Market Overview

The domestic gift market is valued at 10,116.5 billion yen for 2021, 102.3% of the previous year, and it is projected to grow to 10,534 billion yen for 2022, 104.1% on year-on-year basis.

While the demand for gifts to express courtesy has been declining with current trends, due to change in lifestyle and attitudes toward a way of social life, the communication method of giving a "gift" has been passed down in a way that is more relevant to modern society. It has increased its importance in relationships that are more personal and intimate. Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus, occasions for formal gifts have decreased from 2020. Nevertheless, there were other occasions that have increased opportunities for giving gifts, especially casual gifts, and thus the overall market has shown positive growth.

Noteworthy Topics

“Sending Gifts for Not Being Able to See In-person” Gains a Foothold as New Tradition

As the spread of COVID-19 decreased casual get-together occasions, people have embraced the act of sending gifts as a way of communication to convey their feelings. It was assumed that the demand for “sending gifts for not being able to see in-person” will diminish as the movement restrictions are lifted. Nonetheless, with the end of pandemic restrictions, the demand for gifts for “Mother's Day” in 2022 grew considerably compared to past years. As seen in the growth in demand alike for “Father’s Day”, “Respect for Elderly Day”, “Christmas”, “birthday”, and “wedding anniversary”, it is speculated that sending gifts to a person they care on special occasion has taken root domestically.


 

Future Outlook

Size of the domestic gift market for 2023 is forecasted to grow marginally to 10,667 billion yen, 101.3% of that of the preceding year.

Even in today's society where relationships with local communities and people are said to have become diluted, "giving a gift" plays a major role as a way to express gratitude, favor, respect, or affection for person they care, such as parent, child, and friends. It is a tool to facilitates communication.

While the pandemic averted people from seeing their family and friends in-person or returning to hometown, the presence of "gifts" increased to express their feelings instead of meeting in-person. The value of giving gifts as a communication method has been reevaluated.

In addition, as movement restrictions are eased and thus increased their activities, the demand for gift presented in-person, which had declined sharply during the pandemic, has been showing signs of recovery from 2022. Although there is a significant gap between sales result of gifts compared by gift occasion, the overall gift market is expected to recover to the pre-pandemic level in 2023.


 

Research Outline