Homewares in Japan

PROSPECTS

Popularity of small water bottles reflects broader trends

The end of the review period saw a notable trend towards smaller water bottles in the Japanese market. Previously, 500 ml water bottles dominated sales.

Multi cookers taking sales from gas pressure cookers

Gas pressure cookers, tracked under stove top cookware, are seeing sales decline, largely as a result of their function being usurped by other products, particularly electric multi cookers. Multi cookers are successfully appealing to busy consumers who still wish to cook but have limited time available.

Dinnerware undergoing polarisation

Dinnerware is undergoing a process of polarisation. Brands that are perceived to offer reasonable quality at an affordable price, such as Nitori, Seria (a 100 yen shop), and IKEA, are popular in categories such as dinnerware.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Nitori focusing on Deco Home brand

Nitori remained the largest player in homewares in 2019. One of the company’s areas of focus in the Japanese market is the development of its Deco Home branded stores.

MUJI expanding in homewares

MUJI is building a presence in homewares through the consistent expansion of its store network and maintaining the quality of its product offer. The brand’s positioning is less strongly founded on pricing than previously thanks to the emergence of players such as Nitori and 100 yen shops.

Kai Corp maintains presence in kitchen utensils, while T-Fal enters category

Kai Corp maintains a strong presence in kitchen knives, with its Seki Magoroku brand selling particularly well. As well as generating considerable domestic demand, Japanese branded kitchen utensils appeal strongly to inbound tourists who buy them to take home.

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