While small cooking appliances saw continued volume decline in 2019, Japanese consumers are proving willing to pay higher prices for added features and superior product design. This premiumisation trend in small cooking appliances began in rice cookers and toasters, as consumers sought better tasting rice and toast. The leading player in small cooking appliances, Zojirushi offers premium rice cookers that replicate cooking over a fire in order to cook the rice equally throughout, for…

With the time pressures of already hectic urban lifestyles increased by the growing number of women entering the paid workforce as a result of government efforts to address the country’s labour shortage and stimulate the economy, there is a growing demand for refrigeration appliances capable of reducing the frequency of shopping. This is creating potential for the development of products with a larger storage capacity. However, the typically small size of Japanese homes places a significant…

Growing female participation in the paid workforce has led to women leading more publicly visible lifestyles and having increased purchasing power. This has served to boost demand for personal care appliances amongst female consumers and driven a premiumisation trend in the category. The high-end models in category leader, Panasonic’s offer, which are promoted for their value-added features such as moisturisation and fast-drying without damaging hair, performed well at the end of the review…

Potential for growth in microwaves is constrained by the deep penetration already achieved by the category, with sales generally reliant on replacement demand. Microwaves are considered essential appliances by many Japanese consumers, especially as hectic modern lifestyles reduce the amount of time available for cooking at home. The importance of demand for convenient meal solutions in supporting the perceived necessary status of microwaves has been bolstered by the expanding range of ready…

Potential for growth in microwaves is constrained by the deep penetration already achieved by the category, with sales generally reliant on replacement demand. Microwaves are considered essential appliances by many Japanese consumers, especially as hectic modern lifestyles reduce the amount of time available for cooking at home. The importance of demand for convenient meal solutions in supporting the perceived necessary status of microwaves has been bolstered by the expanding range of ready…

As large cooking appliances are primarily purchased at the same time as consumers buy houses or apartments, the housing market has a strong influence on the category. Most houses in Japan are said to lose value 20 years after completion. This is especially the case for wooden houses, because the tax law states that their value drops to nothing 22 years after completion. While this does not mean that these houses are demolished, consumers have less motivation to invest in their old houses…

The possession rate of home laundry appliances is approaching 100% of households in Japan, leaving little room for volume growth (though there is some room for expansion in the fact that the number of households is, in fact, rising despite a contracting population, as the average household size shrinks). As a result, manufacturers are increasingly focusing on the generation of value through upmarket product development. New product development has particularly focused on increasing the…

Food preparation appliances saw a continued marked decline in volumes in 2019, deriving primarily from the limited kitchen space available in modern Japanese homes. As a growing proportion of the population inhabits apartments in large cities rather than houses, the typical Japanese kitchen is becoming smaller. Kitchen space is constantly being squeezed because of cookware and other cooking appliances, such as rice cookers, kettles, and microwaves, which have achieved deep penetration in…

While dishwashers have been available in the Japanese market since the 1980s, the product has struggled to gain traction until relatively recently. The increasing pressure on consumers’ time, resulting partly from the rising number of women entering paid employment, has bolstered demand for time-saving appliances. In addition, awareness of dishwashers’ capacity to reduce the time spent on household chores has been raised by the marketing activity of manufacturers such as Panasonic.

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A shrinking consumer base and already deep penetration in key categories militate against volume growth in the Japanese consumer appliances market. Consequently, there is a growing pressure on manufacturers to generate value through the development of more sophisticated, higher-end products. Already hectic modern consumer lifestyles are being made even busier by efforts to increase female participation in the paid workforce in order to address Japan’s severe labour shortage and stimulate the…

A shrinking consumer base and already deep penetration in key categories militate against volume growth in the Japanese consumer appliances market. Consequently, there is a growing pressure on manufacturers to generate value through the development of more sophisticated, higher-end products. Already hectic modern consumer lifestyles are being made even busier by efforts to increase female participation in the paid workforce in order to address Japan’s severe labour shortage and stimulate the…

Japan has experienced some very hot summers in recent years, with the rainy season prior to the summer also becoming more humid and hotter. This has triggered the purchase of small-sized air conditioners for each room and stimulated the replacement of existing models in living rooms. Previously, areas such as Hokkaido in the northern part of Japan were not major regions for air conditioner sales because temperatures were not generally hot enough. However, this situation is changing, with…

Personal care appliances saw strong volume growth in the final year of the review period, supported by a significant increase in demand for oral care appliances. Rising consumer health-consciousness and increasing purchasing power are expanding the consumer base for personal care appliances and encouraging existing consumers to upgrade to appliances that are perceived to be more effective and convenient.

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Sports drinks saw one of the most significant sales growth in soft drinks in 2019. More Slovak consumers are trying to pursue a healthy lifestyle, eating and drinking healthier products and participating in sports activities. Especially popular are exercising in gyms and fitness centres with time spent in the gym increasing. Outdoor activities, mainly cycling and running, are also growing in popularity, and consumers are increasingly reaching for sports drinks to achieve better results, as…

Sports drinks saw one of the most significant sales growth in soft drinks in 2019. More Slovak consumers are trying to pursue a healthy lifestyle, eating and drinking healthier products and participating in sports activities. Especially popular are exercising in gyms and fitness centres with time spent in the gym increasing. Outdoor activities, mainly cycling and running, are also growing in popularity, and consumers are increasingly reaching for sports drinks to achieve better results, as…

Sports drinks saw strong off-trade volume growth and exceptionally high off-trade current value growth in 2019. However, sports drinks is expected to remain a small category within soft drinks, as most Nigerians do not exercise regularly, and even those that do, tend not to consume sports drinks. Joining a gym has yet to enter the mainstream, as the cost of membership is too high for the average consumer. Nevertheless, increasing numbers of working professionals are exercising in gyms in…

Soft drinks experienced stable growth levels in Slovakia in 2019, driven by several factors. Firstly, the positive economic improvement in the country has led to an increase in consumers purchasing powers. This has allowed more disposable income to be spent on soft drinks, which has seen consumers trading up, purchasing higher-priced soft drinks, and has driven an increased interest in premium products. This interest in premium offerings has lead players to launch organic, healthier…

In 2019, dynamic off-trade volume growth of soft drinks was supported mainly by the rising population. The performance was also positively impacted by urbanisation and the growing number of modern grocery retailers in towns and cities; with energy drinks and sports drinks, for instance, seeing greater market penetration. Retailers such as Shoprite and Spar have established bulk-buying arrangements with manufacturers, enabling them to sell drinks at discounted prices. Concentrates, RTD tea…

Thanks to active product development, in line with the health and wellness trend, Slovak consumers are showing greater interest in RTD tea, which experienced significant growth in value and volume sales in 2019. Products introduced across the previous year, 2018 focused on natural sweeteners, artificial ingredients and new flavours of RTD tea which boosted sales in 2019, especially when partnered with the warm weather, encouraging consumers to purchase RTD tea as a refreshing fix. RTD tea…

Energy drinks was one of the fastest-growing areas of soft drinks in 2019. These high levels of growth resulted from the fast pace of consumers’ lives, with growing interest in products that can boost their mental state, and increase their alertness. Energy drinks are popular among consumers who have to spend long hours at work, as well as students, who often use energy drinks to study, or during an exam period. They also appeal to young people who drink them at the weekend to stay active…