Japanese Home Furnishings Views
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY “Broken” housewares and “tattered” furnishings markets perform badly The overall performances of the housewares and home furnishings markets suffered in 2008, having been confronted by serious contractions, influxes of lower-priced imports, a decline in the average size of Japanese households and widespread cannibalisation during the review period. Households came to attach less importance to housewares and home furnishings than to health, leisure or travel, which led the major manufacturers to vacillate between the competing marketing priorities of introducing premium brands or focusing on launches of price-competitive products.
The Japanese market for housewares and home furnishings is characterised by a variety of conflicting themes that affect product launches. While eco-friendly models dominate the offer of some Japanese manufacturers, especially when it comes to health and the environment, the growth in the share of the market held by plastics has become a compelling countervailing influence, especially among manufacturers that cater to households’ requirements for portability and affordability.
The market for housewares and home furnishings is highly fragmented. Private label brands continue to dominate the market, which reflects the growing influence of brand loyalty among Japanese households and hence its increased importance in determining which brands survive. In view of this trend, the outcome of the battle among competitors during the review period was based on improved brand images, increased distribution capacity and widespread use of marketing channels where products could achieve greater visibility, whether on line or through traditional media.
Japanese Home Furnishings Images
