Cross Marketing Survey: 56% Expect Economy to Worsen, Food Spending Kept Down

Cross Marketing Inc. conducted its bi-annual Consumer Trend Survey from May 1 to May 5, 2026, surveying 1,200 Japanese adults aged 20-69 across 47 prefectures. The Diffusion Index (DI) for savings rose by 6.1pt, salary by 4.5pt, and working hours by 3.9pt year-on-year. However, food spending dropped by 2.7pt due to rising prices (such as naphtha shocks and rice prices) and global instability, showing stronger consumer defense. Smartphone fees and housing loans/rents hit record highs, while frequencies of using fast food, flea market apps, public gambling, and smoking increased. Frequencies of internet cafes and skill-up seminars declined. For the economic outlook, 56% expect the economy to get worse over the next year, while 49% expect their own spending to remain unchanged. Cashless payments are used by 50% of respondents, and self-checkouts by 20%. Concerns remain over cashless systems during disasters (42%), and seniors expressed higher dissatisfaction with self-checkouts due to varying user interfaces, errors requiring staff, or coupon usage delays. The full report can be downloaded at: https://www.cross-m.co.jp/report/20260604exp