The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry published an analysis on "Rapid Increase in Home Delivery Due to EC Market Expansion!?" examining the expansion of online shopping and growth of the delivery industry through statistical data following the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Indices of Tertiary Industry Activity, the home delivery freight transport industry saw a significant surge in 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19, and has since remained at elevated levels. The primary factor is attributed to increased use of online shopping, as consumers avoided crowded spaces and spent more time at home, enabling convenient purchases without visiting physical stores.
Regarding communication device ownership, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' 2023 Communications Usage Trend Survey shows smartphone ownership rates have rapidly expanded, exceeding 90% since 2022. Meanwhile, PC ownership has been declining, with smartphones surpassing PCs in 2017. This shift has significantly impacted consumer purchasing behavior.
For EC market trends, the FY2023 E-Commerce Market Survey indicates the BtoC-EC market size in the goods sales sector reached 13.8876 trillion yen in 2023, growing 8.06% year-on-year. The EC penetration rate rose to 9.38%, up 0.68 percentage points from the previous year. By category, "food, beverages, and alcohol" showed the highest growth at 12.76%, while "cosmetics and pharmaceuticals" grew 8.24%. The market size has increased 1.96 times over 10 years since 2013.
In international logistics, Japan's marine transport cargo volume temporarily decreased by approximately 10% in 2020 due to COVID-19 but has since recovered. Air transport saw even more dramatic changes, with international cargo initially declining about 30% before recovering to pre-pandemic levels by 2021 and reaching record highs by 2023.
Looking ahead, while logistics demand driven by EC market expansion is expected to continue growing, challenges include the "2024 problem" of driver shortages due to work hour regulations, declining and aging workforce, and redelivery issues. The report suggests the need for innovation including modal shifts, improved delivery efficiency, automation, and labor-saving technologies to ensure sustainable logistics systems.