Only About 19% of People Have a 'Regular' Shop! Top Reasons Are 'Quality of Food and Service,' 'Atmosphere,' and 'Price'

■ Do you have a 'regular' shop?

A place you can drop by casually and feel somehow at ease.

How many people actually have such a 'regular' shop?

Also, the way people interact with their regular shops varies.

Some enjoy casual conversations with the staff, while others prefer to spend their time quietly.

So, this time, we conducted a survey on 'regular shops' targeting 500 men and women nationwide, in collaboration with Aqua Net Inc.

*When citing the content of this press release, please adhere to the following:

- State that the source is 'a survey by NEXER Inc. and Aqua Net Inc.'
- Include a link to Aqua Net Inc. (https://aqnet.co.jp/)

Survey Overview: 'Survey on Regular Shops'

Survey Method: Internet-based questionnaire

Survey Period: May 15, 2026 – May 22, 2026

Survey Target: Men and women nationwide

Valid Responses: 500 samples

Survey Questions:

Q1: Do you have a 'regular' shop?

Q2: What type of shop is it? (Multiple answers allowed)

Q3: What is the reason it became your regular shop? (Multiple answers allowed)

Q4: Do you have conversations with the staff or owner of your regular shop?

Q5: What kind of conversations do you mainly have?

Q6: If a staff member from your regular shop opened a new independent shop, would you want to go there too?

Q7: Please tell us the reason.

*Note: Percentages are rounded to the first decimal place, so totals may not equal 100%.

■ 19.4% Have a Regular Shop, 'Restaurants' Top the List at 73.2%

First, we asked whether people have a regular shop.

As a result, 19.4% answered 'Yes,' and 80.6% answered 'No.'

Furthermore, we asked those who answered 'Yes' what type of shop it is.

The most common answer was 'Restaurant' at 73.2%.

This was followed by 'Beauty Salon/Barbershop' at 38.1% and 'Cafe' at 30.9%.

It appears that restaurants, which are related to daily meals, are more likely to become regular spots.

Shops visited periodically, like beauty salons every few months, also ranked high. It seems that places visited regularly, regardless of frequency, become memorable as 'regular' shops.

■ Top Reason for Becoming a Regular: 'Good Quality of Food and Service' at 61.9%

Next, we asked about the reasons for becoming a regular at that shop.

The most common reason was 'Good quality of food and service' at 61.9%.

This was followed by 'Like the shop's atmosphere' at 47.4% and 'Price is right' at 41.2%.

Furthermore, 'Good attitude of staff/owner' was 36.1%, 'Comfortable atmosphere' was 34.0%, 'Convenient distance' was 28.9%, 'They remember my preferences' was 9.3%, and 'Other' was 5.2%.

Becoming a regular shop seems to involve not just satisfaction with the food and service, but also the atmosphere, price, interaction with staff, and convenience. Shops that make you want to visit repeatedly might have elements that provide a sense of comfort and security, in addition to the quality of the products or services themselves.

■ 68.1% of People 'Have Conversations' with Staff at Their Regular Shop

Next, we asked if they ever have conversations with the staff or owner of their regular shop.

As a result, 32.0% said 'Often,' and 36.1% said 'Sometimes,' totaling 68.1% who answered that they do have conversations with the staff. On the other hand, 16.5% said 'Not really,' and 15.5% said 'Not at all.'

The presence or absence of conversation seems to be one of the unique pleasures of having a regular shop.

So, what kind of conversations are they actually having?

We asked those who answered 'Yes' about the content of their conversations.

What kind of conversations do you mainly have?

- Small talk, or about family and private matters. (Female in her 20s)
- At restaurants, I ask for recommendations or about seasonal items. At hair salons, I talk about fashion and beauty. At apparel stores, I ask about new products or styling advice. (Female in her 20s)
- Small talk and about recommended products. (Female in her 20s)
- Updates on recent news. (Female in her 20s)
- Talk about children and information about nearby shops. (Female in her 30s)
- Questions about the menu. (Female in her 40s)

Many casual exchanges like small talk and updates on recent news were observed.

Also, some people get shop-specific information, such as asking about recommended menu items or seasonal ingredients.

A regular shop might serve not only as a partner for casual chats but also as a reliable source of information. It seems that because the staff are familiar, customers feel comfortable asking questions.

■ 89.7% Would Visit if Their Regular Staff Member Opened an Independent Shop

Finally, we asked if they would want to visit a new shop if a staff member from their regular shop opened one independently.

As a result, 20.6% said 'Definitely want to go,' and 69.1% said 'Would like to go if I have the chance,' totaling 89.7% who showed a positive attitude. On the other hand, only 6.2% said 'Not really interested,' and 4.1% said 'Not at all interested.'

This shows that nearly 90% of people would consider visiting the new shop.

So, why do they think that way?

We asked for the reasons and introduce some of them here.

Reasons for wanting to visit if a staff member from a regular shop opened a new independent shop:

- Because I want to talk to them more. (Female in her 20s)
- Because I want to cherish the connection. (Female in her 20s)
- Because it's the shop creation and cooking by the owner of my regular shop. (Female in her 20s)
- Because I want to support their new challenge. (Female in her 30s)
- Because I think it's a shop that suits my taste, so it can't be wrong. (Male in his 30s)

It appears that the relationship and trust with the staff lead to interest in the new shop. There were also comments like 'I want to cherish the connection' and 'I want to support them,' suggesting that some people feel a personal connection beyond just using the shop.

Furthermore, comments like 'It's a shop that suits my taste, so it can't be wrong' show that the experience at the regular shop builds trust in that staff member. It seems that not only the shop itself but also the appeal of the people working there is one of the reasons for becoming a regular.

■ Summary

This survey found that only 19.4% of respondents said they have a regular shop, revealing that surprisingly few people have a fixed shop. The most common reason for becoming a regular was 'good quality of food and service' at 61.9%, indicating that the shop's own appeal is the deciding factor for continued patronage.

Additionally, 89.7% said they would 'want to go' if a regular staff member opened an independent shop. This suggests that many people want to continue their familiar relationship in a new location.

For those who don't yet have a regular shop, why not try visiting a local shop a few times?