Japan

The continued share gains being made by plastic pouches in home care packaging in Japan can be attributed to this pack type being lightweight and easy to handle, making them a popular choice for home care products such as laundry detergents and…

Home furnishings in Japan saw another year of minor current value decline in 2023. However, not all categories suffered a declining trend. For instance, there was a steady increase in the value growth rate of barbecues in Japan in 2023. This is…

After a peak in sales in 2020 during the pandemic, home improvement in Japan turned to decline as sales normalised, with a slight fall in current value sales continuing in 2023; however, sales remained above the pre-pandemic level. Due to the shift…

In 2023, current value sales of home insecticides in Japan registered positive growth from the previous year; however, volume sales declined. The decline in volume sales can be attributed to the fading of COVID-19. The pandemic had much less of an…

In Japan, the front-loading format of washer dryers and washing machines is called the drum type (drum-gata), whereas top-loading products are called the vertical type (tate-gata). Generally speaking, many washer dryers fall under the drum type in…

Home products specialists saw growth in current value terms in 2023. Increases were seen across all channels, but as in the previous year, growth was driven mainly by homewares and home furnishing stores. The leading player in this channel, Nitori,…

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…

Homewares in Japan experienced current value growth in 2023, mainly due to increased home cooking due to remote and hybrid work patterns. In addition, with economic concerns, more individuals cooked at home to save money. The demand for functional…

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…

In 2023, hot drinks is set to record opposite performances in the foodservice channel and the retail channel. On 8 May 2023, the Japanese government downgraded the legal status of COVID-19 to Class 5, the level of common infectious disease. This was…

Even though fresh ground coffee has been recording declining sales in the last two years, folding cartons have been growing in popularity as a pack type in this category, registering increasing packaging unit volumes and gaining share. Folding…

Japan is set to witness a slight increase in the number of households between 2022 and 2027, with single-person households remaining the leading household type. In 2022, household spending was impacted by a 2.5% inflation rate, resulting in higher…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…