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 Japan Supermarket Tradeshow with “New Normal” The JSA (Japan Supermarket Association) announced that sales of meat products in December 2020 were up 8.7% from a year earlier, resulting in eleven consecutive months of growth and the achievement of 10% annual growth. This the highest growth rate in all retail food categories, attributed to an increase in demand from people staying at home. The environment surrounding Japanese supermarkets has changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 55th anniversary of Supermarket Tradeshow (SMTS) provided an opportunity to look at how information is distributed, both in-person and virtually, in this new era to meet the demand of retail buyers. Canada Beef International Institute (CBII) Japan participated in the Supermarket Tradeshow (February 17 – 19, 2021), aligning with other premium food and beverage products to promote Canadian beef under the Canada banner. Canada Beef launched a newly designed booth that highlights food safety, the Farm-to-Table quality system and the global services offered by Canada Beef.  Seminars and Buyers College (special lectures for buyers presented by experts) were held as a webinar and offered outside the exhibition hours. Export online business meetings provided an opportunity for exhibitors to meet with overseas buyers. These offline and online platforms provided us with the opportunity to introduce Canadian beef supply partners to visitors, share an overview of the Canadian beef delivery system and beef quality and introduce the promotion and marketing services available to end-user customers.  Despite global travel restrictions, the show still attracted over 29,000 visitors, many of whom came from the retail sector. There were many productive meetings at the venue with the CBII’s retail partners regarding Canada Beef’s marketing plans. Japan Covid-19 Update Japan's government has extended its COVID-19-related state of emergency by a month (until March 7, 2021) in Tokyo and nine prefectures as medical systems remain under pressure. The number of daily new cases across Japan has fallen over the past few weeks. COVID-19 vaccinations began on February 15, 2021, starting with medical workers. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government requested restaurants, bars and other similar venues to shorten their trading hours and close at 8 p.m. until March 7, 2021. Financial stability in the foodservice sector is projected to further worsen because of the third and biggest wave of COVID-19; the government provides subsidies to restaurant owners who comply with the request. The JFSA (Japan Foodservice Association) announced that restaurant sales in December decreased by 15.5% from a year earlier, resulting in a negative growth rate (-15.9%) in 2020. Beef importers are concerned about the safeguard measures activation for American beef. Safeguard measures would be activated for American beef and a new tariff (38.5%) would be applied from March or April 2021 if the import volumes continue to increase. Beef prices are steady compared with the previous month and no beef items have been identified in short supply at retail and foodservice. South Korea Covid-19 Update On February 15, after maintaining Level 2.5 social distancing measures, the second-highest in a five-tier system, for around two months, the South Korean government has lowered the guidelines to Level 2 for the greater Seoul area and Level 1.5 for other regions. After reaching over 1,200 in December, South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases have declined to a range of 288-504 in mid-February. The government has maintained the ban on private gatherings of more than four people, however allowed restaurants and cafes to operate for one more hour until 10 p.m. from February 15. Many restaurants have developed take-out or delivery menus and have also begun HMR (Home Meal Replacement) business. A new term “Restaurant Meal Replacement” (RMR) has appeared, meaning it was made with a famous restaurant recipe. The most popular products are soup/stew type products. Department stores, hypermarts, and supermarkets had to close before 9 p.m., however, under Level 2 from February 15, they are permitted to operate until their normal closing time. It is estimated that overall beef sales at retail have increased in February, as consumers bought more expensive gift products, including beef, for the Lunar New Year’s Day which fell on February 12, as they could not visit their family members and friends. Back to main page  Japan Team Yuko Onizawa, Ichiro Kiyotomi, Takako Toyama |
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