Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets, JapanConsuming

Michael Causton

Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets

Real Insight on Japanese Consumer Markets

JapanConsuming

JapanConsuming is a specialist research firm producing intelligence on Japanese retail and consumer markets. Founded in 2000, JapanConsuming has become the leading provider of insights on Japanese retailers and consumer trends to retailers, brands, government agencies and investors. As well as a highly regarded monthly report on the market, JapanConsuming produces in-depth reports on retail sectors, seminars on key trends and telephone consulting to investors on trends and retailers.

JapanConsuming was founded by Michael Causton and Roy Larke. 

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Amazon’s growing lead in Japan’s e-commerce market looks increasingly inexorable. </li>
<li>While growth in Japan was slower than some other Amazon markets, it still outpaced Rakuten. LY Corp did better but partly in reaction to poor results the year before. </li>
<li>Meanwhile, a recent survey suggests growing interest in brand-operated online stores, particularly to read more in-depth content and use brand-based points.</li>
</ul>


Amazon’s growing lead in Japan’s e-commerce market looks increasingly inexorable. 
While growth in Japan was slower than some other Amazon markets, it still outpaced Rakuten. LY Corp did better but partly in reaction to poor results the year before. 
Meanwhile, a recent survey suggests growing interest in brand-operated online stores, particularly to read more in-depth content and use brand-based points.


The Big 3: Amazon’s Lead Grows as Rakuten Stumbles

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Crooz’s Shop-list.com used to be one of the fastest growing online fashion malls in Japan but, just before Covid, it hit a wall and hasn’t recovered since. </li>
<li>Now it will be merged with Korean fashion mall, Nugu, and its real value as a database of young female consumers will become clear. </li>
<li>This should help Nugu grow to GTVs of ¥100 billion from Japan alone but will leave Crooz as a small bit player in digital services.</li>
</ul>


Crooz’s Shop-list.com used to be one of the fastest growing online fashion malls in Japan but, just before Covid, it hit a wall and hasn’t recovered since. 
Now it will be merged with Korean fashion mall, Nugu, and its real value as a database of young female consumers will become clear. 
This should help Nugu grow to GTVs of ¥100 billion from Japan alone but will leave Crooz as a small bit player in digital services.


Crooz Sells Online Mall Business to Korea’s Nugu

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Key events in Japanese retailing this week include Muji raising forecasts for this FY and opening its biggest store ever, at 8,500 sqm as it goes after the food market.</li>
<li>LINE Yahoo acquires Beenos in a bid to capture more of the fast-expanding cross-border e-commerce market.</li>
<li>Fast growing, and Zozo-owned, online mall Yutori buys a cosmetics brand and in a sign of the serous labour shortage, Familymart moves to single manager franchises.</li>
</ul>


Key events in Japanese retailing this week include Muji raising forecasts for this FY and opening its biggest store ever, at 8,500 sqm as it goes after the food market.
LINE Yahoo acquires Beenos in a bid to capture more of the fast-expanding cross-border e-commerce market.
Fast growing, and Zozo-owned, online mall Yutori buys a cosmetics brand and in a sign of the serous labour shortage, Familymart moves to single manager franchises.


Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>The review period for the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nikkei-225" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22909:1" rel="noopener">Nikkei 225 Index</a> March rebalance ends in 3 weeks. There could be one outright change and one or two others driven by sector balance.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shift-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:7266:1" rel="noopener">Shift Inc (3697 JP)</a> will have a 15:1 stock split next week and that puts the stock in the list of potential inclusions over the next couple of rebalances.</li>
<li>The recent drop in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fast-retailing-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:751:1" rel="noopener">Fast Retailing (9983 JP)</a>'s stock price will lead to a single step drop in the PAF. That means less passive selling and a smaller funding buy.</li>
</ul>


The review period for the Nikkei 225 Index March rebalance ends in 3 weeks. There could be one outright change and one or two others driven by sector balance.

Shift Inc (3697 JP) will have a 15:1 stock split next week and that puts the stock in the list of potential inclusions over the next couple of rebalances.
The recent drop in Fast Retailing (9983 JP)'s stock price will lead to a single step drop in the PAF. That means less passive selling and a smaller funding buy.


Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Preview (Mar 2025): SHIFT Splits; Updated Ranking, Capping & Funding

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/adastria-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11895:1" rel="noopener">Adastria Co Ltd (2685 JP)</a> has rebuilt and renamed its online store as it aims to create a major fashion mall to rival the likes of Zozo and Rakuten Fashion.</li>
<li>Unlike those rivals, it has a chain of stores linked to the mall, an advantage in a market where omnichannel is well supported by customers.</li>
<li>To boost sales from younger Japanese with fewer savings, it has also tied with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/acom-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8897:1" rel="noopener">Acom Co Ltd (8572 JP)</a> to offer small loans.</li>
</ul>



Adastria Co Ltd (2685 JP) has rebuilt and renamed its online store as it aims to create a major fashion mall to rival the likes of Zozo and Rakuten Fashion.
Unlike those rivals, it has a chain of stores linked to the mall, an advantage in a market where omnichannel is well supported by customers.
To boost sales from younger Japanese with fewer savings, it has also tied with Acom Co Ltd (8572 JP) to offer small loans.


Adastria Targets Zozo with New Online Mall, ‘And ST’

Japan

ZOZO Inc operates internet shopping sites for apparel.  The Company also provides communication services relating to apparel such as blogs by fashion moguls and internet chat room for users.

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ZOZO Inc (3092 JP)

The Big 3: Amazon’s Lead Grows as Rakuten Stumbles

Amazon continues to dominate Japan's e-commerce market, outpacing Rakuten in growth despite slower progress compared to other markets.

Michael Causton

Crooz Sells Online Mall Business to Korea’s Nugu

Crooz's Shop-list.com merges with Nugu to leverage database of young female consumers, boosting Nugu's growth in Japan while leaving Crooz as a...

Michael Causton

Japan's Retail Week

Japanese retailing sees major developments: Muji expands, LINE Yahoo acquires Beenos, Yutori buys cosmetics brand, and Familymart shifts to single...

Michael Causton

Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Preview (Mar 2025): SHIFT Splits; Updated Ranking, Capping & Funding

With 4 days left in the review period, Fast Retailing is now in double capping zone which would require passives to sell 13.3m shares in March. If...

Brian Freitas

Adastria Targets Zozo with New Online Mall, ‘And ST’

Adastria Co Ltd aims to rival Zozo and Rakuten Fashion with a new online store and omnichannel strategy, targeting younger Japanese with small...

Michael Causton

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

The Big 3: Amazon’s Lead Grows as Rakuten Stumbles

​Amazon continues to dominate Japan's e-commerce market, outpacing Rakuten in growth despite slower progress compared to other markets.

Michael Causton

Crooz Sells Online Mall Business to Korea’s Nugu

​Crooz's Shop-list.com merges with Nugu to leverage database of young female consumers, boosting Nugu's growth in Japan while leaving Crooz as a...

Michael Causton

Japan's Retail Week

​Japanese retailing sees major developments: Muji expands, LINE Yahoo acquires Beenos, Yutori buys cosmetics brand, and Familymart shifts to single...

Michael Causton

Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance Preview (Mar 2025): SHIFT Splits; Updated Ranking, Capping & Funding

With 4 days left in the review period, Fast Retailing is now in double capping zone which would require passives to sell 13.3m shares in March. If...

Brian Freitas

Adastria Targets Zozo with New Online Mall, ‘And ST’

​Adastria Co Ltd aims to rival Zozo and Rakuten Fashion with a new online store and omnichannel strategy, targeting younger Japanese with small...

Michael Causton

Amazon continues to dominate Japan's e-commerce market, outpacing Rakuten in growth despite slower progress compared to other markets.

Crooz's Shop-list.com merges with Nugu to leverage database of young female consumers, boosting Nugu's growth in Japan while leaving Crooz as a...

Japanese retailing sees major developments: Muji expands, LINE Yahoo acquires Beenos, Yutori buys cosmetics brand, and Familymart shifts to single...

Adastria Co Ltd aims to rival Zozo and Rakuten Fashion with a new online store and omnichannel strategy, targeting younger Japanese with small...