Japan Retailers Racing with Low-Priced Goods amid Inflation

Tokyo, Jan. 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese retailers are competing to offer low-priced goods as consumers continue to keep their purse strings tight amid inflation.

While it is increasingly difficult for retailers to differentiate their goods from rivals' in terms of prices due to higher material and labor costs, they are making efforts to keep the prices of their merchandise low by using cheap materials and ingredients, such as imported rice, and reviewing packages.

Convenience store operator Lawson Inc. plans to sell "ehomaki" seasonal sushi rolls using Calrose variety rice imported from the United States for 10 pct of the rice portion in Tokyo and surrounding areas in February. Preorders have been robust as their prices are set at 430 yen, 60 yen lower than the company's salad ehomaki rolls using only Japanese rice.

The company also enjoyed brisk demand for its low-cost Christmas cakes without toppings such as strawberries last year. Preorders jumped 80 pct from a year before. "We will take various measures in 2026 as well to offer our products at reasonable prices," Lawson President Sadanobu Takemasu said.

Industry rival FamilyMart Co. expanded its lineup of prepared food in small volume, such as salad and pasta. More than 20 kinds of such meals, priced at between 200 yen and 350 yen, are available, and over 230 million meals were sold in total as of the end of July 2025.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]