Shelf Check Japan

What gets recorded

For every product, the same seven things, every time:

The price including tax, as printed on the shelf tag.
The pack size, so prices can be put on a common basis.
The date the product went on sale.
The date I observed it.
Where on the shelf it sat.
What changed since the last time I looked at it.
A photograph of the price tag.

Past shelves cannot be reconstructed. Whatever was not written down on the day is gone, and no amount of money buys it back later. That is the whole reason this exists.

Who this is for

You import Japanese food and need to know what is moving before the category data catches up.
You operate or invest in restaurants and want to see how Japan solves a problem you are facing.
You are evaluating entering Japan and the macro reports have stopped telling you anything new.

Who this is not for

Travellers looking for restaurant recommendations. There are better free sources for that, and I will point you to them.

Who writes this

One person. I go to the store, buy the thing, eat it, and write down what happened. I am a dentist by training, which is where the habit of recording exactly what I observed comes from. I run a small company in Japan whose primary activity is recording restaurants and retail food.

I provide information only. I am not your agent, I do not negotiate on your behalf, I do not advise on tax, and I do not prepare regulatory filings. For those you need a licensed professional in Japan.

Next issue goes out at the end of the month.

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