The Changing Marketplace in Asia—Developed Markets in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan

摘要

In the last decade of the twentieth century, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese soap and detergent industries underwent positive growth. In contrast, sales of laundry detergents, which are a staple in our industry, decreased in the Japanese and Taiwanese markets in the last two years. Despite the recent economic environment in the Japanese and Taiwanese markets, a wide range of new and innovative products was launched, in these two markets as well as in the Korean market, which experienced continued strength. One of these new products is a next-generation laundry powder detergent with superb washing performance, high solubility, and excellent flowability. Other novel products include sheet and tablet type detergents, antibacterial products, such as fabric softeners, dishwashing liquids, and laundry detergents designed for hygiene-conscious consumers.