What the Japanese Shop For Online

Japan is not only one of the world’s largest e-commerce markets, but it's also one that is growing fast. The country’s attractiveness for global online retailers derives from its highly developed economy, primarily urban population, and single language culture. Easy delivery and convenience are aided by Japan’s small country size and highly developed distribution channels. While the Japanese e-commerce landscape is dominated by domestic online stores, such as Rakuten or Kakaku, local branches of major international e-commerce retailers like Amazon or Yahoo are greatly contributing to the rising popularity of online shopping among Japanese consumers.

According to the Statista Digital Market Outlook, the most popular items to buy online are clothing and accessories - like in many markets - but also toys, DIY and hobby-related products. Consumer spending on these types of products is expected to reach $19 billion in 2020, while spending on apparel is expected to surpass $21 billion. With an above-average growth rate of almost 50 percent, food bought online has experienced strong growth in the country in the last couple of years and personal care product are also expected to catch up more in the e-commerce market in Japan in line with the local trend to maximizing convenience in all aspects of everyday life.