Shoppers choose seibo gifts at a Tokyo department store. (Jiji)

December in Japan, as in many other countries, is a time for gift giving. But unlike Christmas presents, seibo in Japan often consist of food or drinks and are given by one family to another or by a company to its clients. One thing in common, though, is that retailers are eager to outdo one another in attracting buyers. The continuing economic slump in Japan has meant smaller budgets, and so competition has been growing more intense, prompting department stores and others to begin their seibo sales campaigns earlier every year. Retailers are hoping to use online shopping as a way of boosting sales this year.

Earlier Every Year
Salaried workers usually receive their winter bonuses around the first week of December, and this was when department stores across Japan would set up special sales areas for winter gifts. But in recent years, the battle has been starting much earlier.

For example, employees of Sogo (site is Japanese only) department store this year began publicizing their coming seibo campaign in October. And starting in November customers were given special discounts for early orders. Other major department stores set up their gift centers in mid-November, about a week earlier than last year.

Department stores covet seibo customers because they tend to be quite loyal, returning to the same store year after year to make their purchases. Overall sales at these retailers have been flat due to the continuing slump, and this has prompted them to turn their energies to wooing seibo customers.

Another feature this year has been the emphasis every department store has been placing on the particulars of the food items on sale. Consumer interest in the ingredients, area of production, and production process of the food they eat has been growing in recent years, and the seibo products in stores this year reflect this trend. In addition to labeling the ingredients, the freshness, and the producer of the foods in its seibo gifts, Sogo is also specifying which foods are organic and which ones contain no allergens. Tobu (site is Japanese only), meanwhile, has collected special products from all over Japan. Many of their seibo gifts contain things that are impossible to purchase anywhere else, such as sake, cake, and other products that are produced in limited areas or for limited times.

Also this year, the online seibo market has been expanding. Internet sales are a boon for retailers, whose costs can be reduced by processing orders and payments online. Last year Isetan began passing the benefits on to customers by offering free shipping for online orders. Mitsukoshi (site is Japanese only) followed suit this year, and it hopes to double its online seibo sales.

Matsuzakaya (site is Japanese only), meanwhile, has enabled customers to purchase seibo gifts online not only from their computers but also using their mobile phones.

Tradition of Giving
Seibo literally means "the end of the year." Originally, gifts were given to one's parents or the head of the clan as an offering for the New Year rituals. Nowadays, sending gifts as the year comes to a close is an expression of gratitude to those whose assistance has been invaluable. Gifts are also widely sent around the time of the summer Bon festival in another tradition called chugen. The gifts offered to bosses, clients, and relatives during these two seasons reach an estimated ¥2 trillion ($16 billion at ¥125 to the dollar) annually.

According to a survey conducted by an online shopping mall during last year's seibo season, 82% of respondents said they planned to send seibo gifts. A total of 36% planned to give two or three gifts; another 22% intended to send four or five; and 7% each planned to send either one gift or six or seven gifts. When queried as to the average amount they intended to spend on each gift, the top answer was "¥3,000" ($24), named by 38%, followed by "¥5,000" ($40) with 30% and "¥4,000" ($32), chosen by 10%.
As to what people expect to send for seibo gifts this year, the Nikkei Research Institute of Industry and Markets found that "ham or sausage" was the most popular choice, followed by "beer," "sweets," "fresh food, such as meat or fish," "other processed food," "soap, detergent, or toiletries," and "gift certificates."

With so many people sending edible gifts, the New Year holidays may not be the easiest time to begin a diet.