Japanese sought peace of mind rather than life in the fast lane this year amid the ongoing economic decline, according to a sales trends report released by the nation's top advertising agency.
Dentsu Inc. summed up the consumer mood with the phrase "slow, slow, quick," and said consumers snapped up high-tech products that save time for intangible benefits such as peace of mind and security.
Washing machines equipped with dryers, fabric softeners that eliminate the need for ironing and broadband access to the Internet were cited as examples of time-saving goods.
"The most sought-after luxury was spending time in a leisurely and relaxed fashion," Dentsu said in the report, titled "2001 Hit Products in Japan."
Among goods and services falling into this category were toiletries and cafes, it said.
Dentsu also noted an increase in inexpensive quality products, which it said produced "the two-in-one person" phenomena, whereby people did not mind driving an expensive foreign car while wearing a pair of glasses costing only 5,000 yen.
The company said examples of popular low-cost goods and services were sundries outlets, stores specializing in cheap sunglasses, and "happoshu," a low-malt beerlike beverage.
The flagship stores of luxury foreign brands and built-to-order condominiums were examples of popular high-priced goods and services.
The popularity of products such as pet robots showed people wanted "warmth," while consumers also seemed to be more concerned with personal safety, buying up "pick-proof" locks and insurance against stalkers, Dentsu figured.