Note: This article covers "Hatsuuri," Japan's New Year first-sale shopping tradition, and related Shopify app usage. This custom and its timing are specific to Japan.
The year-end/New Year period is a critical time when e-commerce demand rises, and for many stores, it's a moment that can shape sales for the entire year.
This article organizes the characteristics of the 2025 year-end shopping season, including Hatsuuri (the New Year first sale), based on survey data, and introduces Shopify apps that can support your Hatsuuri sale efforts.
How Hatsuuri Affects E-Commerce Sales
Hatsuuri is often run as the finale of the year-end shopping season, and the purchase momentum that builds up in December tends to carry through into the new year. A defining feature is that Hatsuuri-only offerings — like lucky bags (fukubukuro) and limited-quantity items — help drive demand even higher.
Here, we organize the consumer behavior trends relevant to preparing for a Hatsuuri sale, based on 2025 survey data. Shopify Japan's "2025 Consumer Survey on BFCM and the Year-End Shopping Season" (as of October 2025) (*1) reveals several notable characteristics in purchasing behavior within Japan.
Survey Overview (as of October 2025)
Source: Shopify Announces 2025 Consumer Survey on BFCM and the Year-End Shopping Season (Japanese)
- Domestic Japan store sales during the 2024 BFCM period (Black Friday/Cyber Monday) were up 54% year-over-year
- Average planned spend reached an all-time high of 15,387 yen
- 42% of 18–34 year-olds plan to spend 50,000 yen or more
- 51% of consumers use AI to find discount information
- 30% use "an even mix of physical stores and e-commerce" for research and purchasing channels
- 27% "research on e-commerce, then buy in-store"
These results suggest that product research behavior — including price comparison — is increasingly reliant on e-commerce, and that buying behavior combining physical stores and online is spreading.
Also, since BFCM-period sales rose year-over-year, sales during the year-end-through-Hatsuuri period can likely be expected to grow compared to the previous year as well.
Year-End/New Year Sales Trends Revealed by the Survey
Based on Shopify Japan's survey, here are several characteristics relevant to year-end/New Year purchasing behavior.
E-Commerce Functions Not Just as a "Place to Buy" but as a Foundation for Decision-Making
Using both physical stores and e-commerce together has become common, with shoppers checking product information online before making a purchase. Organizing your e-commerce product information so it's easy to compare can help push shoppers toward completing their purchase in-store.
As AI Search Usage Grows, AIO (AI Search Optimization) Becomes Important
51% of respondents said they use AI to find discount information, underscoring the growing need to structure and organize product information so it can be referenced during AI searches. At the same time, 67% said "buying from a person matters to me," confirming that checking products in-store remains a strong, persistent behavior.
Separately, OpenAI has launched a new feature called "Instant Checkout" that lets users shop directly within ChatGPT, currently available in the US. It's not yet available in Japan, but is being rolled out progressively for Shopify stores as well. With Instant Checkout, transactions can reportedly be completed through conversation with AI. Going forward, businesses will likely need to support purchases from a variety of channels, not just e-commerce and physical stores.
Reference: "Shopify and OpenAI bring commerce to ChatGPT"
Higher-Priced Items Are More Likely to Be Compared During the Year-End/New Year Period
Purchase intent for higher-priced items is rising, especially among younger shoppers, with 18–34 year-olds in particular expected to spend 50,000 yen or more. Categories of higher-priced products that require comparison shopping appear to pair well with the Hatsuuri sale season.
(*1) Reference: Shopify Japan "2025 Consumer Survey on BFCM and the Year-End Shopping Season" (Japanese)
Examples of Tactics Commonly Used for Hatsuuri
A number of tactics for Hatsuuri are widely used not just in physical stores but also in day-to-day e-commerce operations. Here are some of the most commonly adopted campaign ideas.
Awarding New Year Bonus Points or Time-Limited Points
This involves setting up a New-Year-only points program to create a reason for the next purchase. Since purchase intent is high at the start of the year, this is often designed not as a one-off tactic but as a way to encourage return visits in the following months.
Planning Online Lucky Bags (Fukubukuro)
In categories like apparel and food, more stores are planning online versions of lucky bags. Revealing part of the contents in advance makes it easier for shoppers to understand what they're getting and make a purchase decision.
Offering Limited Sets or Bundle Deals
Product messaging around "limited" and "sets" tends to pair well with search, and is commonly adopted for Hatsuuri. Bundling multiple products together also suits the bulk-buying demand typical at the start of the year.
Listing and Announcing Hatsuuri-Related Products Starting in Late December
Many shoppers check out Hatsuuri products even before the year ends. Listing products early makes it easier to convert that early attention into purchases once the sale actually starts.
Advance Announcements Across Multiple Channels
Advance notices combining email, social media, and LINE are a standard practice in e-commerce operations. Sending reminders at key moments — the day before Hatsuuri starts, during the sale, and just before it ends — is especially common.
Issuing Personalized Coupons
This involves distributing coupons individually based on purchase history and browsing data. Since purchase intent tends to run high at the start of the year, delivering an offer tailored to each user increases the likelihood of converting them.
The Ideal Timing and Length for a Hatsuuri Sale
When running a Hatsuuri sale, many e-commerce stores set the timing around the fact that demand tends to spike at the start of the year. Since it's easier to carry over the purchase momentum built up in December, it's common to center the sale period on the first few days of January, starting January 1.
Common Sale-Length Patterns
- Starting on January 1
- Running for around 3 to 5 days
Timing When Purchases Tend to Be Most Active
- Late night, right after the sale opens
- New Year's Day morning
- Midday to early evening on January 2–3
Running the sale over a short period helps create a sense of exclusivity, and combined with the "I don't want to miss out" psychology carrying over from BFCM and Christmas, the start of the year tends to be a period when purchases move quickly.
What to Prepare Before Your Hatsuuri Sale
Because Hatsuuri tends to concentrate a large number of orders into a short period, how well you've prepared before the sale begins has a big impact on the results.
Designing Which Products to Feature
The following categories pair well with Hatsuuri and are widely adopted by stores.
- Staple products with historically high conversion rates
- Assortments built for limited sets or lucky bags
- Product groups that also serve to help clear inventory
- Higher-priced items where the sale price factors heavily into the purchase decision
Lucky bags in particular can naturally combine multiple products, so depending on how they're put together, they can contribute significantly to your overall sale results.
Optimizing Your Hatsuuri Sale Landing Page
Shopify Japan's survey found that 51% of consumers use AI to search for discount information. Since better-organized information is easier to compare, it's worth considering an AIO-conscious landing page structure.
- Clearly state the sale period and discount rate
- Pin limited-edition items and lucky bags near the top of the page
- Make use of rankings and reviews
- Optimize for mobile
- Use a countdown to create urgency
- Organize product categories under clear headings
- Organize the key Hatsuuri details into clear sections (AIO best practice)
Preparing Traffic and Promotion in Advance
According to Shopify Japan's survey, 39% of consumers find free shipping and free returns appealing. However, only 5% of stores currently offer this — making it a strong point of differentiation from other stores' sale tactics.
As a basic advance-announcement flow, sending notices and reminders via social media and email tends to be effective.
- Email: send an advance notice by late December
- Social media: countdown posts
- LINE: an advance-reservation message plus a reminder the day before
- Priority announcements for new BFCM customers
- Re-engagement messages for past Hatsuuri buyers
3 Recommended Apps for Your Hatsuuri Sale
Here are apps that can streamline your Hatsuuri sale operations and help maximize your sales opportunities.
Shopify App "RuffRuff 予約販売": Build Anticipation Before Hatsuuri With Launch Announcements and a Countdown
Set Hatsuuri day as your official "sale start date and time," and display a countdown on your announcement page in advance — such as "starts at midnight on [date]" or "X hours left." Displaying a purchase deadline builds anticipation and helps concentrate orders during your Hatsuuri sale window. With the Shopify app RuffRuff 予約販売, you can add a countdown to the end of a sale on product pages, and list upcoming products ahead of your Hatsuuri sale.
Shopify App "RuffRuff 予約販売": Example Use Case
Shopify App "RuffRuff Order Limits": Restrict Purchases on a Product Group/Collection Dedicated to "Lucky Bags or Bundle Sets"
You can deliver exactly the purchase experience you intend by setting bundling restrictions on a lucky-bag or bundle-set collection — such as "cannot be combined with other products," "not available for individual purchase," or "only available as a set." With the Shopify app RuffRuff Order Limits, you can set purchase restrictions at the variant, product, or cart level. Restrictions can also be applied by customer tag, so it also supports special-feeling lucky bags like "a lucky bag exclusively for VIP customers."
Shopify App "RuffRuff Order Bonus": Add a Special Touch With Hatsuuri-Exclusive Gifts, Distributed on Specific Purchase Conditions
Automatically giving away a free gift when a customer spends over a certain amount is a great way to add a special touch to your Hatsuuri sale, and it can also help reduce cart abandonment. With the Shopify app RuffRuff Order Bonus, you can set detailed conditions for awarding a gift — such as order total or item quantity — and automatically add the gift to the checkout screen once those conditions are met.
Shopify App "RuffRuff Order Bonus": Example Use Case
The Key to a Successful Hatsuuri Sale Is Building a System
A Hatsuuri sale tends to concentrate a large number of orders into a short window, and how well you prepare in advance and set up your sales operations has a big impact on the results. It's worth thinking through your product lineup, how you present information, and your promotional approach with an eye on year-start buying trends and the growing use of AI search. Automating with apps also helps reduce the operational load once the sale begins. We hope this article proves useful as you plan your Hatsuuri sale strategy.
