Vacuum Cleaners in Japan

PROSPECTS

Time-saving convenience a key influence on demand

As in other areas of consumer appliances, demand for time-saving convenience is a key influence on sales in vacuum cleaners. Consumers are leading ever busier lifestyles, particularly as more women, who were previously the main performers of household tasks, have entered paid employment.

Connectivity focused on robotic vacuum cleaners

Connectivity in vacuum cleaners is mainly focused on robotic products, with a growing number of manufacturers introducing connected products in the category. Even though the push still comes mainly from manufacturers, more consumers are finding use in connected robotic vacuum cleaners.

Cylinder vacuum cleaners struggle to compete with the stick format

Cylinder vacuum cleaners is increasingly seeing its share of vacuum cleaners eroded by the rise of other product formats. In response, manufacturers such as Sharp and Toshiba are developing cylinder vacuum cleaners that offer similar features to stick vacuum cleaners.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Panasonic sees continued share erosion

Panasonic Corp remained the leading player in vacuum cleaners in 2019, supported by the company’s high levels of brand recognition and trust amongst Japanese consumers. However, it continued to experience a trend of year-on-year volume share erosion that persisted throughout the review period as its core standard vacuum cleaner products lost out to the rapid expansion of stick vacuum cleaners.

Dyson continues to expand strongly

Having gained second place in overall vacuum cleaners in 2018 thanks to the dynamism of its stick vacuum cleaners, Dyson further closed the gap on leader, Panasonic, in the final year of the review period. The company initially targeted the premium segment with its stick vacuum cleaners, but has since expanded its product portfolio and distribution network to cater to a wider variety of consumer needs.

iRobot targets consumer base expansion

iRobot pioneered robotic vacuum cleaners in the Japanese market, fully committing to its Japanese operation through the acquisition of its local distributor, Sales On-Demand Corp, in 2017. Communications between the company’s local office and its headquarters have become more efficient, enabling faster business decisions and avoiding miscommunication.

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