Cooling item displays in stores in early summer

In my previous post I wrote about the many seasonal retail displays that appear throughout the year in Japan - and there really are a lot of them. Right now, cooling items are taking center stage in supermarkets, drug stores and 100-yen shops across the country. Large blocks of shelf space are are devoted entirely to cooling goods, all placed prominently in key areas of the store.

It is very convenient when you are looking for cooling items in season. I love that all the cooling items, regardless of category, are grouped together in one place. Cooling goods sit side-by-side drinks, snacks, sprays, towels, neck rings, ice packs, and even cooling bedding. 

However, one thing I’ve noticed about seasonal retail displays in Japan is that they often change before the season is actually over. Right now, cooling items are easy to find, even though the real heat hasn’t arrived yet. But in a couple of weeks, when summer is truly in full force, this display space will already have moved on to the next round of seasonal goods - if past years are anything to go by. 

After that, the cooling items get scattered back into their usual categories: drinks in the drink aisle, food in the food aisle, sprays with toiletries, towels with sports goods, and so on. They’re still available, but no longer gathered in one convenient place. Have you noticed this in your local stores too?