The Weekly News Update is a weekly roundup of business news from around the Asia-Pacific region, covering Fusion Consulting's core industry practices: chemicals, consumer & retail, financial services, industrial & logistics, information & communication technology, life science and media & leisure. If you have colleagues or friends who may be interested in subscribing, please forward this email to them and copy knowledge@fusionc.com.        China's personal care, cosmetics and toiletries industry   Product innovation in China's personal care sector is buoyant, but safety concerns  and regulations may become a barrier. Find out what's happening in the industry  and where the trends are heading. In collaboration with the PCHi exhibition.     Request free copy.

Consumer & retail

India - FMCG industry grew 16% in 2007-08 Source: Press Trust of India, 13 April 2008 The Indian FMCG industry, valued at Rs746.5 billion (US$18.8 billion) in 2006-07, grew by 16% in 2007-08 compared to 14.5% growth in the previous fiscal, according to a survey by industry body Ficci. The high growth in the sector is backed by the rising demand, fiscal incentives provided by the government such as tax exemptions in some states and improved performance by leading companies. Driving the growth of the sector, the 'deodorant' segment of the industry has achieved the highest growth of 40% followed by hair dye at 30% and chemical segments including cleaner and repellents at 23%. However, there has been some deceleration in the soap and toiletries segment. Korea - Hollys Coffee opens first US store Source: Korea Herald, 15 April 2008 Hollys Coffee, Korea's largest coffeehouse chain, has opened its first store in the United States. The company's American debut in Los Angeles, California, follows Hollys' first overseas entry in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2007, with plans to open two more stores this year. Hollys' entry into the United States signals Korea's readiness to compete in the global market with a build-up of know-how and expertise in the art and management of coffee brewing. The coffeehouse ranks second in the domestic market in terms of number of stores, which currently totals 135. Starbucks leads the market with over 200 stores, while Coffee Bean ranks third with 110 stores. Pakistan - Pakistan Food & Drink Outlooks Source: Business Wire, 10 April 2008 The outlook for the canned food industry - which can exploit rising demand for convenience and consumer fears over food origin and hygiene - and the soft drinks industry - which can capitalise on the aspirational demands of Pakistan's young population - have both been moderately accelerated. Forecast canned food sales growth to 2012 now stands at 46.7%, while soft drinks sales growth to 2012 is forecast to stand at 36.4%. The downside of all these attractive growth signs is quite simply that they are not yet attractive enough to offset the risks of investing in Pakistan. In limits terms, food and beverage spending levels remain low due to acute price sensitivity among certain consumer groups, particularly those in rural areas.     View an example of our experience in this industry. Back to list of articles.  Visit our website to sign up for free intelligence on Asian markets.

This Weekly News Update is a free newsletter, providing a round-up of the week's Asia-Pacific news from our core industry practices. If you have colleagues or friends who may be interested in subscribing, please forward this email to them and copy knowledge@fusionc.com.

Fusion Consulting is a business intelligence consultancy providing clear strategic advice on Asia-Pacific markets. With offices in Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong and 400 industry consultants in 16 countries, we conduct custom research and consulting to help companies understand their markets, compete more effectively and grow into new areas of opportunity. Email more@fusionc.com or visit www.fusionc.com for more information.