The Knowledge to Decide

In recent years, the Asia Pacific gaming industry has attracted the attention of investors, developers and analysts. Within Asia, Japan, South Korea and China are the leading markets. The Asia Pacific remains the largest games market and is expected to reach USD71.4 billion in revenue, with a spectacular 39 per cent growth in 2018. By 2021, domestic market revenue in China is poised to increase from USD27 billion to USD35 billion. Asia’s gaming market is being transformed by Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technology as well as gaming on social media platforms. Above all, Esports looks set to transform the industry. These were the findings from a study conducted by Spire Research and Consulting in Q3 2018. Gaming market in Asia Pacific (APAC) The Asia-Pacific region has been leading the global electronic game market. In 2017, total revenue from the gaming market reached USD51.2 billion, almost twice the revenue of the second-ranked North American region.

The air purifying power of 500 trees Taking green buildings to the next level, an eco-friendly building is now visible in the posh area of West SoHo in Manhattan, New York. The first of its kind luxury building has 25 storeys with air purification mechanisms. The façade is painted with Pureti, a water-based treatment that transforms contaminants in the air into oxidizing agents. This treatment purifies the air like 500 trees, removing the equivalent of 2,000 cars from the roads for an entire year. The technology is soon to be used on buildings across Turkey, Argentina and Spain. Can green technology ensure all buildings ‘breathe’ air in the future? Read here more:https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/the-air-purifying-power-of-500-trees/

Spire Research and Consulting was honored to be appointed as the Official Research Partner for the Challenge Iskandar Puteri triathlon – a Challenge family sports event that covers 41 full and half triathlons in 21 countries. The event was held between 14-16 September 2018 at Puteri Harbour Marina, Malaysia. Spire Malaysia conducted online and face-to-face surveys with 262 participants of the triathlon along with 50 supporters. The surveys collected information about their demographic profile, interest in sports brands, travel choices, socio-economic status and degree of awareness about the event. The event combined fitness-oriented races with unique, themed races such as Battle of the Sexes, Corporate Relay and Pitstop challenge. In the latter case, participants get to drive their bike into the pit and replace their own tires. Read here more: https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/events/spire-chosen-as-official-research-partner-to-the-challenge-iskandar-puteri-tr

Disney and 21st Century Fox are hoping to close a deal that will lead to Disney acquiring Fox’s Star India Network, adding more than 700 million people to its global audience. Fox expects to increase Star India’s operating profits to USD1 billion by 2020. Disney is also counting on India’s smart phone boom to push mobile entertainment content. Will Disney succeed in India’s entertainment market? Read here more: https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/disney-eyes-indias-market-through-fox-star-india-deal/

In the e-commerce sector’s biggest deal yet, retail giant Walmart paid USD16 billion to acquire a 77% stake in Flipkart – one of India’s most successful e-tailers. With India’s e-commerce sector set to grow four times by 2023, Walmart is looking at supporting Flipkart’s ambition to become a publicly-listed subsidiary in the future. However, the revenue growth rate for Flipkart in 2016-17 was only 29%, a far cry from the 50% growth rate of the previous year. Will Walmart’s deal with Flipkart create an Indian Taobao? Read here more: https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/walmart-nails-deal-with-flipkart/

Spire was honoured to participate at the GATES India ICT Reseller Channel Summit 2018. The Summit was held on 4-6 September, 2018 in Kolkata. Vinita Nath, Senior Analyst at Spire India, shared her insights on booming e-commerce industry in India, focusing on market trends and growth strategies. Nath discussed the growth of the digital market, its rapid expansion and e-commerce platforms available for Small and midsize businesses (SMBs). India has the second highest number of active internet users in the world, at 390 million. Its Business-to-Business (B2B) market is expected to reach USD700 billion by 2020. For better sales outreach, SMBs should explore business listings or social media platforms provided by well-known brands such as Amazon Business, Whatsapp Business, Facebook Business and even Instagram with various advertising options available. Nath mentioned that multichannel selling enables businesses to connect with a network of many e-commerce portals.

Is the global economy under threat once more? Leon Perera, CEO of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in The Business Times – Views from the Top section on 10 September 2018 on the risks facing the world economy. Some economists have pointed to signs of an imminent economic crisis similar to the emerging markets currency crisis of the late 1990s or the Lehman shock of 2008. Perera highlighted that the US continues to register strong growth in stock prices, jobs and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with further Fed interest rate hikes likely. However, emerging market growth is slowing down and some countries have run into trouble, like Turkey. In this context, the biggest risk to the world economy may be the potentially destabilizing effect of a strong US dollar and US economy on emerging markets. This confluence of factors raises the risk of capital outflows from emerging markets, credit woes as well as currency depreciation and volatility. Geopolitica

Asia’s burgeoning pet care industry is making its mark, with pet expenditure set to reach USD21 billion by 2022. Spire’s viewpoint on industry growth was cited in the South China Morning Post’s news portal. Pet owners increasingly treat their pets like family members. This has led to burgeoning spending on pet care. Companies are commercializing a variety of services and products to cater to the growing Asian fascination with pets. Rising disposable incomes in Asia have also affected the pet industry, with the emergence of luxurious spa, gourmet food and designer clothes options for Asian pets. Read here more: https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/media/pets-emerging-as-a-growth-industry-in-asia/

Can Singapore cultivate a culture of confidence as it turns 53? Leon Perera, CEO of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in The Business Times – Views from the Top section on 6 August 2018 on Singapore’s future. As Singapore ushers in another year of independence, more confidence needs to be instilled. Intelligent risk-taking will be key to the next phase of Singapore’s development. Perera highlighted that familiarity with past successes should not inhibit fresh, innovative thinking and experimentation with new strategies. Therefore, it is crucial for leaders to inspire trust and also for Singaporeans to cultivate greater trust in one another to be good citizens, thus engendering the social capital necessary for national success. The text of Perera’s comments are provided below. A comprehensive Korean peace treaty and denuclearization agreement are worthwhile goals to pursue. But it is unlikely that the North Korean leader will completely give up t

Spire Research and Consulting was invited to speak at a Malaysian Franchise Association (MFA) symposium held jointly with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs on 7 August. Deric Yeo was the event moderator and Aqilah Binti Zamri (Analyst at Spire Malaysia), Terry Lim from Global Art, MATRADE’s Pn. Anisah Ali and Pn. Noor Asiah Mahmud were panel speakers. The speakers shared their insights on market opportunities and challenges in Australia facing Malaysian franchisors. The speakers shared insights on market opportunities in Australia for Malaysian franchisors. Australians are increasingly dining out. As much as two thirds of the population (over 14 years of age) dine out at least once a month. To put this into perspective, the average personal consumption stands at around USD11 for fast food, USD7-10 for casual dining and USD 5-10 for snacks or desserts. 1,089 business franchisors ply their trade in Australia, of which 10% are foreign brands and 90% lo