• 73% of Japanese millennials stay at home as much as possible, above the national average of 66%*
• 70% are extremely or quite concerned about COVID-19 impact
• Manufacturers, particularly in the alcohol space, should shift focus to insperiences

Golden Week, which starts on 29 April 2021, gets its name due to a cluster of Japanese national holidays, and is big business in Japan. Despite the relatively low COVID-19 case numbers compared to other countries, Japan has struggled to control the disease effectively. With very slow progress in the vaccination program, the country faces another quiet, stay-at-home Golden Week. It is imperative then, that alcohol manufacturers reach consumers through ‘insperience’ innovations, writes GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Mitsue Konishi, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “As many as 7 in 10 Japanese millennials report high concerns regarding the pandemic, according to GlobalData’s latest survey*, outpacing the country average (66%). This has translated to similar rates (73%) of Japanese millennials confining themselves to the home-space as much as possible, demonstrating the acute awareness these consumers have to the health crisis and the subsequent changes to their behavior.”

Although the Japanese Government asked foodservice outlets to operate reduced hours for dining-in, the foodservice industry is not closed. Millennials should be a key driver for the industry. However, 53% are extremely or quite concerned about eating out at restaurants. Clearly, stay-at-home will be the prevalent trend this Golden Week, translating to continued challenges for the industry over another peak earning period.

Ms Konishi continues: “Several FMCG brands have been boosting innovation in at-home consumption options recently. Due to the decline of footfall in foodservice outlets, the alcoholic beverages industry is pushing innovations that promote home-based drinking, offering home beer serving/pouring technologies or subscription services with home delivery.”

Asahi Super Dry ‘Nama Jokki Can’ is a gamechanger in the insperiences trend, which sees consumers ‘bring the bar home’. The canned package has a full-open lid and produces fine foam. Nama means draft and Jokki is a glass beer mug that is normally used in bars and restaurants, targeting those seeking bar-quality draft beer at home.

Ms Konishi concludes: “Bar quality is key for alcoholic beverage innovations. Coca-Cola’s premium chu-hi cocktail Lemon-dou has seen great success since its launch, becoming one of the key chu-hi brands, off the back of its bar quality claim. Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan stated in its investors’ presentation that it is planning to switch its underperforming non-alcoholic production facility to Lemon-dou production.

“Given Japan has not reached the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, product features that enhance home consumption experiences will continue to be a key innovation theme for some time to come.”