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MNI INSIGHT: BOJ Price Hike PR Campaign Hopes to Shift Mindset

By Hiroshi Inoue
     TOKYO (MNI) - Amid slow progress toward its 2% inflation target, the Bank
of Japan plans a public relations offensive that will argue that consumers and
investors are accepting retail price rises and that people are slowly moving out
of their deflationary mindset, MNI understands.
     BOJ officials are aware that it will take more time before increasing signs
of upward price pressures -- particularly recent price hikes by some firms --
actually push up the year-on-year consumer inflation rate, given that these
increases are being offset in part by discounts on household goods that some
retail chains are offering to lure customers.
     But they also believe that the influence a public relations campaign might
have on inflation expectations among households and businesses would help raise
actual prices.
     Companies have been slow in raising retail prices for fear of losing market
share and are reluctant to give large pay hikes amid uncertainty over the
economic growth outlook.
     The pace of price and wage hikes has been slower than BOJ officials
expected. But some companies are beginning to reach the limits of their
flexibility on absorbing higher labor and material costs by investing in
equipment and streamlining operations, prompting them to raise prices.
     In a change, the share prices of the companies that announced price hikes
either rose or didn't fall much amid recent gains in the Nikkei 225 stock index,
which suggests their moves are being accepted by investors and consumers, BOJ
officials believe. In the past, price hikes were expected to hurt sales, leading
to lower share prices of those firms.
     This development should help firms raise retail prices further and cause
mindsets to shift from expectations of continued deflation to ones expecting
higher prices ahead, the BOJ believes.
     On Oct. 3, Asahi Breweries announced it was raising beer prices by about
10%, effective with shipments on March 1, 2018, its first price hike in 10
years. The company's share price closed at Y5,115 Wednesday, up from Y4,570 at
the time of the announcement.
     The remaining two major beer companies, Sapporo Breweries and Kirin Co.,
haven't said they have similar plans. On Wednesday, Kirin's share price ended at
Y2,690.0, up from Y2,650.0 on Oct. 3, while Sapporo's share price closed at
Y3,515, up from Y3,095 on Oct. 3.
     In March, Yamato Transport, a leading home delivery firm, said it was
raising prices for the first time in 27 years due to higher costs and labor
shortages. Its share price rose to Y2,555.5 on May 1 from Y2,243.5 in mid-March.
It stood lower at Y2,239.5 on Wednesday.
     On Aug. 28, Torikizoku, a restaurant chain known for its low-priced grilled
chicken skewers, announced it was raising the pre-tax price from a flat Y280 per
dish to Y298, the first hike in 28 years, citing higher costs. The company's
share price rose to Y3,185 on Sept. 29 from Y2,815 on Aug. 28. It closed at
Y2,998 Wednesday.
     BOJ officials want to highlight that despite retail price rises, consumer
sentiment hasn't worsened (it has been basically flat), a sign that private
consumption is resilient, backed by rising job offers and income gains.
     In the labor market, the number of companies that have shifted low-wage
non-regular workers to regular employees who receive better pay and benefits is
increasing as companies are competing to secure enough workers to maintain their
operations.
     Higher wages for more workers will help support consumer spending, which
will make it easier for firms to raise prices.
     Government data showed that the ratio of non-regular workers to all workers
has stayed at around 30% since January.
     BOJ economists think that if the number of companies that shift non-regular
workers to regular positions continues to increase, the ratio will gradually
fall, which would cause a rise in wages on a broader base.
--MNI Tokyo Bureau; tel: +81 90-2175-0040; email: hiroshi.inoue@marketnews.com
--MNI Tokyo Bureau; tel: +81 90-4670-5309; email: max.sato@marketnews.com
--MNI BEIJING Bureau; +1 202-371-2121; email: john.carter@mni-news.com
--MNI Beijing Bureau; +86 (10) 8532-5998; email: vince.morkri@marketnews.com
[TOPICS: MMJBJI,MAJDS$,MMJBJ$,M$A$$$,M$J$$$,MT$$$$,MX$$$$]

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