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Shifts in Seafood Distribution: Trends Among Retailers and Wholesalers Before and After COVID-19 in Japan

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  • Hiroki Wakamatsu

    (Policy Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tokyo 100-0013, Japan)

  • Kentaka Aruga

    (Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had significant global impacts. In Japan, consumers refrained from going out, and dining out decreased significantly, which strongly affected the restaurant industry and resulted in a shift in food demand from eating out to home consumption. The seafood industry is no exception to this trend. This study surveyed 300 individuals with experience in seafood transactions across wholesalers, restaurants, and retailers to examine how the pandemic influenced supply and demand patterns from a distribution perspective. Results indicated that while the volume of luxury seafood handled by restaurants and wholesalers decreased, the volume handled by retailers increased. Conversely, the volume of inexpensive popular seafood declined across all three sectors. The findings suggest that some of the luxury seafood previously sold to restaurants was redirected to retailers as consumer demand shifted from dining out to home consumption during the pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Hiroki Wakamatsu & Kentaka Aruga, 2025. "Shifts in Seafood Distribution: Trends Among Retailers and Wholesalers Before and After COVID-19 in Japan," Commodities, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-17, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jcommo:v:4:y:2025:i:3:p:12-:d:1694686
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Jill E. Hobbs, 2021. "Food supply chain resilience and the COVID‐19 pandemic: What have we learned?," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 69(2), pages 189-196, June.
    3. Rocío de la Iglesia & Ángela García-González & María Achón & Gregorio Varela-Moreiras & Elena Alonso Aperte, 2022. "Fish, Seafood, and Fish Products Purchasing Habits in the Spanish Population during COVID-19 Lockdown," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-11, September.
    4. Narayan, Paresh Kumar & Devpura, Neluka & Wang, Hua, 2020. "Japanese currency and stock market—What happened during the COVID-19 pandemic?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 191-198.
    5. Kentaka Aruga, 2021. "Changes in Human Mobility under the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Tokyo Fuel Market," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-12, April.
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