No-frills noodles gaining popularity in Japan amid rising prices
Convenience stores and supermarkets are enhancing their lineup of plain noodles to appeal to customers looking for low-priced products.
Japan's food inflation has led to convenience stores and supermarkets boosting their selection of budget-friendly noodles. Lawson, a convenience store chain, launched two frozen noodle varieties without toppings in late June, priced at ¥297 ($1.90), over 20% cheaper than their topped versions. In October, Lawson introduced topping-free cup noodles with high-quality broth, selling over 5 million units.
Lawson's product division official, Kanako Ochi, noted that consumers are cutting back due to inflation and the low-priced, low-frills offerings aim to cater to diverse needs while maintaining affordability. Aeon, a supermarket chain, began selling plain fried noodles without pork or cabbage in April at ¥320, three times the amount of their other fried noodles.
The product gained nationwide popularity after selling ten times more than expected. Aeon also started selling topping-free soba noodles with double the noodles in July. As of July's end, about 18,000 products either saw price hikes this year or will be raised by November, according to research firm Teikoku Databank. Given the forecasted inflation, low-cost noodle products are expected to remain popular among Japanese consumers.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
