Japan's retailers mull ways to cut costs

摘要

Japan's smaller LPG retailers are struggling to compete with electricity utilities and town gas suppliers as the country's LPG demand continues to contract. The number of LPG retailers in Japan has fallen by 18pc over the past 10 years to 22,837 firms, according to a recent study by the LPG Center of Japan, a government-sponsored group that promotes LPG use. The main reason for the decline is that household LPG users are switching to other energy sources such as natural gas-based town gas and electricity, with few customers moving in the other direction.