation.
Capture Cross-Border Growth
Suppliers should prioritize three capabilities to capitalize on APAC’s packaged food and beverage growth:
- Export-ready packaging and labeling with transparent nutritional content, ingredient declarations, allergen information, and shelf-life data to satisfy regulatory requirements across multiple markets for both solid and liquid products
- Flexible range architecture including trial sizes, multi-pack bundles, and variety assortments for foods and beverages, optimized for digital purchasing patterns and regional promotional calendars
- Comprehensive B2B product data covering ingredients/nutritional content, pack configurations, storage parameters and logistics specifications, as buyers increasingly pre-screen suppliers based on information completeness
Suppliers of packaged snacks, drinks and nutrition products targeting APAC can strengthen their export business by listing these lines on hktdc.com Sourcing with concise, data-rich profiles that match how buyers search and compare options across the region.
Educational toys: learning-driven growth across APAC
If packaged food and beverages capture everyday indulgence, educational toys capture long-term aspirations. The APAC educational toys market was valued at about $12.7 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach roughly $26.7 billion by 2030, implying around 11.2% CAGR during 2024–2030. This pace outperforms many traditional toy segments and reflects a structural shift toward learning-oriented consumption rather than a passing trend.‑term aspirations. The APAC educational toys market was valued at about $12.7 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach roughly $26.7 billion by 2030, implying around 11.2% CAGR during 2024–2030. This pace outperforms many traditional toy segments and reflects a structural shift toward learning‑oriented consumption rather than a passing trend.
APAC is widely recognized as the fastest-growing region in educational toys due to demographic and cultural factors. Parents in Chinese Mainland, India and other emerging Asian markets increasingly prioritize early cognitive development, problem-solving and STEM skills, and they are prepared to allocate a stable portion of income to tools that support these goals. Governments and schools are also playing an active role: in India, policy measures introduced around 2020 aim to build the country into a global toy hub, encouraging domestic production and emphasizing educational content, while schools across the region integrate hands-on learning into curricula.‑growing region in educational toys ‑solving and STEM skills, and they are prepared to allocate a stable portion of income to tools that support these goals. Governments and schools are also playing an active role: in India, policy measures introduced around 2020 aim to build the country into a global toy hub, encouraging domestic production and emphasizing educational content, while schools across the region integrate hands‑on learning into curricula.
Within this category, games and puzzles currently hold the largest share, but STEM-focused products are highlighted as the most lucrative and fastest-growing segments. Science kits, building sets, robotics, coding toys and math-focused games align closely with parents’ and educators’ focus on future skills, and they are well suited to demonstration and discussion in digital channels. Even during periods of economic pressure, studies indicate that Asian parents continue to prioritize spending on items that are perceived as investments in children’s development, which has helped educational toys maintain momentum through recent disruptions.‑focused products are highlighted as the most lucrative and fastest‑growing segments. Science kits, building sets, robotics, coding toys and ‑focused games align closely with parents’ and educators’ focus on future skills, and they are well suited to demonstration and discussion in digital channels. Even during periods of economic pressure, studies indicate that Asian parents continue to prioritize spending on items that are perceived as investments in children’s development, which has helped educational toys maintain momentum through recent disruptions.
Scroll-first behavior is particularly visible in this market. Parents and teachers often discover products via recommendations, short videos and community reviews, then move to more formal channels to compare specifications, safety documentation and language options before making purchase decisions. For B2B buyers such as distributors, learning centers and schools, key decision criteria include age appropriateness, learning outcomes, material quality, compliance with standards like EN71 or ASTM and alignment with local curricula.‑first
Convert Learning Trends into Institutional Sales
To meet APAC’s demand for skill-building products, suppliers must align portfolios with procurement verification requirements:
- Documented educational value with clear explanations of STEM/cognitive benefits, age appropriateness, and activity suggestions to facilitate curriculum integration
- Current safety certifications and test reports readily accessible, as institutional buyers reject suppliers with incomplete compliance documentation
- Detailed product specifications including dimensions, materials, component lists, and language variants to support informed listing decisions across multilingual markets
Producers of educational and STEM-‑focused toys can use hktdc.com Sourcing to present certified, learning-oriented ranges to buyers across APAC and beyond, taking advantage of the platform’s global buyer reach while this high‑oriented ranges to buyers across APAC and beyond, taking advantage of the platform’s global buyer reach while this high‑growth category continues to expand.
Pet food and pet care: humanization and digital acceleration
Pet food and pet care illustrate how emotional attachment and recurring need combine to create resilient demand in APAC. The APAC pet care market reached about $29 billion in 2024 and is forecast to grow at 4% CAGR through 2029, outpacing North America at 2.5% and Western Europe at 2.1%, as pet ownership and spending per pet rise across the region. Within this, the pet food segment’s sales are estimated around $21–23 billion in the mid‑2020s and is projected to grow at approximately 6.7% CAGR toward 2030.
Several structural drivers underpin this outlook. Urbanization and lifestyle changes are encouraging more households to keep companion animals, especially in dense city environments where single-person and small households are becoming more common. Owners increasingly treat pets as family members, which leads to higher expectations for product quality, nutrition and safety. Market research highlights growing demand for premium, natural and functional pet foods—including grain-free formulas, life-stage-specific diets and products addressing issues such as weight management, digestion and skin health. The broader pet healthcare market in Asia is projected to grow at 10%, reaching more than $132 billion by 2027, as spending shifts towards preventive care and supplements.‑person and small households are becoming more common. Owners increasingly treat pets as family members, which leads to higher expectations for product quality, nutrition and safety. Market research highlights growing demand for premium, natural and functional pet foods—including grain‑free formulas, life‑stage‑specific diets and products addressing issues such as weight management, digestion and skin health.
Spending patterns show that pet care budgets are resilient even when household finances are under pressure. In mature APAC markets, average annual spending already exceeds $100 per pet, with Hong Kong SAR leading at roughly $1,100 per pet, followed by South Korea at about $360 and Singapore at roughly $195. In developing markets such as Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam, absolute spending levels are lower but rising quickly, suggesting strong room for growth in both volume and value as packaged pet food penetration increases.
Digital channels amplify these structural shifts. Online pet food sales in APAC are expected to grow at about 8.5% CAGR through 2030, faster than offline channels, as consumers become comfortable ordering bulky products online and using subscriptions to manage regular purchases. Social networks and communities play a central role in product discovery and recommendation, but retailers and marketplaces typically rely on B2B ecommerce platforms to identify trustworthy suppliers, compare formulations and negotiate long-term supply.‑commerce platforms to identify trustworthy suppliers, compare formulations and negotiate long‑term supply.
Serve the Humanization Premium
Suppliers can capture the pet food segment and broader pet care market by demonstrating specialized expertise and operational reliability:
- Precise product segmentation by species, breed size, life stage, and health condition, supported by ingredient transparency and evidence-based functional claims
- Dual packaging strategy offering trial formats for acquisition and value-oriented bulk packs that enable subscription models and repeat purchasing
- Consistent quality control and dependable logistics capabilities, as retailers and platforms prioritize long-term partners for omnichannel pet care strategies across APAC
Pet food and pet care manufacturers can reach importers, distributors and online retailers across APAC by listing well-documented product lines on hktdc.com Sourcing, positioning themselves as trustworthy partners in the pet economy.
Compact home furniture: seating solutions for small, independent households
The final category shows how demographic change and housing dynamics are reshaping home demand in APAC. Studies on Asian consumers highlight a steady increase in smaller households, with rising shares of one to three-person homes and a decline in larger family units, especially in ‘Advanced Asia’ and Chinese Mainland. In South Korea, for example, demographic data indicates that single-person households already exceed 30% and are projected to continue rising through 2030, reflecting long-term demographic and housing trends.‑ to three‑person homes and a decline in larger family units,‑term demographic and housing trends.
At the same time, social research from economies such as Vietnam and Singapore shows more young adults choosing to move out of their parents’ homes before marriage, driven by a desire for independence and privacy even as housing and living costs rise. Many of these young, single residents live in compact apartments or shared accommodation with limited floor area and tight budgets. This combination of small spaces and constrained spending power creates strong demand for compact, affordable and flexible home furniture—especially seating solutions that deliver comfort without the footprint or capital outlay of traditional sofas. While a bed is a non‑negotiable essential when setting up a first home, lounge seating is often treated as a discretionary upgrade, and many budget‑conscious renters have historically made do with simple chairs or minimal seating before investing in comfort.
Bean bag chairs and similar products illustrate this shift, offering a step‑up in comfort at a fraction of the price and space requirement of conventional sofas. Global bean bag chair sales are projected to grow steadily through the early 2030s, reaching an estimated $5.3–6.4 billion, with APAC highlighted as a high‑growth region due to its young demographics, rapid urbanization and preference for reasonably priced, space‑saving furnishings. Analysts note that bean bags and related seating are attractive because they are lightweight, versatile and easy to move, making them well suited to renters and students who relocate frequently. Inflatable sofas and other compact seating options cater to the same needs, offering even lower upfront cost and the ability to free up space by deflating and storing them when not in use.
Solve Space Constraints with Precision
Furniture suppliers should translate urbanization trends into verifiable product propositions for APAC’s shrinking households:
- Space-efficient designs emphasizing one- to two-seater formats, ergonomic bean bag shapes with durable fabrics, and reinforced inflatable models that balance functionality with modern aesthetics
- Exact technical specifications including dimensions, materials, weight capacity, care instructions, and replacement component availability to enable buyer evaluation
- Contextual imagery depicting realistic compact living environments, helping retailers visualize product placement and marketing for urban consumers
Manufacturers of compact home furniture, including bean bags and inflatable sofas, can connect with buyers serving APAC’s growing base of independent consumers by displaying clearly specified designs on hktdc.com Sourcing.
Turning scroll-first demand into long-term B2B growth
The convergence of consumer discovery and B2B procurement creates a structural opportunity for suppliers who can bridge digital immediacy with professional credibility. APAC buyers under 40 increasingly source initial product concepts through digital channels, with 71% of B2B buyers now conducting digital-first research, contacting sellers 12 weeks earlier than in 2024. This creates a critical conversion window: products that gain traction in consumer channels generate measurably higher inquiry rates on B2B marketplaces when suppliers immediately back those trending items with certifications, batch testing data, and transparent supply chain documentation. The suppliers who capture this shift are not simply listing products—they are embedding compliance verification and social proof signals directly into their B2B profiles, converting trending moments into scalable purchase orders. Without this integration, popular products face significant drop-off between initial buyer interest and final procurement, as risk-averse purchasing managers default to established suppliers with complete documentation.
Grow Big, Start Smart with hktdc.com Sourcing
By joining as a supplier with the Introductory Package, businesses can enjoy a 70% Off Starter Deal and showcase their products to millions of buyers worldwide at an accessible daily rate of $1.4 / day. The platform combines global buyer traffic, AI-driven matching and more than two decades of trade experience to help APAC suppliers turn social‑driven matching and more than two decades of trade experience to help APAC suppliers turn socialdriven interest into sustainable cross‑driven interest into sustainable cross‑border orders, making it a timely channel for companies that want to convert scroll-first attention into long‑first attention into long‑term B2B growth. Join Now!
APAC consumer sentiment, value and category reallocation
Bain & Company and NielsenIQ (NIQ), Southeast Asia: What’s Happening with Consumers and Consumer Products (2025)
Brookings Institution, A global tipping point: Half the world is now middle class or wealthier (2022)
McKinsey Consumer Sentiment and Asia-Pacific Consumer Pulse (2024–2025)
Social and mobile commerce
Ken Research, APAC Social Commerce Market | 2025 – 2030 (2025)
Cube Asia, Social Platform Commerce in Southeast Asia (2024)
iKala #AI, The Rise of Social Commerce in Southeast Asia (2020)
Packaged food and beverages
MarketsandMarkets, Food Packaging Market (2025)
Fortune Business Insights, Asia Pacific Snacks Market (2024)
Research Nester, Nutrition Bars Market (2025)
Verified Market Research and Research and Markets, Asia-Pacific coffee and tea reports (2024–2025)
Educational toys
Grand View Research, Educational Toys Market Report (2024)
Straits Research, Educational Toys Market (2021)
Pet food and pet care
Euromonitor International and Verified Market Research, Asia Pacific pet care and pet food reports (2024–2025)
