Japan

Spectacles in Japan is set to see continued growth in volume and current value terms in 2024. Consumers care more about the health of their eyes, which is a general positive trend for spectacles. There are three main factors behind the growth of…

Many key beverage companies in Japan are promoting label-free packaging for their core brands, especially for e-commerce sales, as a strategy to reduce plastic use and enhance sustainability. This approach involves eliminating plastic film and paper…

In 2023, soft drinks is set to record opposite performances in the on-trade channel and the off-trade channel. On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government downgraded the legal status of COVID-19 to Class 5, the level of common infectious diseases. This…

Snacks in Japan witnessed growth in retail current value terms in 2023, yet volume sales in many categories saw a decline due to price increases. The rate of price hikes was notably around 10%, but there were instances where products underwent…

Heated tobacco in Japan continued to see double-digit growth in retail volume terms in 2023. Heated tobacco is regarded by consumers as a relatively lower harm option compared with cigarettes, and the weaker smell of these products compared with…

Traditionally, Japanese consumers have enjoyed shopping in areas called Shotengai, where many small shops, including small local grocers, are lined up along the streets. Customers visit different specialist shops to buy their vegetables, fish, and…

Small cooking appliances experienced dynamic growth in 2020, followed by a year of stagnation in 2021, as COVID-19 prevailed over the country in these two years. Home seclusion, or sugomori in Japanese, was a hot term back then. Households needed…

The potential market for sleep aids is expanding in Japan off the back of an increasing number of consumers facing poor sleep quality and fewer hours of sleep. This drop in quality sleep is due in part to a rise in telecommuting and prolonged use of…

In 2023, skin care continued to see current value growth in Japan due to the ongoing increase in awareness of self-care. In addition, from April 2023, all travellers entering Japan on direct flights from China were no longer required to present a…

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. As a result, decisions regarding infection control were left to individuals and…

In 2024, savoury snacks in Japan is set to see growth in both retail volume and current value terms. As in 2023, current value increases are expected across many categories due to the impact of price increases, with significant growth anticipated in…

Sauces, dips and condiments in Japan saw a decline in total packaging volumes in 2023. Flexible plastic remained one of the leading types of packaging for sauces, dips, and condiments in this year. Although flexible plastic saw a decline in packaging…

In 2023, sauces, dips and condiments in Japan is set to continue to see a backlash from the rapid retail volume growth recorded in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the expectation of another year of notable decline. In retail current value…

In 2022, RTDs in Japan experienced a total volume decline for the first time in 15 years, as a result of a decrease in demand for home consumption in a rebound after off-trade sales surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in 2023, RTDs in Japan…

Off-trade volume sales of RTD tea are set to record a decline in 2023. While increased opportunities to go out with the containment of the pandemic should have contributed to growth, the impact of the price increases, which began in 2022, was fully…

Off-trade volume sales of RTD coffee are set to record a slight decline in 2023. While increased opportunities to leave the home due to the containment of the pandemic drove sales, the summer heat dragged down sales. In 2023, Japan experienced an…

Rice, pasta and noodles in Japan is set to see a positive retail current value performance in 2023, due to unit price increases led by inflation and rises in production costs. Although many manufacturers increased the prices of their products several…

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…

Retail maintained solid current value growth in Japan in 2023, with increases across both offline and e-commerce. In 2023, offline retail regained stronger momentum due to the return of mobility post-COVID-19. On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government…

After e-commerce showed double-digit current value growth during COVID-19 in 2020, growth slowed significantly in 2021, and remained at this lower level in 2022 and 2023, as with the reopening of physical stores post-pandemic, fewer people made the…