Japan Shoe Market Information
Current Condition of Footwear Market in Japan
We, ISF Secretariat, want to share some information about Japanese Footwear Market as of 2011.
To enter this market, we believe that ISF is the best option since ISF is the largest footwear-specialized trade show in Japan.
<Introduction>
The strongest characteristic of the Japanese shoe market is a good balance between quality and fashion. Shoes are considered to be stable products in the garment business.
<Scale of Japanese Market in Japan>
Annual Demand is Approximately 700 Million Pairs of Shoes
The annual supply had increased over the years, and in 2007 it exceeded 700 million pairs of shoes. However, due to economy stagnation, in 2009 it was 680 million pairs. This means in average approximately 5.5 pairs of shoes for a Japanese person. (The population of Japan is approximately 130 million.)
<Market Characteristics>
Wide Variety, Small Lots, Short Fashion Cycles
Seasonal changes are clear in Japan; therefore, people switch outfits accordingly, and do the same with shoes. For ladies’ shoes, it is common to see that merchandise turnover happens 8 times or more in one year.
<Main Trends>
High-End Market Trend is “Comfort Shoes”
The strengthening of health conscious trends leads to stable sales of comfort shoes. Comfort shoes from Germany, priced around 30,000JPY, lead the market, and comfort shoes made in Japan, priced around 20,000JPY, are increasing.
