How to check if a product is being used in a country | 5-Minute Quick Reference

Want to know if people will buy your product in the target country? Don’t guess, use data. Take air fryers as an example: in Brazil, Amazon sales grew 217% over the past 2 years, Google Trends search volume doubled, and the TikTok topic “fritadeira sem óleo” has over 120 million views; while in India during the same period, 60% of negative reviews on Flipkart complain about “not suitable for local cooking,” and import data shows annual growth rate of only 8%.

• Method 1: Look at real transactions on e-commerce platforms—on Japanese Rakuten, the top 10 massage devices average 2000+ monthly sales, but 35% of negative reviews mention “too small in size,” indicating demand exists but the product needs adjustment.
• Method 2: Social media engagement—on German Instagram, the #kombucha hashtag has 3 times more posts than in France, but actual supermarket shelf distribution is only 40%, leaving a market gap.
• Method 3: Customs data + local research—Vietnam’s electric scooter imports surged 80% in 2023, but Hanoi dealers report “60% of buyers are expats,” making localization a pain point.

These data combinations can filter out 90% of false demand. For example, yoga mats in Saudi Arabia: although search volume is high, actual purchases are concentrated among expat communities, with local women’s stores averaging less than 50 units per month.

Using these three steps to verify is 10 times more reliable than “I think it will sell.”

Directly Look at E-commerce Platforms and Local Shopping Sites

Take ​Thailand Market as an example, 2023 Lazada Thailand data shows ​portable air conditioners with average monthly sales exceeding 12,000 units, but 42% of negative reviews mention “high power consumption,” indicating strong demand but product needs optimization.

Comparing with Shopee Vietnam, the same category has only 3,000 monthly sales, with 60% of buyers being expats, indicating low local acceptance. On ​Germany Amazon, electric bicycle accessories (such as batteries and chargers) have annual search growth of 89%, but actual purchase conversion rate is only 15%, meaning the market is in a wait-and-see period.

Choose the Right E-commerce Platform

Different countries have completely different mainstream e-commerce platforms, choosing the wrong platform will lead to data distortion. For example:

• ​​United States​: Amazon accounts for 39% of e-commerce market share, but Walmart’s online growth is faster (12% year-over-year growth in 2023), while eBay is more suitable for second-hand or niche products.
• ​​Southeast Asia​: Shopee dominates in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand, but Lazada is more popular in Singapore and Malaysia. Q4 2023 data shows Shopee Indonesia GMV (gross merchandise value) grew 27% year-over-year, while Lazada only grew 9%.
• ​​Europe​: Germans rely more on Amazon.de and local platform Otto, while French people commonly use Cdiscount and Fnac.
• ​​Latin America​: Mercado Libre holds 70% market share in Brazil and Mexico, but Chileans prefer Falabella.

​​How to Operate?​

• Use SimilarWeb or Alexa to check the traffic ranking of e-commerce platforms in the target country, avoid relying on a single platform.
• Pay attention to localized platforms, such as Wildberries in Russia and Allegro in Poland—these platforms’ data is closer to real consumer habits.

Analyze the Authenticity of Sales Volume and Reviews

High sales ≠ high market acceptance, the key is to look at:

• ​​Repurchase Rate​: For example, on Japanese Rakuten, a certain enzyme drink sells 5,000 bottles monthly, but 80% of reviews come from the same batch of users, indicating it might be inventory stocking rather than real demand.
• ​​Reasons for Negative Reviews​: On Amazon US, a certain “portable washing machine” has decent sales, but 35% of negative reviews mention “doesn’t clean well,” indicating the product has a fatal flaw.
• ​​Seasonal Fluctuation​: For example, on UK Amazon, winter electric blanket sales are 8 times higher than summer, but annual search volume is stable, indicating it’s a necessity but affected by seasons.

​​How to Verify?​

• Use Keepa (Amazon price tracking tool) to check historical sales, avoid being misled by short-term promotional data.
• Compare multiple sellers—if a product has high sales from only 1-2 sellers, it might be fake reviews; if the top 10 sellers all have stable shipments, the market is real.

Observe User Purchase Behavior​​

Shopping habits vary greatly across countries:

• ​​Brazil​: Consumers like installment payments—if a product offers 12-month interest-free installments, sales might double.
• ​​Middle East​: Noon platform data shows 70% of orders come from mobile, with shopping peak hours between 8 PM to midnight.
• ​​India​: Cash on delivery still accounts for over 50% on Flipkart, indicating low credit card penetration, affecting high-price product sales.

​​How to Use This Data?​

• If the target market prefers “try before you buy” (such as COD mode in Southeast Asia), inventory strategy needs to be more flexible.
• Look at “bundled sales” data—for example, Germans often buy coffee machine + grinder sets, selling grinders alone might result in unsold inventory.

Compare Competitors’ Market Performance​​

If similar products are already being sold, you can do reverse analysis:

• ​​Price Sensitivity​: For example, in Mexico, Bluetooth earphones under $20 account for 80% of sales, indicating the market is more receptive to low-price products.
• ​​Brand Preference​: On Korean Coupang, local brands (such as Samsung, LG) in small home appliances outsell international brands by 3 times.
• ​​Feature Differences​: In France, appliances with “energy-saving mode” outsell regular versions by 40%, indicating environmental awareness affects purchasing decisions.

​​How to Operate?​

• Use Helium 10 or Jungle Scout (Amazon product research tools) to analyze competitors’ monthly sales and keyword rankings.
• Look at “substitute” data—for example, handheld vacuum sales are growing in Spain, but traditional upright vacuums still hold 60% of the market, indicating limited upgrade demand.

Special Data from Local Shopping Websites​​

Besides large e-commerce platforms, local websites might hide key information:

• ​​Supermarket/Chain Store Official Sites​: For example, Carrefour France’s online store shows organic food searches increased 25% annually, but actual inventory turnover rate is low, indicating demand hasn’t fully converted.
• ​​Vertical Category Sites​: At Japan’s Bic Camera (electronics specialty store), camera accessory sales are 2 times higher than on Amazon, indicating professional channels are more trusted.
• ​​Second-hand Platforms​: On Mercari Japan, a certain second-hand vacuum cleaner has a resale rate of 30%, indicating the product might be not durable or doesn’t meet expectations.

​​How to Use?​​

• Check local retailers’ financial reports (such as Walmart, Target) to see which categories are growing fastest.
• Pay attention to offline supermarket online data—for example, UK Tesco’s “click and collect” service shows fresh produce accounts for 55%, indicating online grocery shopping habits have formed.

Use Google Trends and Social Media to Check Engagement

To determine whether a product is popular in a certain country, e-commerce data alone isn’t enough because search and discussion engagement often precede actual purchases by 3-6 months. For example, 2023 Google Trends shows ​”air fryer” search volume in the Philippines increased 180% from the previous year, but local e-commerce platform sales only grew 40%, indicating the market is still in the education phase.

Similarly, TikTok ​#portable coffee maker has over 50 million views in Korea, but offline retail data shows sales are mainly concentrated in major cities, with penetration rate in second and third-tier cities below 20%.

Google Trends: Check Search Engagement Timeline and Geographic Distribution

Google Trends shows changes in search volume for specific keywords in certain countries and time periods, but you need to note the following:

• ​​Seasonal Impact​: For example, “Christmas lights” search volume surges every November-December in European and American countries, but almost zero in other months—this type of product is not suitable for year-round sales.
• ​​Geographic Differences​: In India, “electric toothbrush” searches are highest in Mumbai and Bangalore, but northern regions’ search volume is only 1/3 of the south, indicating uneven market acceptance.
• ​​Related Keyword Comparison​: When searching “yoga mat,” German users more commonly search “eco-friendly yoga mat,” while American users focus more on “thick non-slip,” indicating product selling points need localization.

​​How to Operate?​​

• Select 5 years of data to see if the long-term trend is rising, stable, or declining. For example, “traditional electric fans” search volume in Southeast Asia is declining year by year, while “bladeless fans” have grown 50%.
• Compare competitor keywords—for example, in Brazil, “Xiaomi phone” search volume is double that of “Samsung phone,” but Samsung still leads in actual market share, indicating there may be a gap between brand awareness and purchase behavior.

Social Media: Check Real User Discussions and Feedback​​

Social media platform usage habits vary greatly across countries:

• ​​Facebook/Instagram​: Suitable for European, American, and Southeast Asian markets. For example, on Thai Instagram ​#homemade yogurt posts increased 120% in the past year, but 30% of comments mention “too troublesome” and “hard to find starter cultures,” indicating homemade yogurt might be a niche demand.
• ​​TikTok/YouTube​: Suitable for young consumer groups. On Indonesian TikTok, “mini washing machine” related videos have over 80 million views, but e-commerce platform sales only grew 15%, indicating many people are just curious but haven’t actually purchased.
• ​​Local Forums/Reddit​: On Japanese 5ch forum, 50% of users discussing “robot vacuum cleaners” mention “not suitable for tatami,” directly affecting product improvement direction in Japan.

​​How to Verify?​​

• Use social media analysis tools (such as Brand24 or Talkwalker) to capture keyword discussion volume—for example, “smartwatch” monthly discussion volume on Spanish Twitter is double that of France, but actual sales are lower, possibly because Spanish people are more into discussing tech products rather than buying.
• Look at KOL (Key Opinion Leader) promotion effects—for example, Vietnamese beauty bloggers promoting “domestic lipstick” videos have high views, but 70% of comments are asking “where to buy,” indicating insufficient channel distribution.

Relationship Between Search Engagement and Actual Sales​​

High search volume doesn’t necessarily equal high sales, the key is to look at:

• ​​Purchase Intent Keywords​: For example, in Google Ads tools, “air fryer price” search volume is 3 times higher than “air fryer recipes,” indicating the former users are closer to the purchase stage.
• ​​Social Media Conversion Rate​: On Malaysian Facebook, a certain “folding bicycle” ad has 5% click rate, but actual purchase rate is only 0.2%, indicating interest hasn’t converted to consumption.
• ​​Cultural Differences​: “Fitness equipment” search volume is high in Saudi Arabia, but female users’ actual purchases are limited by offline shopping habits, resulting in slow online sales growth.

​​How to Analyze?​​

• Use Google Ads Keyword Planner to check competition levels for high commercial value keywords. For example, “organic milk powder Germany” bidding is as high as €2.5/click, indicating strong market demand.
• Combine e-commerce platform data—for example, Google Trends shows “smart door locks” search volume rising in Australia, but Amazon Australia inventory has been consistently sufficient, indicating oversupply.

Social Media Trends and Product Improvement Direction

Direct user feedback can help optimize products:

• ​​Functional Requirements​: On Korean Naver blogs, 45% of negative reviews about “portable juicers” mention “too noisy,” and sales increased 30% after improvement.
• ​​Packaging Preferences​: On French Instagram, users commonly complained about “overpackaging,” leading to a brand’s reputation reversal after switching to eco-friendly materials.
• ​​Usage Scenarios​: On Reddit, 70% of American users discussing “camping power supplies” mention “need solar charging,” while most existing products only support plug-in charging.

​​How to Operate?​​

• Search “product name + problem” on Q&A platforms like Reddit and Quora—for example, “Why don’t Japanese people buy robot vacuum cleaners?”, to see real pain points.
• Analyze YouTube review video comment sections—for example, a certain “translation earphones” are frequently complained about for “slow response,” which is the improvement focus.

Distinguishing Short-term Trends from Long-term Trends

Some products suddenly become popular but it’s only a short-term phenomenon:

• ​​TikTok Viral Products​: For example, “massage guns” became hot due to fitness influencer promotions in 2023, but engagement dropped 50% after 6 months, indicating it might be a passing trend.
• ​​News Event Driven​: For example, after Japan’s nuclear wastewater discharge, “radiation detectors” search volume increased 300%, but actual demand didn’t continue.
• ​​Seasonal Products​: For example, “Christmas trees” search volume surges every December, but almost no searches in other months.

​​How to Judge?​​

• Check 5 years of Google Trends data—if a product shows peak demand at the same time every year, it’s seasonal demand.
• Compare social media discussion depth—for example, “plant-based meat” has ongoing professional discussions on Twitter, while “viral kitchen gadgets” are mostly one-time topics.

Find Industry Reports or Ask Locals

E-commerce data and search engagement can reflect part of the market situation, but to truly understand a product’s acceptance in a certain country, you need more ground-level information sources. 2023 Statista data shows ​Germany’s organic food market size reached €15.2 billion, but local consumer association surveys found 60% of buyers are high-income groups aged 35-55, indicating obvious market segmentation.

Similarly, in Vietnam, customs data shows ​electric motorcycle imports grew 75% in 2023, but Hanoi dealers report that 70% of actual sales come from food delivery riders, with ordinary family purchase rate below 30%. These examples prove that industry reports provide macro trends, while local feedback reveals real usage scenarios—combining both can avoid misjudgment.

Industry Reports​

Professional institution-published industry reports can provide structured data, but you need to pay attention to data sources and statistical methods:

• ​​Consumer Habit Data​: Euromonitor International report shows Spain’s per capita coffee consumption is 8 times that of China, but 80% comes from coffee shop consumption, indicating there is still room for development in the home coffee machine market.
• ​​Import/Production Data​: China General Administration of Customs statistics show ​smart home devices exported to Russia grew 40% in 2023, but Russian local research company Romir points out 60% of orders come from Moscow and Saint Petersburg, with other cities’ penetration rate below 10%.
• ​​Price Sensitivity​: Nielsen India report indicates fast-moving consumer goods under ₹500 (about $6) account for 65% of market sales, while high-price products mainly rely on holiday promotions (accounting for 40% of annual sales).

​​How to Access and Use This Data?​​

• Free channels: Government statistical websites (such as US Department of Commerce, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), industry association white papers (such as German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association VDMA).
• Paid reports: Platforms like Statista and Mordor Intelligence provide segment-specific data, such as “Southeast Asia beauty device market annual growth rate 12%.”
• Cross-validation: Compare data differences between different reports—for example, a certain product shows 20% sales growth in GfK report, but local retailer data shows only 5% growth, possibly due to different statistical samples.

Local Feedback

Even if industry trends are positive, local feedback might overturn assumptions:

• ​​Cultural Adaptability​: In Saudi Arabia, an international brand’s ​smart kitchen appliances had a 25% return rate due to “operating interface only in English,” while local brands captured the market through Arabic voice control.
• ​​Usage Barriers​: Jakarta convenience store owners report ​vending machines have 3 times the failure rate of traditional shelves because high temperature and humidity affect equipment lifespan.
• ​​Alternative Solutions​: Mexico City consumer research shows although ​robot vacuum cleaners search volume is high, 55% of families still choose to hire cleaners (average monthly cost $50, lower than robot vacuum prices).

​​How to Efficiently Get Local Feedback?​​

• Hire local researchers: Contact freelancers in target countries on Upwork or Fiverr, design simple questionnaires (such as “What kind of smart watch would you pay for?”), cost about $50-100/100 responses.
• Join local groups: Facebook Groups, Line (Japan), KakaoTalk (Korea) have many consumer discussion groups, such as “Thai Mom Parenting Group” providing direct feedback on children’s products.
• Offline channels: Collect end-user opinions through local agents or distributors—for example, Dubai home appliance distributors point out “​air purifiers with large water tanks” outsell regular versions by 3 times because local dust is heavy.

Customs and Logistics Data

Import/export data can reflect real supply chain situations:

• ​​Import Volume ≠ Sales Volume​: Vietnam imported 1.2 million ​Bluetooth earphones in 2023, but inventory turnover data shows 30% have been stagnant for over 6 months, indicating oversupply.
• ​​Logistics Costs Impact​: Brazilian customs data shows bulky items (such as ​massage chairs) import tariffs + shipping account for 35% of total cost, leading to retail prices being 2 times higher than in China, suppressing demand.
• ​​Gray Market​: On Russian e-commerce platform Wildberries, 40% of “international brand” products enter through parallel import channels, which official agent data cannot cover.

​​How to Apply?​​

• Use tools like ImportGenius to check corporate import records—for example, finding that an American company has been purchasing large quantities of ​Chinese-made electric scooter batteries for 3 consecutive months may indicate an upcoming new product launch.
• Pay attention to port dynamics: Los Angeles Port Q3 2023 “small home appliances” container arrivals increased 22% year-over-year, but Amazon inventory increased only 8% during the same period, indicating some goods may flow to offline channels.

Supplementary Value of Offline Channels​​

Beyond e-commerce data, offline channels can reflect real situations in lower-tier markets:

• ​​Supermarket Shelf Space Share​: French Carrefour ​plant-based meat refrigerated cabinet space expanded 3 times in the past 2 years, but actual sales only grew 50%, indicating shelf distribution speed exceeds demand.
• ​​Pharmacy/Specialty Store Data​: At Japanese Matsumoto Kiyoshi drugstore, ​oral beauty supplements repurchase rate is 2 times that of regular skincare products, but e-commerce platform reviews focus more on “first-time use experience.”
• ​​Exhibition Trends​: At Berlin IFA, ​portable power stations exhibitor numbers grew 40%, but on-site dealers feedback says “European camping enthusiasts prefer renting over buying.”

​​Operational Suggestions​​

• Obtain supermarket POS data through local partners—for example, at Mexican Oxxo convenience stores, ​power banks weekly sales are 1/10 of airport retail stores, indicating usage scenarios are concentrated.
• When attending industry exhibitions (such as Canton Fair, CES), focus on recording which products are asked about most—for example, at CES 2024, ​AI fitness mirrors Asian buyer numbers are 1/3 of North America, predicting regional preference differences.

Avoiding Common Mistakes​​

When integrating industry reports and local feedback, pay attention to:

• ​​Data Timeliness​: A 2022 report said “India smart speaker market is growing fast,” but 2023 actual sales declined because local language support was insufficient.
• ​​Sample Bias​: Online questionnaires may miss low-income groups—for example, Philippines GCash (mobile payment) user research shows 80% of people willing to pay for convenience, but only 35% of adults nationwide have bank accounts.
• ​​Over-reliance on Macro Data​: Although “Africa smartphone penetration rate 50%,” among Transsion phone users in Nigeria, 70% only use it for basic communication, with low smart feature usage rate.

​​Solutions​​

• Prioritize data from the past 6 months—for example, Southeast Asia e-commerce report from Q1 2024 is more referential than 2023 annual report.
• Combine quantitative and qualitative analysis—for example, while seeing “Japan elderly population accounts for 30%,” interview silver-haired consumers to find their demand for ​smart pill boxes is “larger fonts” rather than “complex functions.”

Integrating all information can avoid misjudgment and find real market opportunities.