Japan Retail News - Inside consuming Japan - Trends, Products, People, Tech - Market Entry Japan
  • Japan Retail News - Home
  • Japan's Retail Market
    • Japan Business Links
    • JapanTV ads (CM) >
      • JapanTVads-Food
      • JapanTVads-Refresh
      • JapanTVads-Beauty
      • JapanTVads-Fashion
      • JapanTVads-HighTech
      • JapanTVads-Cars
      • JapanTVads-Service
  • Japan Market Reports
    • List Japan Market Reports
    • Doing Business with Japanese
    • EyeWear Japan
    • Kitchen Market Japan
    • Solar Market Japan
    • Furniture & Interior Market Japan
    • Retail & Consumer Goods Japan
    • Cosmetics Market Japan
    • Machinery & Tools Japan
    • Semiconductor Market Japan
    • Automotive & Suppliers Japan
    • Automotive Aftermarket & Autoparts Japan
    • Luggage Market Europe
  • Japan Market Entry Services
  • About JRN
    • Contact

Gadgets Before Flowers – Japanese Moms Mother’s Day Wishes

5/11/2014

 
Picture
Although the association of carnations with Mother’s Day began in the United States and stretches back over 100 years, I grew up never really being conscious of it (likely due to some combination of being a terrible son and having little interest in historical events that didn’t involve swords). In Japan, though, most people are aware that carnations are a symbol for Mother’s Day, and a bouquet of the flowers is by far the most common gift given on the holiday. 

Picture
But while mothers across the country appreciate the gesture, one survey says there’s something they want even more: electronics. Electronics manufacturer Panasonic recently released the results of a poll it conducted about Mother’s Day gifts. Not surprising for a culture that stresses the importance of familial bonds, 87 percent of the 1,000 adult men and women polled said they plan to give a present to their mom this year,

20 percent of participants will be spending more than they did last year, either as a result of getting a raise or finishing their education and starting their first steady job. On average, they expect to spend 6,795 yen (US$67), although one individual who’s either incredibly generous or mistakenly added an extra zero when filling out the questionnaire is looking to drop a cool million.

Picture
For those planning to give a gift, flowers were the most popular choice, with 37 percent saying Mom is getting a bouquet. At 23 percent, the number two choice was some unspecified kind of food or drink, with clothing and jewelry coming in third with 15 percent. Small personal items such as handkerchiefs or glasses cases came next with 12 percent, and just sneaking into the top five were health and beauty electronics, which accounted for 11 percent of responses.

But while these are the kinds of things children are picking out, what do mothers themselves actually want? To find out, Panasonic asked a group of moms in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and the overwhelming winner, being requested by 78 percent of those polled, was “health and beauty electronics.”

This is sort of unexpected, as a love of gadgets is still something more associated with young men than the women who gave birth to them. On the other hand, it’s hard not to imagine the implicit power of suggestion being in play here, considering the survey was conducted by one of Japan’s largest electronics manufacturers, which is itself in the middle of a multi-year marketing push for its personal wellness and beauty products.

Picture
That said, our own Japanese-language correspondent Anji says she gave her mother Panasonic’s Leg Reflex massager last year, after several years of happily using the same model herself. “It really helps the swelling in my legs, and I can’t live without it,” she gushes, while also mentioning the unit’s outstanding cost performance (apparently, Anji isn’t the one planning to spend 1,000,000 yen on Mother’s Day this year).

Mothers’ second-most-wanted gift was, predictably, flowers, at 73 percent. Another 67 percent said they’d like some kind of food or drink, 57 percent were hoping for small personal items, and just 11 percent said they be happy with a meal out or trip to a day spa. A couple of differences jump out between the two gift lists. 

First is that, despite about one in seven kids planning to give their mothers clothing or jewelry, mothers didn’t show a particularly strong desire for either, at least from their offspring. Second, the figure for the list compiled from the moms’ responses add up to way more than 100 percent, so it looks like some are expecting more than a single present from their offspring.

But it’s really the thought that counts, right? Children certainly seemed to think so. When asked “Why are you going to give a gift?” the near universal response was, “To show my appreciation,” with 98 percent of participants giving that as their reason. Mothers, for their part, said things such as, “Anything they put some thought into will be fine,” and “I’m just happy to have my children think of me as they choose a present.” Still, we’d recommend thinking of her as you pick out a leg massager, just to be on the safe side.
(RocketNews)


Comments are closed.
    JRN logo
    JRN

    Archives

    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    May 2008
    March 2008
    November 2007
    February 2007
    July 2006
    April 2006
    March 2006

    Categories

    All
    3d
    Abenomics
    Advertising
    Airlines
    Ana
    Apple
    Apps
    Architecture
    Asahi
    Beer Japan
    Bicycle
    Books
    Cafes
    Cars Japan
    Coffee
    Cosmetics
    Culture
    Department Stores
    Design
    Disney
    Docomo
    Dogs
    Drinks
    Economy Japan
    Ecotech
    Education
    Energy
    Farming
    Fashion Japan
    Flu
    Food
    Food Labels
    Food Market
    Forever 21
    Fujitsu
    Furniture Japan
    Gadgets
    Games
    Globalization
    Haagen Dazs
    Health
    Health Care
    Hello Kitty
    Heritage
    Hightech
    Hm Japan
    Hobby
    Honda
    Hotels
    Household Spending
    Hybrid
    Ikea Japan
    Industry
    Interior Japan
    Kids
    Kitson
    Living Cost
    Merger&Acquisition
    Merger&Acquisition
    Mitsubishi
    Mobiles
    Music
    Nhk
    Nintendo
    Olympia
    Online Shopping
    Online Supermarket
    Panasonic
    Pets
    Private Label
    Product Labelling
    Public Transportation
    Qr Codes
    Railway
    Real Estate
    Retail Japan
    Robots
    Sanrio
    Sanyo
    Science
    Security
    Sega
    Service
    Shiseido
    Social Media
    Solar Energy
    Sony
    Space
    Sports
    Statistics
    Supermarkets
    Tobacco
    Toilet
    Toshiba
    Tourists
    Toyota
    Toys
    Trade Shows
    Tradition
    Travel
    Twitter
    Uniqlo
    Vitamins
    Vuitton
    Wealth
    Wearable Tech
    Women

     


Our motto ...

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Albert Einstein

Stay in touch with JRN

 
Market Entry Japan request
> Get in touch with us/JRN
>> Speak to a Japan Expert
         Japan - a fascinating market with unique consumers buying extraordinary products. Be part of it.   Copyright © 2013 All rights reserved.   Japan Retail News© is powered by EJBC since 2005