Japan

Retail tissue turned to decline in Japan in volume terms in 2023, although current value growth continued. 2022 and 2023 were years of price increases for the category. For instance, Daio Paper increased the B2C product shipment price by 15% or more…

Air care had been seeing steady growth in value sales in the pre-pandemic years, and in 2020, when the pandemic hit Japan, there was further significant growth. As interest in indoor air quality improved along with much more time spent at home and…

Vending machines have a significant presence in Japan, and have been part of the local culture for decades. Vending is a contactless, unmanned, compact, and convenient way of shopping. Although sales declined during the pandemic, a rebound was seen…

On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government announced that it would reclassify COVID-19 as a class 5 infectious disease, which is the same classification as seasonal flu. This shift pushed consumers in Japan to go back to their pre-COVID-19 behaviours,…

During 2023, cheese experienced its highest ever annual increase in the average unit price, with a double-digit growth rate. This was due to a surge in the cost of imported raw materials for cheese. Major manufacturers had to revise cheese prices…