KOTOJune 14 (News On Japan) – An increasing number of Western confectionery stores in Japan, especially pastry shops, are going bankrupt. According to research published in June, there have been 18 bankruptcies from January to May, the highest number since 2010. If this trend continues, this will surpass the 2019 record.
According to research published in June, there were 18 bankruptcies from January to May, the highest number since 2010. If this trend continues, this will surpass the 2019 record.
One of the main reasons for these failures is the sharp increase in commodity prices. Many stores have found it impossible to absorb the rise in prices for almost all the ingredients essential for making Western sweets, from sugar to eggs.
In Uji City, Kyoto, a popular Western confectionery store continued to draw crowds on the 13th with a selection of about two dozen seasonal cake varieties. One customer shared her enthusiasm: โToday I bought myself a strawberry tart and a Mont Blanc with Japanese chestnuts, which I find exceptionally tasty.โ Another said: “I’m here to pick up a birthday cake for my boss, the quality here is really impressive.”
Yuji Hasegawa, the owner of Patisserie Yuji, noted the impact of these cost increases. โThis is our fresh cake display and prices have increased across the board here, by about 10 to 20 percent compared to last year. That is the magnitude of the increase we are seeing.โ
Consequently, higher commodity prices have inevitably led to higher product prices. โThe overall costs have increased, and nothing can be done about it,โ Hasegawa said. โWe are focused on limiting the number of products we offer and adjusting our prices accordingly.โ
Source: YOMIURI
