Consumer Outlook Survey
Japan Region
Data collected June 2020 | Suzie Brady | Adobe PR

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Highlights
Just under two-thirds of Japanese consumers are neutral in their
opinion that brands have done enough to prevent price gouging,
stock shortages, and delivery availability. Three quarters of
consumers believe brands have been communicating just the right
amount at the present time, although only 1/3 have found these
communications to be useful. More than half say they value the
treatment of staff when evaluating a brand.
General Impacts of COVID-19
COVID-19 had an impact on how consumers go about their
everyday lives and how they view their everyday habits. A little
over half of consumers saw an impact on their employment, but
indicated that personal health, job vulnerability, and the
economy were of greatest concern to them. While over 90% of
consumers were initially willing to wait out restriction and
lockdown measures, only a little over half agree with continued
restrictions.
Impacts of COVID-19 on Shopping
Shopping has been greatly impacted by COVID-19 with 85% of
consumers indicating some difficulties. The most common reason
being out-of-stock products, with almost two-thirds of
consumers acknowledging this. Local retail support has
diminished, with 65% of consumers stating they have not done
anything at this time to help.
Regional Differences
The impact of COVID-19 has affected consumers from various
countries and areas much differently. Japanese consumers
typically felt okay with waiting as long as necessary for restrictions
and lockdowns to end. They were less likely than consumers from
other countries to think that brands were doing enough to avoid
taking advantage of COVID-19. Japanese consumers were also less
likely to support local or independent businesses.
Relationship with Brands

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Methodology
Who participated
in this research?
How was this
research
conducted?
Sample Frame
• 1012 total consumers in Japan completed the survey online;
• This survey was also conducted in India, Singapore, China, Australia, and the United States.
• To qualify:
‒ Aged 18+ years old
‒ Own at least one internet connected device
• Participants were recruited from an actively managed online panel -- this should be considered a non-
probability sample;
• Participants were incented using rewards points offered by their online panel;
• Research was conducted between June 9th and June 16th, 2020.
• Quotas were set for gender, and age was monitored.
• No weighting of data was required.
• Margin of error is +/- 3.1 percentage points at the 95% CL
• Additional results can be found at https://portal.advanis.net/adbe/
Advanis is a member of the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC) and confirms that this research fully complies with all CRIC
Standards including the CRIC Public Opinion Research Standards and Disclosure Requirements. This research was sponsored by Adobe
and conducted by Advanis. For information about data collection, please contact Lori Reiser (lori_reiser@advanis.net 519.340.0125)
Icon Source: icons8.com

Participant Profile

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
7%
10%
21%
35%
23%
2%
3%
Under ¥500,000
¥500,000 to ¥1,999,999
¥2,000,000 to ¥3,999,999
¥4,000,000 to ¥7,999,999
¥8,000,000 to ¥19,999,999
¥20,000,000 to ¥49,999,999
¥50,000,000 or more
Participant Profile
No children living in
the home
80%
Less than 5 years old 6%
5-12 years old 8%
13-17 years old 9%
Single 33%
Married/with partner 56%
Divorced/separated 8%
Widowed 3%
Children in the home
Marital status
18 to 29 years old 14%
30 to 49 years old 28%
50 to 64 years old 23%
65 years+ 35%
51% 49%
Gender Age
Income JP
61%
Worked full
or part-time
Pre-COVID-19 Employment
53%
19%
14%
12%
3%
No change to my employment
I am not currently working
I am now working from home
My hours have been reduced
Other
COVID-19 Impact on Employment
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
S1 – What is your gender? Base: (1008)
S2 – In what year were you born? Base: All respondents (1012)
D4 (Marital Status) –Are you…? Base: (998)
D2 – Do you have children? If so, what ages? Base: (922)
D5 – Which of these best described your work status before COVID-19 impacted your country? Base: (985)
D5b – Has your employment been impacted by COVID-19? Base: (970)
D6JP– What was your total household income before taxes during the past 12 months? Base: (836)

Detailed Findings:
General Impacts of COVID-19

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
COVID-19 Concerns
60%
are concerned
over the impact of
COVID-19 on
themselves or
their family.
Specific Concerns Regarding the
Impact of COVID-19
(Ranked top 2 among all choices)
87%
48%
32%
24%
8%
Personal health/well-being of self/others
Economy/stock market
Job vulnerability
Availability of basic supplies
Social isolation
Personal health/well-being
of self/others
Economy/stock market
Job vulnerability
Availability of basic supplies
Social isolation
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q1 – How concerned are you personally about the impact of COVID-19 on yourself and your family? Base: All respondents (1012)
Q2 – Please rank your concerns about impact of COVID-19, where 1 = your biggest concern. Base: All respondents (1012)
• Consumers from Japan typically felt less
concerned (60% vs. 67%) than consumers
from APAC on the overall impact of COVID-
19. However, they voiced the most
concern among all countries over
health/well-being (87% vs 73% in APAC)
and the economy (48% vs. 36% in APAC)
when focusing on specific concerns.
• Most consumers (60%) expressed concern
for the overall impact of COVID-19, where
health/well-being and the economy
emerged as dominant areas of concern.
─ Females were most likely to be
concerned about availability of
supplies (28% vs 21%), while males
shared a larger concern over the
economy (53% vs 44%).

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Aspects of at Home Life
37%
23%
9%
6%
4%
1%
20%
More time with family
More free time to learn new things/complete tasks
Less stress
Focus on self improvement
Less travel
Other
None
More time with family
More free time to learn new
things/complete tasks
Less stress
Focus on self improvement
Less travel
Other
None/no positive aspect
Positive Aspects of Being at Home
24%
19%
19%
17%
6%
2%
14%
Lack of ways to stay entertained
Concern about crisis
Isolation from others
Work-life balance
Using essential services
Other
None
Lack of ways to stay entertained
Concern about crisis
Isolation from others
Work-life balance
Using essential services
Other
None/no challenging aspect
Challenging Aspects of Being at Home• Around 80% cited at least one positive
aspect, where more family time (37%)
and more free time (23%) were the most
frequently reported.
─ Both Gen Z and Millennials pointed
to less stress as the most positive
aspect of being at home, while
Baby Boomers were more likely to
cite no positives (26%).
• However, more consumers (86%)
reported at least one challenging aspect.
─ Gen X consumers were more likely
to find work-life balance (24%) the
most challenging aspect of being
home during the crisis.
─ Japanese consumers expressed
difficulties in staying entertained
when compared to US (13%) and
APAC (12%) consumers.
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q2b – What is the most positive aspect of being home during this crisis? Base: All respondents (1012)
Q2c – What is the most challenging aspect of being home during this crisis? Base: All respondents (1012)

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Perceptions Regarding Continued Restrictions
7%
21%
44%
27%
1
As Long as
needed
Months/years
Days/weeks
No longer
Willingness to Maintain
Continued Restrictions
Agreement with
Continued Restrictions
4%
9%
37%
34%
16%
1
Strongly
agree
Agree
Neither
agree nor
disagree
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
51% NET Agree 93% NET Willing
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q2d – Do you agree with continued restrictions/extended lockdown (except for essential workers)? Base: All respondents (1012)
Q2e – How much longer are you willing to comply with the restrictions/lockdown? Base: All respondents (1012)
• Around half (51%) of Japanese consumers agreed with continued restrictions
in response to COVID-19.
• In spite of this, nearly all (93%) consumers were willing to maintain continued
restrictions.
─ Consumers living in rural areas of Japan were more likely to indicate
that they were not willing to comply any longer (14%) with the
restrictions and lockdowns implemented.
─ Japan was one of the surveyed countries that was found most likely to
comply as long as needed with the restrictions and lockdowns, despite
being among the least likely to agree with the continued restrictions
(51%, US 60%, APAC 61%).

Detailed Findings:
Impacts of COVID-19 on Shopping

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Impact on Shopping by Category
Changes in Shopping Frequency/Habits
29% 23% 16% 15% 7%
56%
38%
33%
45% 53%
47%
34%
14%
10% 37% 10%
24%
37%
8%
28%
14%
29%
15% 14%
56%
Groceries
Media(movies,games,
music)
Restaurant/take
out/deliveryfood
Books/e-books
Health&beautyproducts
Clothes
Homeimprovements
Not buying
Buying less
No change
Buying more
Groceries
Media(movies,
games,music)
Restaurant/take
out/deliveryfood
Books/e-books
Health&beauty
products
Clothes
Home
improvements
Adobe APAC Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q3 – How, if at all, have you changed your shopping for the following? Base: All respondents (1012)
• Groceries, media, books, and
health products saw an
increase or no change in
purchase frequency; in
contrast, home improvements,
clothes, and dining/delivery
faced the steepest decline.
─ Female consumers cited
a larger drop in shopping
frequency and habits
than males, buying less
or none in all categories
except groceries, where
the opposite is true.
─ Millennials were more
likely to increase
purchasing for media
(37%), books (21%), and
take-out food (22%).

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Mediums for Shopping by Category
Methods for Purchasing Products
85% 75% 66% 60% 49% 46% 36%
28%
8%
33% 38%
19%
44%
39%
24%
5%
7% 5% 53% 8%
10%
15%
5% 5% 10%
20%
Groceries
Homeimprovements
Clothes
Health&beautyproducts
Restaurant/takeout/deliveryfood
Books/e-books
Media(movies,games,music)
Other
Curbside pick-
up/take-out
Home delivery
In person
Groceries
Home
improvement
Clothes
Health&beauty
products
Restaurant/take
out/deliveryfood
Books/e-books
Media(movies,
games,music)
Adobe APAC Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q4 – How are you purchasing these products? Base: Groceries (1005) Health & Beauty (860) Home Improvement (453) Food (875) Clothes (869) Books (722) Media (729)
• In spite of COVID-19, consumers
preferred to purchase groceries and
home improvement products in-
person, opting to use home delivery
for non-essentials such as books and
media. Pick-up/take-out was preferred
for ordering food and by nearly one-
quarter of grocery shoppers.
─ When purchasing products,
Millennials tended to prefer
home delivery for ordering food,
clothes, health and beauty
products, home improvement
products, and books.
─ Males were more likely to prefer
curbside pick-up/ take-out when
purchasing health & beauty
products, home improvement
products, books, and media.

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Difficulties in Shopping
67%
37%
22%
16%
14%
0%
18%
Products out of stock
Higher prices
[US] Reduced hours / [APAC] Reduced store-opening hours
Longer delivery times
Lines/waits to get into a store
Other
No difficulties
Difficulties in Shopping
Products out of stock
Higher prices
Reduced store-opening hours
Longer delivery times
Lines/wait getting into a store
Other
No difficulties
82% reported
some difficulty
in shopping
• Nearly all consumers have reported one or more difficulties in shopping. Over
two-thirds (67%) of consumers most often reported stock depletion as a
difficulty when shopping, with over one-third (37%) also reporting higher prices.
─ Millennials were more likely to report facing some difficulty when
shopping, citing reduced hours (27%), wait times (20%), and delivery times
(22%) as specific issues. Gen X were most likely to have stock issues (74%)
─ Female consumers frequently cited stock depletion (70%) and higher prices
(42%) when compared to males.
─ Japanese consumers were more likely to report stock depletion than other
APAC countries (67% vs. 52%), although this was highest in the USA (74%).
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q5 – Have you experienced any difficulty in shopping for essentials? Base: All respondents (1012)

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Changes in Present Shopping/Future Intentions
Increase in the
Frequency of Online
Shopping
42% NET Agree
7%
6%
45%
28%
14%
Strongly
agree
Agree
Neither
agree nor
disagree
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
Change in Future
Shopping based on
Current State
86% NET Yes
14%
61%
25% Yes, a lot
Yes, a
little
No
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q10 – Will the current state of things change the way you shop in the future? Base: (851)
Q24 – Have you found yourself purchasing more online in the past 3 weeks? Base: All respondents (1012)
• Around 42% of consumers increased their online shopping, while 86% indicated
that they are likely to change their shopping in the future.
─ Generations were divided by the extent of their change in future shopping
habits, where younger generations were more likely to cite significant
change and older generations more likely to cite minimal change.
─ Urban residents were more likely to increase their online shopping
presence and cite intention to change future shopping habits in some way.
─ Japanese (42%) consumers are less likely than consumers in other countries
(US 50% / APAC 58%) surveyed to agree that they have increased their
online shopping frequency.

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Shopping Experience by Business Type
Methods for Supporting Local/Small Businesses
(% Selected)
Perceptions of Best Current
Shopping Experience
(% Selected)
65%
23%
16%
5%
2%
0%
Not doing anything at this time
Ordering delivery or takeout
Choosing local businesses over larger chains
Buying gift cards
Still paying for services (cleaning/nanny) though not receiving those services
Other
Not doing anything at this time
Ordering delivery or takeout
Choosing local businesses over
larger chains
Buying gift cards
Still paying for services though
not receiving those services
Other
SMALL BUSINESSES
18%
ONLINE RETAILERS
37%
NATIONAL/REGIONAL
RETAILERS
27%
NO PREFERENCE
18%
35% reported
supporting
local/small
businesses in
some capacity
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q6 – What, if anything, are you doing to support local or independent businesses? Base: All respondents (1012)
Q7 – Who do you think has the best shopping experience for you right now? Base: All respondents (1012)
• Nearly 2-in-3 (64%) consumers
preferred online or national
retailers over small businesses,
with a similar proportion not
supporting small businesses.

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Important Factors for Shopping
Factors Relevant to Shopping Experience
(% Ranked as Top 2 Important)
51%
48%
33%
22% 22%
15%
5% 3%
Freeshipping
Bestprice
Largeselectionof
products
Good
cleaning/distancing
practices
Canseewhatisin
stock
Fastdelivery/pick
upoptions
Fairtreatmentof
employees
Family/local
ownership
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q8 – What is most important to you right now, where 1 = the most important? Base: All respondents (1012)
• Overall, free shipping, best price, and large
selection were ranked most often as one of the
top 2 factors important to shopping experience.
─ Just over half of Male consumers indicate
best price as a factor most relevant to their
shopping experience.
─ Gen Z and Millennials placed the most
importance on free shipping and seeing
stock, while Baby Boomers placed
importance on product selection and good
prices. In other words, younger generations
are embracing online shopping and prefer
online infrastructure improvements over
in-store practices, while older generations
prefer an overall better in-store
experience.

Detailed Findings:
Relationships with Brands

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Are Brands Behaving Ethically?
7% 13% 62% 16% 3%
Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree
Are Brands Doing Enough?
19% NET Agree19% NET Disagree
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q9 – Do you agree that brands have done enough to prevent price gouging, stock shortages, and delivery availability? Base: All respondents (1012)
• Just over 3-in-5 (62%)
consumers cited a neutral
stance regarding brand
responses to price gouging,
stock shortages, and delivery
availability.
─ Consumers from Japan
were less likely to agree
that brands were doing
enough when
compared to US (29%)
and APAC (47%)
regions.

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Communications From Brands
Channels Being Used to Reach
Consumers
(% Selected)
59%
50%
48%
24%
10%
8%
2%
Emails
Social networks
TV advertising
Print
Radio
Texts or calls
Other
Emails
Social networks
TV advertising
Print
Radio
Texts or calls
Other
35%
Have
unsubscribed
from 1+ email
messages
Communication From Brands
6%
75%
19% Too often
Just right
Not often
enough
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q11 – In general, have brands been communicating… Base: All respondents (1012)
Q12 – What channels are brands using to reach you with that information? Base: All respondents (1012)
Q13 – In the past few weeks, have you unsubscribed from any email messages that you have received? Base: All respondents (1012)
• Most consumers agreed brands were
communicating just right (75%), where email,
social networks, and tv adverts were the most
common communication mediums.
Interestingly, nearly 1-in-5 (19%) agreed
brands were communicating too often.
─ Compared to other APAC countries,
Japanese consumers were more likely
to be reached through print and to
unsubscribe from emails.

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Content of Communications
Perceived Utility of COVID-19
Related Brand Updates
5%
9%
52%
26%
8% Very useful 5
4
3
2
Not at all
useful 1
Importance of Marketing and
Ads Corresponding to Current
State of World
5%
38%
34%
21%
Very
important
Important
Neither
important or
unimportant
Unimportant
Not at all
important
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q15 – Do you find that it is useful to receive updates from brands about their reactions/plans related to COVID-19? Base: All respondents (1012)
Q16 – Do you want brands to continue updating you on their COVID-19 plans? Base: All respondents (1012)
Q23 – How important is it that marketing and advertising visuals + text corresponds to the current state of the world? Base: All respondents (1012)
• Just over 1-in-3 (34%) consumers found
utility in brand-related COVID-19 updates,
despite 64% saying they want brands to
continue to send updates.
• Correspondence between visuals/text
found in marketing materials and the state
of the world in response to COVID-19 was
rated as important by 55% of consumers.
─ Gen X and Male consumers are less
likely to place importance on the
congruency between marketing
materials and the state of the word,
while Baby Boomers and Females are
more likely to do so.
34% NET Useful 55% NET Important

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Treatment of Staff
Importance of Brands
Treatment of Staff
28%
34%
34%
Strongly
agree
Agree
Neither
agree nor
disagree
Disagree
Strongly
disagree
Brands are Doing Enough for
Staff Wellbeing
3%
5%
39%
33%
19%
Very
important
Important
Neither
important or
unimportant
Unimportant
Not at all
important
• Just over half (53%) of consumers placed
importance on staff treatment while 69% agreed
brands are doing enough to ensure staff wellbeing.
─ Gen X was least likely to place importance on
how a brand treats their staff members during
this time, while Traditionalists attributed the
most importance to staff treatment.
─ Female consumers typically agreed that
brands were doing enough for staff wellbeing.
─ Overall, when compared to other countries
surveyed, consumers in Japan were more
likely to agree that staff wellbeing was
ensured, with the exception of China and
India.
53% NET Important 69% NET Agree
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q19 – Do you agree or disagree that brands are doing enough to ensure the wellbeing of staff? Base: All respondents (1012)
Q22 – When thinking of engaging with brands in the future, how important is it to you that brands treat their staff well during this time? Base: All respondents (1012)

©2020 Adobe. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Staff Wellbeing by Business Sector
• Surprisingly, health care was a polarising
business sector for Japanese consumers.
Over half (53%) agreed that the health
care sector was supportive of its
employees, while 49% shared the
opposite sentiment.
─ Urban residents were more likely
to cite the technology sector as
being the most supportive, and
more likely to mention the
travel/hospitality and automotive
sectors as being least supportive.
49%
19%
17%
15%
17%
7%
7%
19%
15%
6%
Health Care
Food Service / Restaurant
Retail
Education
Travel and Hospitality
Grocery
Technology (B2B & B2C)
Media and Entertainment
Manufacturing / Construction
Automotive
Most Supportive Sectors
Health Care
Food Service / Restaurant
Retail
Education
Travel and Hospitality
Grocery
Technology (B2B & B2C)
Media and Entertainment
Manufacturing / Construction
Automotive
Least Supportive Sectors
53%
25%
15%
15%
14%
14%
14%
11%
10%
9%
Health Care
Food Service / Restaurant
Retail
Education
Travel and Hospitality
Grocery
Technology (B2B & B2C)
Media and Entertainment
Manufacturing / Construction
Automotive
Adobe Japan Consumer Survey Results (June 2020)
Q20 – Which business sectors in your country are being most supportive of their staff’s wellbeing? Base: All respondents (1012)
Q21 – Which business sectors in your country are being least supportive of their staff’s wellbeing? Base: All respondents (1012)