Digitization key to a Japanese consumer spending spree

E-commerce adoption could induce households to spend record savings

Japan lags behind other advanced economies in e-commerce, which has slowed its economic recovery from the pandemic despite government handouts designed to lift spending.

KAZUYA MANABE, SUGURU KURIMOTO and YUKO NOMURA, Nikkei staff writers

September 27, 2020 17:30 JST

TOKYO/NEW YORK -- Japanese household consumption is likely to be boosted by a spending spree before too long, as the government introduced cash handouts after the pandemic hit the economy. But in the meantime, statistics show that Japan's consumption has plunged the most among advanced economies.