Japanes
e beer is enjoying continuous popularity here despite fears over the safety of products made in Japan, following the leak of radioactive waste water from Fukushima nuclear power plant, according to discount outlet chains, Sunday.
Imported Japanese baby products and processed foods, on the other hand, have seen their sales almost halved since last month when such concerns were raised.
According to E-mart, the nation’s biggest discount chain, sales of imported Japanese beers grew 7.4 percent for the last three weeks since Aug. 16, compared to the same period last year.
“Beer was the only product to see an increase in sales among Japanese goods,” an official from the company said.
Sales rose 3.1 percent this month alone, despite increased fears of exposure of radioactive material.
Contrary to this, the sales of baby formulas plunged 38.2 percent for the last three weeks. Consumers have become more unwilling to buy those products recently, as sales have dropped 49.2 percent for September, compared to the same period in 2012.
Japanese snacks generally see an increase in sales, but have also been losing popularity as sales declined 9.8 percent this month.
Lotte Mart, the nation’s second largest discount chain, is seeing similar trends.
Sales of Japanese beer jumped 49 percent for the last three weeks, 17 percent this month alone.
However, sales of Japanese diapers decreased 27.7 percent. Their continuing declined grew this month, recording a drop of 54.1 percent.
In the past three weeks, Lotte Mart saw imported snacks sales rise by 26.3 percent, with only Japanese snacks declining by 2.9 percent.
Condiment products, such as Japanese soy sauce or fermented soybean paste, also plunged by 21 percent.
“Consumers buying baby products are parents and they pay great attention to children’s safety. We think that’s why their sales have been hugely declined,” a company official said.
“But the main consumers of imported beer are young people who pay relatively less attention to the radioactive issue and health issues. Maybe that’s why beer sales have not been affected much,” he said.
While the government banned imports of fish products from Fukushima and seven adjacent prefectures in Japan amid the fears of radioactive waste water spilling into the sea, consumers have also started avoiding products from the Korean territorial sea, which they think may have been affected by radioactive water from the neighboring country.
Sales of Korean mackerels reduced 31.5 percent in August from the same period last year, while those of Norwegian ones grew 15.8 percent, according to Lotte Mart. The sales of domestic hairtail fish dropped 11.8 percent, while those imported from Senegal increased by 82.8 percent.
According to the Korea Customs Service, Japanese fish products took up around 10 percent of total imports by 2010. But the ratio plummeted since the nuclear power plant accident in March 2011 to 3.2 percent last year.
e beer is enjoying continuous popularity here despite fears over the safety of products made in Japan, following the leak of radioactive waste water from Fukushima nuclear power plant, according to discount outlet chains, Sunday.Imported Japanese baby products and processed foods, on the other hand, have seen their sales almost halved since last month when such concerns were raised.
According to E-mart, the nation’s biggest discount chain, sales of imported Japanese beers grew 7.4 percent for the last three weeks since Aug. 16, compared to the same period last year.
“Beer was the only product to see an increase in sales among Japanese goods,” an official from the company said.
Sales rose 3.1 percent this month alone, despite increased fears of exposure of radioactive material.
Contrary to this, the sales of baby formulas plunged 38.2 percent for the last three weeks. Consumers have become more unwilling to buy those products recently, as sales have dropped 49.2 percent for September, compared to the same period in 2012.
Japanese snacks generally see an increase in sales, but have also been losing popularity as sales declined 9.8 percent this month.
Lotte Mart, the nation’s second largest discount chain, is seeing similar trends.
Sales of Japanese beer jumped 49 percent for the last three weeks, 17 percent this month alone.
However, sales of Japanese diapers decreased 27.7 percent. Their continuing declined grew this month, recording a drop of 54.1 percent.
In the past three weeks, Lotte Mart saw imported snacks sales rise by 26.3 percent, with only Japanese snacks declining by 2.9 percent.
Condiment products, such as Japanese soy sauce or fermented soybean paste, also plunged by 21 percent.
“Consumers buying baby products are parents and they pay great attention to children’s safety. We think that’s why their sales have been hugely declined,” a company official said.
“But the main consumers of imported beer are young people who pay relatively less attention to the radioactive issue and health issues. Maybe that’s why beer sales have not been affected much,” he said.
While the government banned imports of fish products from Fukushima and seven adjacent prefectures in Japan amid the fears of radioactive waste water spilling into the sea, consumers have also started avoiding products from the Korean territorial sea, which they think may have been affected by radioactive water from the neighboring country.
Sales of Korean mackerels reduced 31.5 percent in August from the same period last year, while those of Norwegian ones grew 15.8 percent, according to Lotte Mart. The sales of domestic hairtail fish dropped 11.8 percent, while those imported from Senegal increased by 82.8 percent.
According to the Korea Customs Service, Japanese fish products took up around 10 percent of total imports by 2010. But the ratio plummeted since the nuclear power plant accident in March 2011 to 3.2 percent last year.
