In Japan, when purchasing items, there is a period when many products nationwide are discounted all at once. Is this really true? In this article, we will introduce the best time to buy goods in Japan in a story format.
Summary
- There is certainly a timing when many companies hold sales. This is due to corporate fiscal year-ends.
- The timing for prices to drop is often in March and September.
Characters
- Mike: A 12-year-old American boy interested in Japan.
- John: Mike’s father. He frequently visits Japan for business.
- Kelly: Mike’s mother. She is good at cooking.
- Nobu: A Japanese international student.
Prologue
John: “Price hikes are occurring in Japan right now, but I wonder how Nobu’s family is doing?”
Kelly: “True, price hikes affect the household budget.”
Mike: “He is far away from his family, so isn’t he worried?”
Nobu: “Hello.”
John: “Ah, we were just talking about the high prices in Japan. Is your family doing okay?”
Nobu: “Yes, they are fine. For groceries, we can get them cheaply from relatives, and even when buying things, there is no problem as long as you don’t mistake the timing.”
Kelly: “Timing?”
Nobu: “Yes. In Japan, there is a timing when many things become cheaper. If you align your shopping with that, there is no problem.”
John: “That is an interesting story. Won’t you tell us about it?”
Nobu: “Yes.”
Goods Become Cheaper During the Fiscal Year-End Period
Points
- Goods become cheaper during the fiscal year-end period. Examples: Daily goods, clothing, home appliances, etc.
- There are also things that do not easily become cheaper. Examples: Fresh food, medicines, books, luxury brand goods, etc.
Nobu: “Actually, Japanese companies have a period when they lower the prices of goods all at once. That is the company’s fiscal year-end period. It can vary depending on the industry, but prices drop around March and September.”
John: “Oh, the fiscal year-end. Then that makes sense.”
Kelly: “In that case, what kind of things become cheaper?”
Representative Examples of Things That Become Cheaper
Nobu: “The things that become cheaper are wide-ranging. I think there would be no end to counting them, so I will just list some representative examples.”
Daily Goods
Nobu: “First, daily goods can be mentioned. The price drops are very wide in scope.”
Kelly: “I see, that is convenient.”
Nobu: “By the way, sales are sometimes held at large-scale stores as well. Since a wide range of products are discounted all at once, you can shop wisely.”
Kelly: “I wonder if they have them at supermarkets too?”
Nobu: “Supermarkets also handle daily goods, so I think a price drop can be expected. However, since such sales are on a first-come, first-served basis, you have to pay attention to advertisements and flyers.”
Clothing
Nobu: “Clothing also becomes cheaper at the fiscal year-end. This is very helpful. For example, buying a coat costs tens of thousands of yen, but if it gets a 30% discount, the cost benefit is huge, isn’t it?”
John: “For example, if a 100,000 yen item becomes 70,000 yen… saving as much as 30,000 yen is amazing.”
Home Appliances
Nobu: “Sales on home appliances also cannot be missed. Home appliances are originally expensive, so when they are discounted, a large cost benefit occurs. For example, if you think about a discount on a PC that costs around 200,000 yen, you can imagine that benefit.”
Mike: “I see, a PC. …The benefit is large.”
What Doesn’t Get Cheaper
Nobu: “On the other hand, there are things that do not easily become cheaper. For these, we have to think of another way to buy them.”
Fresh Food
Nobu: “First, fresh food can be mentioned. Meat and fish are things distributed every day. Even if it is the fiscal year-end period, I think they do not easily become cheap.”
Kelly: “Well, if it’s food, that makes sense.”
Nobu: “However, it seems that not fresh food, but food that keeps well can sometimes become cheaper. For example, canned food is like that.”
Kelly: “I see. Canned food.”
Medicines
Nobu: “Medicines also might not drop easily in price.”
Kelly: “Won’t that cause trouble?”
Nobu: “However, apart from the fiscal year-end, medicines are sometimes sold cheaply, so if you go around drugstores, you can often buy them cheaply.”
Kelly: “I see.”
Books
Nobu: “Books also do not become cheaper. Bookstores sell books that have become old [at regular prices].”
Mike: “If things like manga became cheaper, I would buy them, though.”
Nobu: “In times like that, it’s good to go to a secondhand bookstore. In fact, secondhand bookstores often have a better selection. Sometimes they sell comic series bundled together, so you can get all volumes at once. Moreover, you can buy them cheaply.”
Mike: “I see. In that case, secondhand books might be fine.”
Luxury Brand Goods
Nobu: “Luxury brand goods also probably do not easily become cheaper. There seem to be manufacturers that do not allow discounting even if a store tries to lower the price.”
John: “What do you mean?”
Nobu: “Because even though they released it as a luxury brand, if it is sold cheaply, the manufacturer will lose face. If people start saying things like ‘That brand has started selling cheap,’ it might be treated as a cheap product.”
John: “I see.”
Why Things Get Cheaper During Kessan
Points
Reasons why things become cheaper during the fiscal year-end period:
- Because companies want to extend their sales revenue.
- For inventory clearance.
- Because there is a social trend where the desire to buy increases.
Mike: “By the way, why do things become cheaper during the fiscal year-end period?”
Nobu: “Right. Let me explain that too.”
Because Companies Want to Extend Their Sales Revenue
Nobu: “The first reason that can be mentioned is that ‘companies want to extend their sales revenue.’ Sales revenues are disclosed externally as the company’s performance, so they want to sell as much as possible.”
Mike: “So that’s why they want to sell even if they lower the price.”
Nobu: “That’s right.”
For Inventory Clearance
Nobu: “Another reason is ‘inventory clearance.’ This strongly has the meaning of replacing products.”
Mike: “Is it bad to keep holding onto inventory?”
Nobu: “If you keep holding onto conventional products, you won’t be able to stock new products. Depending on the case, the inventory on hand might end up being only old models. If that happens, they really won’t sell.”
Mike: “I see. Inventory is difficult.”
Higher Buying Desire
Nobu: “One more thing. The fiscal year-end period is also a timing when the desire to buy increases.”
Mike: “Why is that?”
Nobu: “Because discounts during the fiscal year-end period have been done since a long time ago. It might have become a habit.”
To Know About Fiscal Year-End Sales
Points
- Checking official websites
- Checking newspaper flyers
- Checking official apps
- Checking SNS
Kelly: “In that case, what should we do to know about fiscal year-end sales?”
Nobu: “Yes. That is certainly important too. Let me explain.”
Checking Official Websites
Nobu: “The first thing that can be mentioned would be checking official websites. This is because new information is posted on official websites. …By the way, it seems that special pages are sometimes set up during the fiscal year-end period.”
Kelly: “I see. Having a special page appear is helpful.”
Checking Newspaper Flyers
Nobu: “Also, checking newspaper flyers is one method. Although the internet has become convenient now, newspaper insert flyers are still going strong.”
John: “Newspaper flyers? Since I read it every day, it might be convenient.”
Nobu: “Especially for elderly people, I think newspaper flyers are more convenient. Not everyone can necessarily operate a smartphone.”
John: “Certainly.”
Checking Official Apps
Nobu: “Official apps would also be good. They notify you when new information arrives. You can also see other profitable information besides the fiscal year-end.”
Mike: “It’s convenient for people who can operate a smartphone well.”
Checking SNS
Nobu: “Some companies have SNS accounts. I think looking at their posts is also good. Information on SNS is fresh, after all.”
Mike: “That’s certainly true. You can also put notifications on SNS, so depending on how you use it, I think it becomes very convenient.”
The End
From Personal Experience
When I first started living alone, I did not have much financial leeway. Therefore, purchasing things that were even a little cheaper sometimes became a challenge in life.
Fiscal year-end sales were something to be grateful for to me back then. In particular, sales at home appliance mass retailers were very heavily relied upon because the discount amounts were large. Large home appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines especially require funds. The fiscal year-end sale was something to be grateful for to that extent.
By the way, even if it is a fiscal year-end sale, in the case of home appliance mass retailers, it is possible to haggle over the price through negotiation with the clerk. The price is different depending on whether you say “make it a little cheaper” or not. For people who are going to shop from now on, I recommend trying to ask, “Won’t you lower the price a bit?” to match the fiscal year-end sale.
Conclusion
We covered sales during the fiscal year-end period. I think it was beneficial for people who live in Japan. Utilizing sales is essential in order to reduce unnecessary expenses, isn’t it?
Anyway, the fiscal year-end sale is a big event that I do not want you to miss. When you shop, please check advertisements and flyers.
