The extreme heatwaves that gripped Japan during summer helped to spur foodservice demand, with total sales and customer numbers during July increasing 2.5% and 2.9% year-on-year, respectively, (Japan Foodservice Association).
The lift in total sales, the first year-on-year increase in six months, was largely led by the robust
performance of the fast food sector, with sales growing 6.5% on July 2009. Consumer preference for not cooking at home (due to hot weather), matched with the convenience and affordable prices, appeared to have contributed to the growth in sales for the sector.
Western style fast food outlets (namely hamburgers) improved both their customer numbers and expenditure per customer by 2.1% and 5.9% year-on-year, respectively. The Japanese style fast food outlets (gyudon beef rice bowl) increased customer numbers by 5%, but harsh discounting among the leading chains resulted in reduced sales (down 1.3%).
In the Australian beef export market this week, Japanese buyers reportedly faced increasing competition from international markets. Buoyant demand strengthened frozen beef export prices in both US and Australian dollar terms, while chilled prices are still relatively subdued due to limited interest.
Source: MLA.com
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