Hard Sell: Japan’s Retail Sector May Need to Reinvent Itself In the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Shifting buying habits at the country’s famous convenience stores and department stores hint at possible permanent changes in consumer behavior, favoring cooking at home, telecommuting, and online-shopping. This would be a profound change in Japan, where many people buy groceries fresh every day, department stores sell the pleasure of shopping as much as they sell high-end products, and public transportation supports shopping centers.