Japanese Consumers Still Prefer Shopping in Brick and Mortar Stores

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CBRE has just released a special report on its 2014 Consumer Survey on Japan, focusing on consumer retail shopping trends in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
 
In the survey, around 80% of respondents replied that they shop in physical stores. One of the reasons for this is that over half of consumers polled value the overall experience of going shopping. In other words, consumers visit shops that offer a satisfying shopping experience (for non-food items such as clothes, shoes, accessories, skin care products, electronic goods etc.)
 
The survey also showed that while most consumers are using the internet to look for specific items, and check prices and product details, they are more likely to shop in brick and mortar stores than online. This suggests that online shopping is not necessarily an immediate threat to stores and that consumers use the two shopping mediums for different purposes.

Nevertheless, some consumers did expect to shop online more often in the near future. It will therefore be even more important for retailers to satisfy demand for 'intangible' consumption by allowing consumers to enjoy their time in a way that online shopping does not.
 
In August 2014, CBRE Research conducted its first ever Asia Pacific Consumer Survey, interviewing consumers living in the Asia Pacific region. Questions asked included how and where consumers shop, which shops they visit most often, and their views on the future of shopping.

The Japan version of the survey included responses from 1,000 male and female consumers in the Greater Tokyo Area, between 18 and 64 years of age, across a variety of household sizes and incomes. This report presents the findings from the survey.