IntaSect Communications, Inc. (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Tan Yufeng, President; hereinafter “IntaSect”), an overseas promotion and inbound support company for China, Taiwan, and other countries, recently conducted a survey of mainland Chinese residents aged 18 and older to gain insight into Chinese consumers’ non-purchase plans when visiting Japan. The survey was conducted on non-planned purchases during visits to Japan among mainland Chinese residents aged 18 and over (number of respondents: 2,103). This news release announces the results of the survey.

■About the Attributes of the Respondents
This survey was conducted on October 5, 2023 using the survey function on Wechat, a messenger application provided by Tencent, targeting mainland China residents aged 18 and older (2,103 respondents). The regions covered were Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Suzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Hangzhou, and Nanjing. Of the 2,103 respondents, 570 visited Japan before Corona (-2019), 247 visited Japan after Corona (2020-2022), and 86 visited after 2023. (Multiple responses. 873 unique respondents had visited Japan).

■Main Findings (Questionnaire Summary)
The survey revealed
that approximately 80% of mainland Chinese residents who have visited Japan have created a “shopping list” prior to their visit. Of these, 60% selected specific product categories and product names. However, during their visit to Japan, more than 90% of them made impulse purchases of products that were not on their “shopping list,” indicating that the attractiveness of product packages and other features increased their purchasing motivation.

■80% of those who have visited Japan made a list before their trip
The results of a survey on shopping lists made by Chinese residents when visiting Japan revealed that 86% (720 respondents) of the 837 respondents made shopping lists. Of these, 44% (365) made the list during the trip planning stage, and 36% (298) made the list just before their visit to Japan, together accounting for 80% (663) of those who made the list before their visit. On the other hand, 7% (57 respondents) made the list during their visit to Japan, and 14% (117 respondents) decided in stores during their visit without making a shopping list.

■”Shopping List”, Itemization of “Product Genres” and “Specific Product Names
The survey revealed that when making a “shopping list,” many respondents decide in advance on the product genres and specific product names they wish to purchase (multiple responses). Specifically, 63% (451) of the respondents selected the product genre and 62% (443) the specific product name they would like to purchase, and 28% (203) also listed the name of the manufacturer of the product they would like to purchase.

Furthermore, the survey results on products and genres mentioned in shopping lists (720 respondents who made a list, multiple responses) showed that cosmetics were most frequently mentioned (67% (484 respondents)), followed by food (47% (341 respondents)) and confectionery (34% (244 respondents)). Pharmaceuticals accounted for 28% (203 respondents), and beverages and alcohol 27% (192 respondents).
<Products and genres mentioned in the shopping list

On the other hand, more than 90% of respondents experienced “impulse buying
While many visitors to Japan made a specific “shopping list” prior to their visit, when asked if they made impulse purchases upon first encountering a product in a store (720 respondents), 96% (688 respondents) answered that they had experienced impulse buying. Of those, 17% (124 respondents) purchased “items not on the list,” and 45% (320 respondents) “purchased about half of the items on the list and half of the items not on the list (in stores). Of these, 17% (124) purchased items that were not on their list, and 45% (320) purchased about half of the items on their list and half of the items not on their list (in the stores).

Very few respondents, 3% (24), said they purchased only the items on the list.

＜Visitors to Japan who experienced impulse buying

Cosmetics were the most popular impulse purchases, followed by food
Cosmetics and groceries, which were popular on the “shopping list” prior to the survey, were also popular in the “products purchased on impulse” (829 respondents, multiple responses). 43% (358 respondents) ranked cosmetics in first place, and 32% (267 respondents) ranked groceries in second place.
The third most popular item on the “shopping list” was sweets (32%, 267 respondents), followed by beverages and alcohol (20%, 167 respondents), and clothing (20%, 164 respondents).
Pharmaceuticals were popular on the preliminary “shopping list” at 15% (125 respondents).

<Products purchased on impulse.

■Marketing strategy” was the deciding factor in impulse purchases and the reason for making the purchase
Regarding the “reasons for impulse purchases in stores” (829 respondents), the most common answer was “attracted by the product packaging” (27%, 217 respondents), along with “I originally wanted the product” (27%, 217 respondents). In addition, “attracted by the POP introducing the product” (9%, 75 respondents), “attracted by the poster introducing the product” (7%, 55 respondents), and “recommendation by a store employee” (4%, 29 respondents), indicating that in many cases, marketing strategies led to the purchase of the product.

■Marketing strategy” was the deciding factor in impulse purchases and the reason for making the purchase
Regarding the “reasons for impulse purchases in stores” (829 respondents), the most common answer was “attracted by the product packaging” (27%, 217 respondents), along with “I originally wanted the product” (27%, 217 respondents). In addition, “attracted by the POP introducing the product” (9%, 75 respondents), “attracted by the poster introducing the product” (7%, 55 respondents), and “recommendation by a store employee” (4%, 29 respondents), indicating that in many cases, marketing strategies led to the purchase of the product.

<What made me make an impulse purchase?

■ Summary
The results of this survey revealed that more than 80% of Chinese residents make a “shopping list” before visiting Japan. Many of those lists include cosmetics and groceries. On the other hand, impulse purchases were also experienced by over 90% of visitors to Japan, and as with the “shopping list,” cosmetics and groceries were popular. Many of these impulse purchases were prompted by product marketing strategies, with many having been motivated to buy by “product packaging,” “product posters,” and “product POP.

As part of promotions for tourists visiting Japan, it is important to implement recognition measures to get their products on the shopping list when they visit Japan, but it is also important to implement promotional measures in the form of encounters with products after their visit to the store, or in the form of so-called in-store (retail media).

■Company Profile
Trade Name ： IntaSect Communications, Inc.
Representative ： President Tan Yufeng
Location ： B・M Bldg. 2F, 3-1 Kanda Ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0052, Japan
Founded ： November 2000
Business ： Overseas promotion and inbound (visitors to Japan) support, mainly for mainland China and Taiwan,
Cross-border EC for China, affiliate operation agency, affiliate site patrol,
System development, etc.
Capital ：98.56 million yen
URL ：https://www.intasect.com

As an inbound promotion business mainly for mainland China and Taiwan, we are the core agency for Baidu advertising, the official exclusive agency in Japan for Mafengwo, the No. 1 travel social media site in China, and other customer attraction support, KOL and video solutions, cross-border e-commerce support, WeChat Pay, Alipay and other multi-payment “IntaPay”, social network post monitoring, affiliate large-scale operation improvement, affiliate site patrol, offline development, work style reform such as e-contracts, AI/healthcare IoT-related services, and more. IntaPay, a multi-payment system for WeChat Pay, Alipay, etc., other cutting-edge technologies such as SNS post monitoring, large-scale affiliate operation improvement, affiliate site patrol, offshore development, work style reform such as electronic contracts, and research and development related to AI and healthcare IoT, etc., are used as weapons in a wide range of domestic and international businesses. We are currently developing a wide range of businesses both domestically and internationally using cutting-edge technologies.

■Inquiries about inbound promotions in Mainland China, Taiwan and other markets
IntaSect Communications, Inc.
Overseas Advertising Promotion Group, Visit Japan Promotion Planning Office
Tel: 03-3233-3527 (Business hours: 9:00 – 18:00 weekdays)
E-mail: m_promotion@intasect.co.jp
https://www.intasect. com/contact.html