Japan

Consumer lending in Japan is growing in 2023 in line with demand for greater convenience and easy access to lending services, mainly due to more services being accessed online. New emerging players, such as LINE Pocket Money by LINE Credit…

Japan currently does not have any law restrictions surrounding Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) and thus the benefits, such as convenience, flexibility, and especially no credit checks, are gradually being understood by a wider consumer base. These benefits…

Breakfast cereals in Japan is set to suffer a significant retail volume decline in 2023, due to the normalisation of sales from the strong growth seen during COVID-19 in 2020. Breakfast cereals, which had been suffering from a declining trend from…

Baked goods in Japan is set to continue to see growth in retail current value terms in 2023, largely driven by unit price increases. Although many manufacturers had already implemented price increases several times in 2022, the costs of production…

Womenswear is set to see retail volume and current value growth in Japan in 2023, continuing the trend from 2022. Sales in the category experienced a significant decline in 2020, followed by a year of stagnation in 2021, as COVID-19 prevailed in the…

Sportswear experienced a double-digit current value decline in 2020 due to the pandemic. Consumers could not go out to enjoy sports or go to gatherings for yoga, for instance, due to home seclusion. However, in 2021 consumers were able to return to…

After a rebound to growth in 2022, menswear in Japan is set to maintain positive retail volume and current value growth rates in 2023. The category experienced a significant decline in 2020, followed by a year of slower decline in 2021, as COVID-19…

Jeans experienced a significant drop in sales in 2020, followed by a year of stagnation in 2021 as COVID-19 prevailed in the country in these two years. Home seclusion, or “sugomori” in Japanese, was a hot term at this time. As society began to open…

2020 was a year of decline for overall apparel and footwear, but for hosiery it was a disaster. One-third of the category’s volume and value sales vanished in just this year. 2021 and 2022 also saw declines, although at a much slower rate. Even in…

Footwear saw significant declines in retail volume and current value terms in 2020 due to the pandemic, followed by minimal declines in 2021, as many consumers did not need as much new footwear due to spending more time at home. The category saw a…

Childrenswear did not perform well even before the pandemic, as the number of children has been continuously decreasing in Japan. Growth was then hit hard in 2020, experiencing a double-digit decline, followed by a year of little movement in 2021 as…

The fading of COVID-19 has been a significant turning point for Japanese consumers, who have been leaving their homes and therefore driving the return of footfall in town centres. In May 2023, the Japanese government changed the legitimate…

Overall apparel accessories is set to register positive current value growth in 2023, although there are expected to be different performances across categories. These movements are due to sales continuing to normalise after the disruption in 2020,…

Insights and data on the traditional automotive sector and the mobility industry can help businesses examine how changing travel patterns will impact future consumer behaviour. Growing climate pressures and rising urbanisation rates are pushing…

Consumers’ health consciousness and interest in nutrition were growing even before the pandemic. However, after COVID-19 hit Japan, the health and wellness trend accelerated, as consumers strived to maintain their general health to lessen the risk of…

More consumers are turning towards drinks that offer fortification or functionality, as these are increasingly seen as options that can help to improve their diet. Consumers want to improve any health issues that they are concerned about, and are…

The volume growth of snacks in Japan has been hampered by the fact that the population is facing a declining trend. Moreover, companies have been having difficulty controlling product costs and maintaining their profits, as raw materials, energy, and…

With the prolonged impact of the pandemic, health continues to be top-of-mind for many Japanese consumers. More people are turning towards beverages that offer fortification or functionality, as these are increasingly seen as options that can help to…

Facing a continuous decline in the birth rate, and consequently the population, growth in health and wellness dairy products and alternatives has been hampered. However, as consumers’ health consciousness and interest in nutrition was growing even…

Japanese consumers have relatively high interest in functional products, and generally trust the claims on the packaging and in marketing activities. With the aim of assisting consumers to make more informed choices, a system of Foods with Function…