Japanese Market News

Odor is a significant concern during the summer, especially for a country that is already well known for its obsession with cleanliness. While sales for standard products such as deodorant increase annually, unique products such as Atsugi Co., Ltd.'s pantyhose which use photocatalysts to eliminate odor and kill bacteria are also becoming popular. This cleaning product's market has grown to extend into pet products. Unicharm recently introduced a cat litter tray and cat litter that sold extremely well because of the product's ability to leave absolutely no odor for a week. In line with this trend, there are also new services that are increasingly becoming popular such as Kalmor's services, a company in Tokyo that inspects and deals with odor, Sick Building Syndrome, dioxin, fungus, and bacteria related issues in the home and office. Another is White Wings Co., Ltd. in Shizuoka that provides cleaning services specifically for removing pet odor and stains, whose customers have doubled since last year.

Posted by Alisa at 10:07 AM | Permalink

Japan has traditionally been well known for its many gift giving customs including Oseibo and Ochugen where gifts are given to co-workers, friends, and relatives before New Years and in midsummer. However, these formalities are slowly being replaced with gifts given to mainly friends and relatives for birthdays and Christmas. Those giving gifts are mostly female, approximately one out of five, giving more than 11 gifts per year. Organic foods, shochu (Japanese distilled spirit), and flower arrangements are among the most common gifts. Gift ideas usually arise from browsing stores but also largely from the internet. Gifts are also bought mostly at department stores, stores within train stations, or on the internet.

Posted by Alisa at 09:44 AM | Permalink

Many businesses in Japan such as restaurants, banks, railways, hospitals, stores etc. are putting a lot of emphasis on decreasing wait time for their customers despite the many distractions already available to fill these voids. When customers were asked where they were most frustrated with waiting time, the results that stood out the most were the number of frustrated males at restaurants when waiting for their orders and females waiting at public restrooms. Reading magazines, books, or newspapers and checking mail on cell phones were a common activity to pass the time. However, some solutions that were suggested, which would possibly lead to new business ideas, were for restaurants to send a message to customers' cell phones a few minutes before a table is available, place a pay restroom for those who do not want to wait in line, run commercials to distract customers waiting in line at the cash register, or some other non industry specific ideas were placing large screen televisions, put on soothing music, or provide a massage or tea service.

Posted by Alisa at 09:32 AM | Permalink

The face of the dental industry is changing in Japan becoming more transparent and service oriented. OMORI Inc. is one company that has stepped to the challenge to assist in transforming the lagging management side of these dental offices through a franchise. The company's aim is to separate management and the technical side of the practice allowing OMORI to take charge in aspects such as training non-technical workers and implementing services and means that will attract repeating customers. Examples include placing a restaurant menu like chart in the front desk that clearly lists the prices and treatment details, a point card system where customers receive 1 point for every 10 yen spent and dental products in exchange for accumulated points, and also having even the practitioners go out into the streets to pass out flyers for the clinic. There are also other clinics that are competing with their 24 hour 354 day services.

Posted by Alisa at 10:10 AM | Permalink