Japan's struggles with an ageing and declining population have been frequent sources of angst for many sectors of the national economy in recent years, not least the cosmetics and personal care products industry. And while its domestic sales maintained moderate growth in the three years from 2012, there has been concern about the plateau that Japanese consumers would inevitably reach and the decline that would follow. The reason is simple - Japan's population is now 126 million; in 2000 it was 126.9 million; and by 2050 it is projected to have plummeted to 97 million. If this trend continues, it is hard to imagine Japan's personal care product sector maintaining sales.
展开▼
