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Fast food, beverages, TVs see spike in demand, thanks to Blue Samurai
The Samurai Blue’s surprisingly good performance at the FIFA World Cup in Russia is boosting the domestic economy.
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Japan's midfielder Keisuke Honda (right) is congratulated by teammates. (AFP/File photo)
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s most of the games are played from late at night through the early hours in Japan, sales are increasing of items for home consumption, such as canned beer, prepared food at convenience stores and delivery pizza. People are also purchasing new TVs to replace old ones.
Major convenience store chain operator FamilyMart Co. lowered the prices of pre-prepared dishes by ¥20 (US 18 cents) from evening to late at night. The service started June 19, the day Japan beat Colombia, counting on demand from consumers watching games at home.
According to FamilyMart, sales of such dishes, including edamame boiled soybeans and grilled chicken, through Monday increased 60 percent from the same period last year.
On Sunday, Pizza Hut Japan Ltd. extended the business hours of some of its stores across the nation by one to three hours to 11:55 p.m., eyeing the Japan-Senegal match that began at midnight.
According to the company, its sales were about 10 percent higher than usual. The pizza delivery chain plans to extend business hours for about the same period on Thursday, as Japan’s match against Poland will take place late at night.
Shipment of Kirin Brewery Co.’s beer and beerlike drinks has increased by about 10 percent since June 20, pushed by the special version of Ichiban Shibori beer that put photos of Japan players on the exterior of cans.
“Public attention for Japan’s next game [against Poland] is increasing, so we expect sales will go up further,” a Kirin public relations official said.
The Samurai Blue have also stimulated demand for large TVs. According to the electronics store chain Nojima Corp., sales of high-definition 4K TV sets more than doubled in the two-day period through Thursday thanks to Japan’s win against Colombia.
Sales of Blu-ray discs have increased by about 30 percent, to record World Cup games conducted late at night, Nojima said.
Bic Camera Inc.’s sales of big-screen TVs — with screens of 43 inches or more — in May to June have increased 30 percent, compared with the same period last year.
The average usage period of color TVs is said to be around nine years. In 2009, the so-called eco-point system for home appliances was introduced as an economic stimulus measure following the collapse of Lehman Brothers.
A Bic Camera public relations official said households that purchased TVs during that period are now likely considering replacing their TVs.
Toshihiro Nagahama, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute, said that if the Samurai Blue reach the knock-out stage, the economic impact will be an estimated ¥21.5 billion, about the same as when the national team reached the Round of 16 in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
According to Nagahama, the two tournaments have such similarities as the public gradually becoming excited because of the unexpected performance of the national team, and most of the games being aired late at night.
“There's a strong trend of watching games at home, partly because of people’s tendency toward saving money,” Nagahama said.
The more Japan advances, the more consumption related to watching games at home will likely increase, he added.
This article appeared on The Japan News newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
