March 02, 2010
By the ZippyCart Ecommerce Software Content Team
Japan has been one of the countries leading the world for years in terms of ecommerce and mcommerce adoption, but unfortunately the change in which people shop has hurt many brick and mortar stores. The country of Japan is known for being very expensive to live and crowded, especially in the metropolitan areas where everything is very dense and people are extremely busy. This busy lifestyle has forced many people in Japan to choose ecommerce or mcommerce as their method for shopping, to save time and money. However, department store sales are being crushed by this digital shift, as domestic department sales fell 5.7% year over year. Domestic department sales in Japan have been on the decline for almost two years according to data released by the Japan Department Stores Association. Many analysts wonder how long this scenario will take to play out in other countries who are a few years behind Japan for ecommerce and mcommerce.
Consumers in Japan have also been feeling the pains of the global recession, therefore they have adopted more thrifty shopping habits like hunting online for the best deal, or seeking out outlet malls for bargains. There are very few things which consumers in Japan prefer to buy at a retail shop, as the online shopping experience has won over millions of people in the country. Top online retail sites in Japan are steadily growing, while traditional department store sales decline. This influx on consumers online also results in billions of advertising impressions each year on Japanese sites, which has forced more advertising dollars to go toward the online sector. One of the top online mediums, which consumers are experiencing more advertising on, is via their mobile phones, which are always closely within reach for almost all citizens in Japan. Now the country can only try and embrace the digital change and figure out the best ways to ensure the economy performs well.
Amy is the co-founder of ZippyCart. She went to school for film in Cleveland, Ohio and ended up working in the field of viral video marketing, which eventually led her to her real profession: SEO. When she's not writing for ZippyCart, she can be found out and about Seattle, WA.
