Winter 2007 bonus usage plans in Japan

With the Winter bonus season upon us (I get mine tomorrow!) here is a timely survey from MacroMill Inc on this very subject, the Winter 2007 bonus.

Demographics

Over the 14th and 15th of November 2007 1,032 members of the MacroMill internet monitor group employed in either the public or private sector successfully completed a private online questionnaire. 20.0% of the sample were in their twenties, 20.0% in their thirties, 20.0% in their forties, and 20.0% in their fifties. The sex ratio was not reported, however, although when JR Tokai Express Research use a similar sample base, over 80% are male. However, MacroMill tends to use a 50:50 split for their surveys, but this cannot be the case here as in Q4B, for instance, 534 men report getting a bonus, over half the sample size.

Half of my winter bonus has to go to paying my home loan, and the majority of the remained will end up replenishing funds in the bank to be spent on just normal living expenses, sadly. If I manage to get any discretionary spending, I think a DS and a Wii plus Wii Fit (saw it on the telly this morning – it looks great!) will be in order.

Research results

Q1: Are you due to get a winter bonus this year? (Sample size=1,032)

Yes	71.7%
Don’t know (to Q6)	8.7%
Just entered the company, so not eligible yet (to Q6)	1.6%
Even though I’m salaried, I don’t get a bonus (to Q6)	4.7
No (to Q6)	13.3%

Q2: How will this year’s bonus compare to last year’s? (Sample size=740)

	All N=740	Twenties N=176	Thirties N=185	Forties N=187	Fifties N=192
Increase	18.1%	30.1%	23.2%	15.0%	5.2%
Not change	47.3%	36.4%	46.5%	54.0%	51.6%
Decrease	20.8%	9.1%	18.4%	21.9%	32.8%
Don’t know	13.8%	24.4%	11.9%	9.1%	10.4%

Q3: How much are you due to get? (Sample size=740)

	All N=740	Twenties N=176	Thirties N=185	Forties N=187	Fifties N=192
Up to 100,000 yen	3.9%	5.7%	4.3%	2.7%	3.1%
100,000 to 199,999 yen	9.3%	17.6%	9.7%	5.9%	4.7%
200,000 to 299,999 yen	10.0%	13.1%	10.8%	10.2%	6.3%
300,000 to 399,999 yen	12.3%	23.9%	9.2%	8.6%	8.3%
400,000 to 499,999 yen	11.4%	11.4%	16.8%	9.6%	7.8%
500,000 to 599,999 yen	10.8%	9.1%	16.8%	9.6%	7.8%
600,000 to 699,999 yen	6.6%	6.3%	6.5%	7.0%	6.8%
700,000 to 799,999 yen	5.9%	0.0%	4.9%	10.2%	8.3%
800,000 to 899,999 yen	4.2%	0.0%	3.2%	4.8%	8.3%
900,000 to 999,999 yen	5.1%	0.6%	2.7%	8.6%	8.3%
1,000,000 to 1,199,999 yen	5.1%	0.6%	3.8%	5.3%	10.4%
1,200,000 to 1,399,999 yen	1.6%	0.0%	0.0%	4.3%	2.1%
1,400,000 to 1,599,999 yen	0.5%	0.0%	0.0%	1.1%	1.0%
1,600,000 to 1,999,999 yen	1.9%	0.6%	1.6%	1.1%	4.2%
Over 2,000,000 yen	1.8%	1.1%	0.0%	2.1%	3.6%
Don’t know	9.5%	10.2%	9.7%	9.1%	8.9%

Q4A: What do you plan to do with the money? (Sample size=740, multiple answer)

Rank	Use	Percentage
1	Savings	50.7%
2	Living expenses	34.2%
3	Repay loan	31.4%
4	Home electricals, electronics (to SQ)	25.3%
5	Clothes	18.8%
6	Domestic travel	16.8%
7	Eating out	9.5%
8	Shares, bonds, other investments	9.1%
9	Overseas travel	5.5%
10	Bag	4.9%
10	Car, motorbike-related items	4.9%
12	Accessories	4.5%
13	Furniture	4.1%
14	Precious metals, precious stones	3.6%
15	Car, motorcycle	2.8%
15	Savings for home purchase	2.8%
17	Qualifications, school	2.6%
–	Other	6.9%

Q4B: What do you plan to do with the money? (Sample size=534, male, multiple answer)

Rank	Use	Percentage
1	Savings	47.6%
2	Repay loan	37.8%
3	Living expenses	37.5%
4	Home electricals, electronics	27.5%
5	Clothes	15.2%
6	Domestic travel	15.0%
7	Shares, bonds, other investments	10.1%
8	Eating out	9.0%
9	Car, motorbike-related items	5.6%
10	Furniture	3.7%

Q4C: What do you plan to do with the money? (Sample size=206, female, multiple answer)

Rank	Use	Percentage
1	Savings	58.7%
2	Clothes	28.2%
3	Living expenses	25.7%
4	Domestic travel	21.4%
5	Home electricals, electronics	19.4%
6	Repay loan	14.6%
7	Bag	11.7%
8	Overseas travel	11.2%
9	Eating out	10.7%
10	Accessories	8.3%

Q4D: What do you plan to do with the money? (Sample size=176, twenties, multiple answer)

Rank	Use	Percentage
1	Savings	59.7%
2	Clothes	26.7%
3	Home electricals, electronics	25.6%
4	Living expenses	19.3%
5	Domestic travel	17.0%
5	Repay loan	17.0%
7	Overseas travel	10.2%
8	Shares, bonds, other investments	9.7%
9	Bag	7.4%
10	Car, motorbike-related items	6.8%
10	Eating out	6.8%

Q4E: What do you plan to do with the money? (Sample size=185, thirties, multiple answer)

Rank	Use	Percentage
1	Savings	58.4%
2	Home electricals, electronics	28.6%
3	Repay loan	27.6%
4	Living expenses	24.9%
5	Clothes	21.6%
6	Domestic travel	13.0%
7	Shares, bonds, other investments	9.2%
8	Accessories	8.1%
8	Eating out	8.1%
10	Bag	7.6%

Q4F: What do you plan to do with the money? (Sample size=187, forties, multiple answer)

Rank	Use	Percentage
1	Savings	45.5%
2	Living expenses	42.2%
3	Repay loan	41.7%
4	Home electricals, electronics	24.1%
5	Domestic travel	19.8%
6	Clothes	12.3%
7	Eating out	11.2%
8	Shares, bonds, other investments	8.6%
9	Car, motorbike-related items	4.8%
10	Accessories	3.1%
10	Car, motorcycle	3.1%

Q4G: What do you plan to do with the money? (Sample size=192, fifties, multiple answer)

Rank	Use	Percentage
1	Living expenses	49.0%
2	Savings	40.1%
3	Repay loan	38.0%
4	Home electricals, electronics	22.9%
5	Domestic travel	17.2%
6	Clothes	15.1%
7	Eating out	11.5%
8	Shares, bonds, other investments	8.9%
9	Furniture	4.7%
10	Savings for home purchase	4.3%
10	Overseas travel	4.3%

Q4SQ: What home electrical or electronic items do you plan to buy with your bonus? (Sample size=187, electrical item purchasers, multiple answer)

Rank	Item	Percentage
1	Games console, handheld	18.2%
2	Digital camera	17.6%
2	Notebook computer	17.6%
4	Flat-screen television (Plasma, LCD, etc)	16.6%
5	White goods (fridge, washing machine, etc)	15.5%
6	DVD/Hard Disk recorder or player	11.8%
7	Mobile phone	10.2%
8	Printer	9.6%
9	Desktop computer	8.6%
10	Portable audio player	8.0%
11	Digital video camera	2.7%
12	Home theatre	1.6%
–	Other	12.3%

Q5: Recently the price of gasoline, foodstuff, etc has increased. Compared with last year, has this had an effect on how you plan to use this year’s winter bonus? (Sample size=740)

	Had an effect	Had no effect	Don’t know
All N=740	50.7	36.4	13.0
Male N=534	53.9	33.7	12.4
Female N=206	42.2	43.2	14.6
Twenties N=176	39.8	39.8	20.5
Thirties N=185	51.9	38.4	9.7
Forties N=187	54.5	34.8	10.7
Fifties N=192	55.7	32.8	11.5

Q6: Do you plan to buy any items relating to digital terrestrial television broadcasts with your winter bonus? (Sample size=1,032)

Plan to buy (to SQ)	14.2%
Won’t buy	65.2%
Don’t know	17.6%
Don’t really know about digital terrestrial television	2.9%

Q6SQ: What items relating to digital terrestrial television broadcasts do you plan to buy with your winter bonus? (Sample size=147, multiple answer)

DVD, Hard Disk recorder with built-in digital terrestrial tuner	49.7%
Television with built-in digital terrestrial tuner	49.0%
Digital terrestrial tuner	21.1%
Computer with built-in digital terrestrial tuner	9.5%