According to an industry association representing mass merchandisers, the impact of rising prices was strongly felt during the year-end sales season in 2025. Throughout the regular period, consumer spending slowed as price-conscious behavior intensified, and challenging conditions persisted through the end of the year. However, sales on December 30 and 31 helped secure December revenue at roughly the same level as the previous year. While non-food categories struggled amid declining demand, analysts noted that consumers increasingly prioritized food spending over other household expenses.
Against this backdrop, seafood products were particularly affected by rising raw material costs and reduced supply, making in-store merchandising a major challenge during the year-end season. According to the Supermarket Association, December was generally warmer than usual, which dampened demand for hot pot–related items in the first half of the month. Fluctuating weather conditions—alternating between mild temperatures and cold spells—made demand forecasting difficult, while the timing of Christmas and the year-end holidays falling on weekdays was also seen as a negative factor.
Looking at seafood sales trends during the year-end period, fresh items such as assorted sashimi platters, tuna, and salmon performed relatively well, and filleted products showed stable movement. In contrast, yellowtail and autumn salmon struggled due to supply shortages. Among frozen products, crab, oysters, and salmon roe were priced at high levels, leading to sluggish sales, and many retailers reported that osechi-related items failed to reach the previous year’s performance. In the prepared foods category, sushi, party platters, tempura, and osechi-related items remained solid toward year-end, with particularly strong sales of large sushi assortments standing out at many stores.
The Japan Chain Stores Association summarized the overall year-end sales season by stating that “food sales did not experience a significant downturn throughout the year.” While advance orders for osechi meals were steady, in-store sales of related items were weak. Rising prices led consumers to shy away from high-priced products, resulting in a decline in the number of items purchased per transaction. In the seafood category specifically, some retailers reported difficulties in securing sufficient supplies toward year-end due to unstable sourcing conditions, once again highlighting the challenges of in-store merchandising.
Although the environment surrounding seafood products remains severe, the importance of accurately capturing consumer demand through effective merchandising has been reaffirmed. How sales performance can be improved through creative and flexible in-store strategies will continue to draw close attention.
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