The T-Point Price Index for February was down 0.19% compared to the same month last year.

2016.03.10 Press Releases
Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. / CCC Marketing Co., Ltd.

The largest increase was among women aged 60-79, at 0.56%, while the smallest increase was among women aged 20-39, at -0.05%.

CCC Marketing Inc. (hereinafter "CCC Marketing"), a company engaged in database marketing, and Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "CCC") have announced the launch of the "T-POINT Price Index (TPI)," a new price index that utilizes T-Point data, as part of a joint project with the Watanabe Tsutomu Laboratory at the Graduate School of Economics, The University of Tokyo. We are pleased to announce that the TPI for February 2016 has been released.

Digest of T-Point Price Index for February 2016

●The T-Point Price Index (TPI) for February 2016 increased by 0.19% compared to the same month last year and 0.16% compared to the previous month.

TPI uses T-Card-related purchases at T-Point partner stores such as supermarkets, drugstores, convenience stores, and restaurant chains. The TPI for February 2016 was 0.19%, marking the 11th consecutive month of positive growth and an increase of 0.16% from the previous month. By type of business, the largest increase was in supermarkets, at 0.91% compared to the same month last year, followed by drug stores at 0.24% and convenience stores at 0.20%. "Drugstores" saw a decrease of 0.25 points compared to the previous month.

The largest increase was among women aged 60-79, at 0.56%, while the largest decrease was among women aged 20-39, at -0.05%.

Looking at the TPI for February 2016 by gender and age group, the largest increase was 0.56% for women aged 60-79 and 0.38% for men aged 60-79, indicating that prices are higher for the senior generation. Next were men aged 40-59 at 0.22%, women aged 40-59 at 0.19%, and men aged 20-39 at 0.16%. The lowest price levels were seen among women aged 20 to 39, at -0.05%. The largest increase compared to the previous month was among women aged 60 to 79, with an increase of 0.38%.

*You can view data by selecting from three business types: "supermarket," "drugstore," and "convenience store."Please note that "restaurant chains" cannot be viewed by selecting by business type.
*Daily index data is up to three days prior.

What is TPI?

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is known as an economic thermometer that indicates economic trends. On the other hand, the TPI is an index compiled based on purchase price data accumulated daily through T-Point partner companies across Japan. Specifically, this price index was derived by aggregating, tabulating, and analyzing purchase amounts obtained from T-Card purchasing data, which is used by 55.67 million people across Japan (number of members after name matching as of the end of December 2015) and has related sales of over 5 trillion yen, which accounts for approximately 2% of Japan's total consumption.

About TPI

The data currently used by TPI collects the amount of purchases involving T-Cards at T-Point partner stores such as supermarkets, drugstores, convenience stores, and restaurant chains. Store areas are as follows: supermarkets are mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kyushu, drugstores are mainly in Kanto, Kansai and Kyushu, and convenience stores and restaurant chains are nationwide. Currently, the number of products (SKUs) covered by TPI is approximately 110,000, with 191 of the 580 items being utilized, resulting in a coverage of 23.4% when the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications CPI is taken as 100%. The amount used to calculate TPI is excluding consumption tax (excluding tax). Additionally, while no special consideration is given to sale items, all products with sales history for both the previous and current periods are used to compile TPI. Please note that the number of members covered by TPI, as well as the transaction amount and number of uses, have not been disclosed.

TPI Features

The features of TPI are that it allows you to see the price index by gender and age group, and that it is a price index based on buying prices rather than selling prices. The TPI is calculated using the Tornqvist method, which is the same as the University of Tokyo Daily Price Index. This calculation method places more weight on products purchased in larger quantities, and there is a consensus among researchers that it is the best method for creating a price index.

[Disclaimer]
*These results are from a beta version and may be subject to change without notice.
*This information is not intended for use in any investment or economic transactions, and no express or implied guarantees are made, including as to its commercial usefulness or usefulness for any particular purpose.
*Please fully understand the nature of this index and use it at your own risk.
*We are not responsible for any losses resulting from investments or transactions based on this index.
*We do not assume any liability (direct or indirect) arising from the use of this index.
*No representations or warranties are made regarding the accuracy, completeness, precision, reliability, etc. of this index.
*Reproduction of this content without permission is strictly prohibited.

Materials related to this matter

The T-Point Price Index for February was down 0.19% compared to the same month last year.

Inquiries regarding this matter
CCC Marketing Co., Ltd.
For inquiries regarding TPI, please contact: tpi-pj@ccc.co.jp
For media inquiries, please call 03-6800-4464