The Influence of Durable Goods on Japanese Consumers’ Behaviours

Abstract

The rapid progress in diffusion of durable products plays an important role to change people’s lifestyle in Japan. The wide spread of home electric appliances which play an auxiliary role of housework like refrigerators has reduced time spent on housework and raised the value of an hour of our lives. Regarding refrigerators, consumers who possess a refrigerator without freezer storage are able to purchase and preserve perishable foods. When consumers possess a refrigerator with freezing compartments, they can additionally purchase and preserve frozen products. The more sophisticated equipment households possess, the greater variety of goods and services they can reach. In short, the technological development changes people’s lifestyle and consumers’ needs. In this paper, a theoretical framework of consumer behaviours will be illustrated based on the microeconomic theory. The model describes the effects of durable products on a diversity of consumption. The diversification of consumption may affect to the change in the industrial structures and the dynamic changes in production activities due to the changes in consumers’ needs may affect the environment.