In 2017, Japan’s retail food and beverages sector accounted for $474.3 billion in sales of which an estimated $310 billion, or 65 percent, is attributed to regional independent supermarket chains. This report provides an overview by region of independent supermarkets.
Independent regional supermarkets provide opportunities for either new U.S. exporters or those looking to further penetrate the Japanese market.
The most northern and eastern region of Japan, the island of Hokkaido, has long been influenced by its distance from mainland Japan, harsher climate, and lower population density. Though the largest geographic region by area, Hokkaido’s population is ranked 7 out of the 9 geographical regions, with only 5.3 million inhabitants.
The main cities includes Sapporo with 2 million, followed by Asahikawa (430 thousand) and Hakodate (265 thousand). Hokkaido’s economy is driven by industries such as fishing, agriculture, dairy farming.
