au PAY Market survey finds 66.5% of mothers maintain secret loyalty point stashes

A survey conducted by au Commerce & Life Co., Ltd. for the shopping site au PAY Market reveals that 66.5% of married women with elementary school-aged children in Japan maintain secret 'stash points' (hesokuri points) unknown to their spouses. On average, these women have accumulated approximately 42,595 points.

Common strategies for accumulating these points include purchasing family daily necessities and food under their own names (45.5%). The usage of these points is split almost equally between 'household defense' (43.6%), used to supplement living expenses amidst rising prices, and 'self-rewards' (44.4%), used for personal treats.

The survey highlights that the frequency of 'secret reward shopping' on e-commerce sites has increased for many since the rise in inflation. Many respondents use accumulated points to reduce feelings of guilt when making these purchases. Interestingly, 76.1% of respondents indicated that having these secret points and small rewards helps maintain marital harmony.