Clothing And Footwear in Japan
Euromonitor International's Clothing And Footwear in Japan market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, packaging innovations, economic/lifestyle influences, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.
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Tables: 54 | Publication date: Dec 2007
Why buy this report
- Get insight into trends in market performance
- Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change
- Identify market and brand leaders and understand the competitive environment
Product coverage
Clothing; Footwear
Executive summary
Declining sales in 2006
Clothing and footwear sales in Japan declined in both value and volume terms in 2006, due to the underperformance of various subsectors. Despite most key players trying to restore vibrancy to the market, prevalent price discounts eventually led to a lowering of overall sales. The increasing level of cheap imports from China, the growing popularity of second hand clothing and footwear outlets and rising economic concerns among Japanese consumers all resulted in a reduction in spending on expensive clothing and footwear items.
Fashionable and innovative items to the rescue
Clothing retailers tried to compensate for declining value sales by introducing fashionable and innovative clothing and footwear, such as germ-free textiles, as well as stepping up price promotions. Demand for child-friendly, comfortable and safe apparel continued to draw demand. In 2005, ‘Cool Biz’ and ‘Warm Biz’ campaigns when Aoki introduced a new range of clothing styles aimed at businessmen led to an increase in sales.
Key players work overtime
Clothing and footwear retailers aggressively campaigned to improve sales during the review period, extending their outlet numbers, opening hours and expanding product ranges. This resulted in some growth in volume terms, but had little impact on value sales.
Tie-up strategy
In order to beat the competition, key players regard business connections as a way to survive in the clothing and footwear industry. In 2006, Aoyama pursued greater market share by entering into a tie-up with Culture Convenience Club Co Ltd’s T-Point program, which has 18 million members.
Product safety comes first for Uniqlo
Despite poor performances, key players maintained their integrity, protecting customers and continuing to gain trust. In 2006, Uniqlo built a system for stringently product safety checking and quality control throughout the planning, production, distribution and sales stages. In June 2006, baby short pants were recalled due to formaldehyde emissions (formaline) exceeding the level stipulated in Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Ordinances. In the same year, it also stopped the sale of boy’s swimming trunks which posed the danger of skin being pinched and injury caused by mesh materials used.
Falling birth rates threaten the market for clothing and footwear
Key players in the market for clothing and footwear struggled in the face of falling birth rates. This led to a setback in overall industry performance over the course of the review period. This means demand may be even weaker in the forecast period so many companies will be looking for strategies to cushion poor sales. Manufacturers may eventually resort to transferring all production to other neighbouring countries, which will lower prices and constrain value sales growth.
Table of contents
CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR IN JAPAN : MARKET INSIGHT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Declining sales in 2006
Fashionable and innovative items to the rescue
Key players work overtime
Tie-up strategy
Product safety comes first for Uniqlo
Falling birth rates threaten the market for clothing and footwear
KEY TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS
Low fertility and birth rates pose threat to sales
Increasing female employment, a potential force
Housewives go part-time
Private label brands lead to market segmentation
Online shopping on the rise
MARKET DATA
Table 1 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: Volume 2001-2006
Table 2 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: Value 2001-2006
Table 3 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: % Volume Growth 2001-2006
Table 4 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: % Value Growth 2001-2006
Table 5 Clothing and Footwear Company Shares 2004-2006
Table 6 Clothing and Footwear Brand Shares 2004-2006
Table 7 Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2001-2006
Table 8 Forecast Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: Volume 2006-2011
Table 9 Forecast Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: Value 2006-2011
Table 10 Forecast Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: % Volume Growth 2006-2011
Table 11 Forecast Sales of Clothing and Footwear by Sector: % Value Growth 2006-2011
DEFINITIONS
Clothing
Footwear
Sources
Summary 1 Research Sources
LOCAL COMPANY PROFILES - JAPAN
AOKI HOLDINGS INC - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 2 Aoki Holdings Inc: Key Facts
Summary 3 Aoki Holdings Inc: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 4 Aoki Holdings Inc: Competitive Position 2006
AOYAMA TRADING CO LTD - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 5 Aoyama Trading Co Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 6 Aoyama Trading Co Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
Summary 7 Aoyama Trading Co Ltd: Production Statistics 2006
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 8 Aoyama Trading Co Ltd: Competitive Position 2006
ONWARD KASHIYAMA CO LTD - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 9 Onward Kashiyama Co Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 10 Onward Kashiyama Co Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 11 Onward Kashiyama Co Ltd: Competitive Position 2006
UNIQLO CO LTD - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 12 Uniqlo Co Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 13 Uniqlo Co Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 14 Uniqlo Co Ltd: Competitive Position 2006
WORLD CO LTD - CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR - JAPAN
STRATEGIC DIRECTION
KEY FACTS
Summary 15 World Co Ltd: Key Facts
Summary 16 World Co Ltd: Operational Indicators
COMPANY BACKGROUND
PRODUCTION
COMPETITIVE POSITIONING
Summary 17 World Co Ltd: Competitive Position 2006
CLOTHING IN JAPAN
HEADLINES
TRENDS
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
PROSPECTS
SECTOR DATA
Table 12 Sales of Clothing by Subsector: Volume 2001-2006
Table 13 Sales of Clothing by Subsector: Value 2001-2006
Table 14 Sales of Clothing by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2001-2006
Table 15 Sales of Clothing by Subsector: % Value Growth 2001-2006
Table 16 Sales of Men’s Outerwear by Type 2001-2006
Table 17 Sales of Women’s Outerwear by Type 2001-2006
Table 18 Sales of Childrenswear by Type 2001-2006
Table 19 Clothing Company Shares by Retail Value 2004-2006
Table 20 Clothing Brand Shares by Retail Value 2004-2006
Table 21 Sales of Clothing by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2001-2006
Table 22 Forecast Sales of Clothing by Subsector: Volume 2006-2011
Table 23 Forecast Sales of Clothing by Subsector: Value 2006-2011
Table 24 Forecast Sales of Clothing by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2006-2011
Table 25 Forecast Sales of Clothing by Subsector: % Value Growth 2006-2011
FOOTWEAR IN JAPAN
HEADLINES
TRENDS
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
PROSPECTS
SECTOR DATA
Table 26 Sales of Footwear by Subsector: Volume 2001-2006
Table 27 Sales of Footwear by Subsector: Value 2001-2006
Table 28 Sales of Footwear by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2001-2006
Table 29 Sales of Footwear by Subsector: % Value Growth 2001-2006
Table 30 Sales of Footwear by Type 2001-2006
Table 31 Footwear Company Shares by Retail Value 2004-2006
Table 32 Footwear Brand Shares by Retail Value 2004-2006
Table 33 Sales of Footwear by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2001-2006
Table 34 Forecast Sales of Footwear by Subsector: Volume 2006-2011
Table 35 Forecast Sales of Footwear by Subsector: Value 2006-2011
Table 36 Forecast Sales of Footwear by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2006-2011
Table 37 Forecast Sales of Footwear by Subsector: % Value Growth 2006-2011