DVD rental usage among people in their 60s and 70s is increasing, with spending this summer being 115-120% compared to the previous year, approximately 15 percentage points higher than the average for all age groups.

2011.09.16 Press Releases
Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd.

— "Hidden Gems" featuring truly interesting movies, Korean dramas and other content were among the reasons people started using the service —

Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. (Tokyo Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Muneaki Masuda) conducted a survey on DVD rental usage at TSUTAYA, which operates 1,412 stores nationwide. The survey revealed that DVD rental usage among 60-70 year olds was 115-120% of the previous year's level in the past three months, exceeding the year-on-year increase across all age groups by approximately 15 percentage points, indicating an increase in usage.

A selection of truly interesting classic films from the 1960s onwards, "Hidden Gems," and rentals of Korean dramas are doing well.

The increase in usage among people in their 60s and 70s is likely due to factors such as TSUTAYA's "TSUTAYA Hidden Gems" section, which targets movie lovers, primarily middle-aged and older customers, and the popularity of Korean dramas, which may be a trigger for their use of the service. Another contributing factor may be the nationwide launch last year of services such as "mail-in return," which allows customers to rent items at a store and return them near their home.

"TSUTAYA Hidden Gems" is a sales area that started in July of last year, where we unearth "interesting works known only to those in the know" from the 1960s to the 1990s and offer them with the same stock and selection as new releases. Rather than featuring well-known "famous works" or "works that are usually available in any store," we select "interesting works known only to those in the know" and "works that people wanted to see but couldn't easily find." This has been particularly well-received by people in their 50s and 60s, who find it nostalgic and have the opportunity to rediscover works that haven't been seen recently, especially men.

In fact, "TSUTAYA Hidden Gems" is very popular, with 65% of its users being in their 50s or 60s. Even among those 60 and older, viewers make up more than 20% of the total audience.

On the other hand, among female users, Korean dramas, which were rented more than 100 million times last year and set a new record of 13.06 million times in August 2011, are contributing to the expansion of DVD rental usage.

While the number of female viewers in their teens and twenties has been increasing for Korean dramas since last year due to the K-pop boom, they continue to be very popular among women in their fifties and sixties, who have been viewers since the beginning. As a result, the audience is showing a trend of spanning two or even three generations.

Also, one comment we've received from an elderly customer regarding the "mail-in return service" which we started rolling out nationwide last year is, "I use TSUTAYA to rent DVDs when I go to the hospital every two weeks." One contributing factor is that DVD rentals have become easier to use in terms of service, such as the fact that returning them by mail is now more convenient than before, which was previously a hassle.

TSUTAYA will continue to plan products, store layouts, and services that are easy for people of all ages to use, and will offer lifestyle suggestions to a wide range of generations through movies, music, books, and more.

Documents related to this matter

DVD rental usage among people in their 60s and 70s is increasing, with spending this summer being 115-120% compared to the previous year, approximately 15 percentage points higher than the average for all age groups.

Inquiries regarding this matter

Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Officer: Yuta Takahashi
TEL: 03-6800-4464／FAX: 03-3760-6020