What is "support consumption" that spreads due to corona misfortune? Does it have anything to do with cospa consciousness? | NHK

Dec 22 18:27 Tell me why you spent

In 2022, what are you “good to buy”?

A woman who lives in Saitama Prefecture is a bonito from Kochi Prefecture, which she has no connection with.

It was delicious, but that's not all.

One of the reasons is that it helped the producers.

“Support consumption” that supports producers and companies by buying products.

It seems that it is spreading after the corona misfortune.

I cried because I was in a predicament and cried

In early December this year, Yoko Sasaki, a company employee living in Saitama Prefecture, bought bonito "straw-grilled tataki".

It seems that she has been buying Kochi fish on the mail order site for about two years.

The trigger was the expansion of the new corona infection.

It is said that there is an unforgettable video.

At a press conference in Susaki City, Kochi Prefecture, a fisherman shed tears and appealed.

“Even if we are confident that our amberjack is delicious and the best in Japan, if people don’t eat it, it could end up being disposed of. Union President)

At that time, the problem was farmed fish.

If you grow too much, you won't be able to sell it, and it will cost you a feed fee.

As many as 200,000 fish lost their destination while wholesale restaurants refrained from doing business.

"I felt that it was not a simple matter. I felt like I was going to cry because of the complaints of the fishermen.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, her income has decreased and her life has not been easy, but she said that she bought fish for the first time because she wanted to support her.

With the cooperation of similar general consumers across the country, the crisis of mass disposal was avoided, and now the impact of the corona disaster seems to be calming down.

However, Mr. Sasaki's "support" did not end here.

After that, the efforts of fishermen and others were reported on SNS and live distribution, and he became a fan.

I myself have spread the charm of fish on SNS, and even visited Kochi for sightseeing and interacted with fishermen.

Ms. Yoko Sasaki:

“I got to know the character of the fishermen, and I was impressed by how grateful they were to receive their lives. It is more expensive than buying it at the supermarket, but I bought it on special occasions and cooperated. There is the joy of being able to eat delicious food by doing

I want my hard work to be rewarded

Some people even say that they are “supporting consumption” of daily necessities.

Ms. Minami Kiyama from Tokyo, who works as a freelancer in corporate public relations.

She showed me a frying pan, a brush for cats, a solid shampoo made in Japan, and so on.

The key points when making a purchase are the company's thinking and activities that sell the product.

Especially when I shop online, I check it frequently.

“I want to buy from places that seem desperate. For example, when I see a company that doesn’t seem to be good at the Internet, I feel that if the product is good, I want to be rewarded

. I bought shampoo. The person in charge is probably an uncle, and he is doing his best, and when he contacts me, he uses the uncle syntax*.

* Ojisan syntax: It is said to refer to sentences that use a lot of pictograms and katakana mainly on the Internet

Actively disseminate products that you think are good on SNS.

It is said that there are times when they are responsible for PR in the form of tie-ups with manufacturers.

This time, when I heard the story, Mr. Kiyama used the word "I want you to be rewarded" several times.

It seems that he thinks so from the painful experience of working too hard and getting sick and retiring.

Minami Kiyama

``Because of the experience that nothing can be done just by making an effort, it may be that you want to be a part of supporting it.

It is natural to make an effort, but there are many painful and unreasonable things. I don't have a lot of power, but I think I can be a part of that power so that people who make an effort will be rewarded."

Consumption is one of the expressions that express yourself

This year has been a year in which soaring prices have had a major impact on our lives.

So why do people do cheer consumption?

A mail order site operating company with the keyword "support" points out changes in people's awareness of consumption.

Kana Bogaki, Director of Makuake

"I think that many people have been thinking about where to spend the money they have earned, as they have more time to review their lives and think about it due to the corona crisis. Words such as SDGs and ethical (a behavioral pattern that considers society and the environment) are becoming more pervasive, and I think that consumption behavior is becoming a way of expressing oneself.”

Is “support consumption” related to cost performance awareness?

There is a survey that suggests changes in consumers.

A consumer survey conducted regularly by Nomura Research Institute targeting 10,000 people.

Even during the coronavirus crisis, the number of people choosing to buy after carefully considering whether the price matches the quality is growing rather than buying something that is cheap and economical.

It is said that more and more people are conscious of whether the cost is worth the cost, which is often called "cost performance".

It is said that the psychology of “support consumption” can be deciphered from this “cospa” consciousness, which at first glance seems unrelated.

Ms. Toko Matsushita, Principal, Nomura Research Institute , Ltd.

“It is not just about the value of things themselves, but also about their emotional performance, such as the satisfaction of being useful to others, and the ability to support the future economy of Japan by supporting people in need. I think that the sense of pride and sense of security that we are going to continue

to support is also seen as a performance.

There is a sanctuary that should not be cut for nutrition.Even if life gets tougher, there will still be consumption of what I like, this is the meaning of my life.”

What I felt from the reason I consumed

In writing this article, I interviewed many people who have experience with support consumption.

What impressed me was that there were a lot of people who saw themselves in the face of struggling companies and hard-working producers.

While thinking "I want to help someone"

, thinking about the process of making the things you buy may help you to continue to create better products.

I hope that this form of gentle consumption will continue in the future.

(Yuki Ishikawa, Network News Department)