As savvy consumers, Japanese always have readily incorporated the most up-to-date consumer technology into their daily lives. They use mobile phones to take vacation photos, steer their cars using standard on-board GPS routing systems (in 3-D) and are accustomed to restaurant service staffs taking meal orders via wireless devices. These are everyday activities in Japan that, for the most part, are still considered "high-tech" and inaccessible in the U.S. With Internet penetration approaching 60%, Japan was a natural choice for establishing NPD's first online consumer panel outside North America.

After two years of collaboration with the innovative Japanese market research firm UTIL Inc., NPD Japan established its new panel services subsidiary, JapanCREST. Presently, the online consumer panel covers the two major metro areas of Tokyo and Osaka. It soon will be expanded to allow for national representation.

JapanCREST takes its name from NPD's foodservice industry tracking service, CREST, on which the service is modeled.

In Japan, eating patterns patterns reflect a business entertainment and convenience culture that is supported by a greater diversity of restaurant outlets and a higher frequency of dining out and take-out meal occasions.

For example, many convenience stores serve up a diverse selection of meal and snacking options. Japanese population density allows for a higher concentration of outlets in metro areas, but their role is much more than selling frozen slushy drinks and microwave burritos for the on-the-go consumer. Japanese convenience stores feature beautifully wrapped rice balls, fresh tuna sandwiches, pasta with your choice of sauce or deep fried pork cutlets. If it sounds like a cross between a deli and a fast food restaurant, you are getting close to envisioning what is on offer in Japanese convenience stores.

Familiar retail brands like 7-Eleven and AM/PM have deeply penetrated the market. In fact, 7-Eleven Japan has the most outlets of any convenience chain in Japan. And when the 7-Eleven corporation celebrated the opening of its 25,000 store worldwide recently, executives stressed how the U.S. stores were aiming to fit more into the everyday lifestyle of the U.S. consumer - something they already have accomplished in Japan.

The role of convenience stores in Japan puts pressure on domestic and international fast food chains to distinguish themselves beyond taste, speed and quality. At the same time, the saturation of the market by convenience stores has, in turn, challenged these retailers to discern how to increase same store sales. Among the most important metrics JapanCREST monitors are demographic movement amongst outlet types as targeted loyalty campaigns kick in and aggressive promotions broadcast to the population to lure new customer types.

To find out more about JapanCREST and other NPD services in Japan, contact Ms. Emiko Watanabe at +81.3.5350.7684 or e-mail Emiko_Watanabe@npd.com