Japan

Microwaves saw a positive impact on its volume sales in the first two years of the pandemic, in 2020 and 2021. This was the period with the most home seclusion, when people needed to cook and eat at home more frequently. Cooking from scratch, warming…

Bottled water is set to maintain off-trade volume and current value growth in 2023. In Japan, where tap water is drinkable, the culture of purchasing bottled water for home use was for a long time uncommon. However, the Great East Japan Earthquake of…

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…

Economic freedom in Japan continues to benefit the private sector, as does limited corruption, but fiscal health remains weak. Unemployment is low, but the economy faces external forces that are weakening its performance. Ageing and depopulation…

There was huge demand for televisions in the country little more than a decade ago. During the period 2009-2011, two drivers pushed up sales of televisions significantly. One was the shift of broadcasting from analogue to digital in July 2011. The…

2022 was a difficult year for players in consumer electronics. Price increases on materials, including semiconductor chips, and the weakened Japanese yen made it difficult for brands to secure profits. Some could easily apply price increases for…

In 2024, yoghurt and sour milk products in Japan is expected to witness a modest increase in retail current value terms, following significant price adjustments in 2023 due to rising production costs, including raw milk prices and logistics, which…

In 2023, Japan relaxed its COVID-19 rules, which boosted the travel industry. These changes altered how people, both local and foreign visitors, viewed and approached travel, which aided recovery. In terms of local travel, COVID-19 became less of a…

Total volume sales of fruits in Japan continue to rebound in 2023, mainly driven by foodservice’s performance following the channel’s strong declines during the pandemic. Foodservice volume sales of fruits had suffered throughout 2020 and 2021, when…

In Japan, more than 80% of volume sales and more than 90% of value sales within refrigeration appliances come from a single category: freestanding fridge-freezers – this is “the” refrigeration appliance in the country. Being a hot and humid country…