Forget about designer brands and quirky gadgets: Low-priced fashions and green products scored big in Japan this year, an advertising agency survey found, as consumers pinch pennies and take advantage of government stimulus subsidies.
Hybrid vehicles topped the rankings in Dentsu Inc’s latest Hit Product Recognition Survey, while other low-emission vehicles eligible for government tax breaks and subsidies placed fourth.
Flu masks were very popular, inexpensive fashions ranked third, while cheaper store-brand products came in at No. 9 as companies targeted thrifty customers with affordable items, said Dentsu, Japan’s biggest advertising agency.
Consumers remain reluctant to open their wallets even as the economy has emerged from recession, but a few winners have bucked the trend.
Cost-conscious shoppers have been seeking bargains at budget retailers such as Fast Retailing’s Uniqlo casual-clothing chain, while hybrid cars have seen robust sales thanks in part to government stimulus measures.
Toyota Motor Corp’s gas-sipping Prius hybrid was Japan’s best-selling car for a fifth straight month in last month.
Among retail products in the survey, heat-trapping underwear came in at No. 12, jeans under ¥1,000 (US$11.60) took 14th, and Michael Jackson-related items placed 20th.
There were some bright signs for consumer spending beyond bargain-hunting for clothes: flat-panel TVs, low-priced notebook PCs and similar products made up more than half of the top 10 in a separate question on how people plan to spend their winter bonus.
Respondents said they plan to spend an average of 14 percent more on Christmas presents this year, boding well for the crucial year-end shopping season.
Quanta Computer Inc (廣達) chairman Barry Lam (林百里) is expected to share his views about the artificial intelligence (AI) industry’s prospects during his speech at the company’s 37th anniversary ceremony, as AI servers have become a new growth engine for the equipment manufacturing service provider. Lam’s speech is much anticipated, as Quanta has risen as one of the world’s major AI server suppliers. The company reported a 30 percent year-on-year growth in consolidated revenue to NT$1.41 trillion (US$43.35 billion) last year, thanks to fast-growing demand for servers, especially those with AI capabilities. The company told investors in November last year that
Intel Corp has named Tasha Chuang (莊蓓瑜) to lead Intel Taiwan in a bid to reinforce relations between the company and its Taiwanese partners. The appointment of Chuang as general manager for Intel Taiwan takes effect on Thursday, the firm said in a statement yesterday. Chuang is to lead her team in Taiwan to pursue product development and sales growth in an effort to reinforce the company’s ties with its partners and clients, Intel said. Chuang was previously in charge of managing Intel’s ties with leading Taiwanese PC brand Asustek Computer Inc (華碩), which included helping Asustek strengthen its global businesses, the company
Taiwanese suppliers to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC, 台積電) are expected to follow the contract chipmaker’s step to invest in the US, but their relocation may be seven to eight years away, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) said yesterday. When asked by opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Niu Hsu-ting (牛煦庭) in the legislature about growing concerns that TSMC’s huge investments in the US will prompt its suppliers to follow suit, Kuo said based on the chipmaker’s current limited production volume, it is unlikely to lead its supply chain to go there for now. “Unless TSMC completes its planned six
TikTok abounds with viral videos accusing prestigious brands of secretly manufacturing luxury goods in China so they can be sold at cut prices. However, while these “revelations” are spurious, behind them lurks a well-oiled machine for selling counterfeit goods that is making the most of the confusion surrounding trade tariffs. Chinese content creators who portray themselves as workers or subcontractors in the luxury goods business claim that Beijing has lifted confidentiality clauses on local subcontractors as a way to respond to the huge hike in customs duties imposed on China by US President Donald Trump. They say this Chinese decision, of which Agence
RSS