In 2023, Japan saw significant sales increases in various product categories:

– Heart stimulants like cardiotonics saw a 1.8-fold increase in sales, driven by growing demand with the rapid recovery of inbound travel.
– Lipsticks, cheek powders, and lip creams experienced significant growth as face mask use declined.
– Testing kits, cold medicines, and pharmaceutical items for infectious diseases also saw rising sales.
– Conversely, thermometers, disinfectants, and face masks suffered the biggest declines in sales after the pandemic peak.
– The scorching summer heatwave in Japan impacted sales of sunscreens, fruit juice, and bottled water.

Overall, these trends reflect changing consumer demands in the post-pandemic era, shifting away from pandemic-related products towards tourism-related and changing consumer behaviours.