UPDATER Survey: 80% of Consumers Say Product Provenance Information Influences Purchase Decisions as DPP Shifts from Compliance to Revenue Driver

UPDATER, Inc. (headquarters: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Eiji Oishi), a company aiming to solve social issues through business, conducted a consumer awareness survey on Digital Product Passports (DPP) among 1,000 consumers. The survey found that 70% of respondents prefer to use products for a long time, while 80% said provenance information such as manufacturing, repair, and ownership history affects their purchase decisions. The visualization of product provenance is emerging as a new purchasing standard that influences price and product choice. DPP is therefore shifting from a regulatory compliance measure to a factor that can affect corporate sales. Survey overview: The survey was titled “Consumer Awareness Survey on DPP (Digital Product Passports),” conducted by UPDATER, Inc. from March 29 to March 30, 2026, targeting 1,000 men and women across Japan through an online survey. DPP, or Digital Product Passport, is a system that digitally records information across a product’s full lifecycle, including raw materials, manufacturing, repairs, ownership, and disposal, and shares it among stakeholders through QR codes and similar tools. In the EU, mandatory introduction across multiple categories is progressing toward 2030, with expected impact on Japanese companies’ global supply chains. Topic 1: Consumption based on “nurturing products” is becoming mainstream. More than 70% of respondents said they “want to use products for as long as possible” or “want to enjoy changes while using products over time,” showing a growing preference for long-term value. About 90% reported experience using secondhand markets, confirming that buying and selling goods has become common. Around 40% said they consider future resale value when choosing products, rising to about 50% among teenagers and people in their twenties. These results suggest that purchasing behavior is shifting toward long-term ownership while also anticipating future resale. In this context, information on product condition, authenticity, and history is becoming increasingly important. Topic 2: The barrier in the secondhand market is “invisible anxiety.” When buying secondhand goods or products through overseas e-commerce, the most common concerns were “difficulty understanding the product’s condition” at about 70% and “not knowing whether it is genuine” at about 60%. Around 70% said mechanisms for confirming authenticity are as important as price and condition, making authenticity verification a key element in purchase decisions. Interest in provenance information was highest when “buying secondhand products” with 601 respondents, followed by “buying expensive products” with 532 respondents and “buying products intended for long-term use” with 352 respondents. In these scenarios, provenance is valued because it helps determine authenticity and condition. Topic 3: An era where “provenance” becomes value. Regarding provenance information such as manufacturing data, repair history, and ownership history, 26% said it would become “one of the deciding factors” in a purchase, while 59% said they would use it as a reference. This means about 80% of consumers want to use provenance information as part of their purchase judgment. Interest is especially high when purchasing secondhand, expensive, or long-lasting products, showing that provenance is no longer mere supplementary information but information directly tied to decision-making. UPDATER’s analysis frames DPP as moving from “regulation” to a Reiwa-era version of “hakogaki,” the traditional Japanese practice of writing provenance on a storage box. Until now, DPP has mainly been discussed in the context of EU regulatory compliance and sustainability. However, the survey shows that values such as using things for a long time, enjoying aging and change, and valuing individual differences are spreading among consumers. This can be seen as the re-emergence of values long rooted in Japanese culture. In Japan, hakogaki has historically allowed creators, appraisers, and owners to record a work’s provenance on its box, passing down authenticity, value, and history to future generations. The survey result that provenance influences purchasing decisions suggests this value system is becoming visible again in modern consumption. Going forward, what kind of provenance a product has will become an important selection criterion alongside price and design. As a Reiwa-era hakogaki, DPP is expected to go beyond compliance and help companies create reasons for consumers to choose them. The detailed survey report is available for free through the corporate SX support service “Minna SX for Biz” with member registration. The report includes detailed data for all survey questions, analysis of how provenance information affects purchasing, and implications for DPP adoption. It is intended to support business planning, DPP readiness, and product strategies that anticipate the resale market. UPDATER also provides a DPP service that digitally visualizes each product’s provenance and sustainability information. Using blockchain technology, the service centrally manages histories from production and sales to use, reuse, and recycling, ensuring transparency and reliability. It also helps brands stay connected with customers after sale and continuously enhance product value. UPDATER changed its name from Minna Denryoku, Inc. on October 1, 2021. The company provides services for corporations and individuals centered on traceability and transparency while working to solve social issues. Its businesses include “Minna Denryoku,” a decarbonization business that was the first in the world to commercialize electricity traceability; “Minna Works,” which aims to transform the labor market through wellbeing; “Shift C,” which evaluates and publishes brands’ ethical performance; “TADORi,” an e-commerce service where consumers can shop based on product backgrounds and stories; “Minna Shoten,” which handles products considerate of people, society, and the environment; and “Minna Daichi,” which encourages society-wide behavioral change toward soil regeneration. The company has received numerous awards and certifications, including the Prime Minister’s Award at the 4th Japan SDGs Awards, recognition as one of only three CDP-certified renewable energy providers in Japan, and B Corp certification as an energy provider.