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>Thanks to the huge supply chain capabilities of its parent <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/itochu-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18448:1" rel="noopener">Itochu Corp (8001 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/familymart-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:320:1" rel="noopener">FamilyMart Co Ltd (8028 JP)</a> is moving into new categories of private label product.</li>
<li>These are not the traditional staples of the convenience store but new types of more fashionable lifestyle products in clothing and cosmetics.</li>
<li>Recent results show successful collaboration with Noin for cosmetics and with Hiromichi Ochiai from Facetasm for clothing basics, selling more than 1 million items each.</li>
</ul>


Thanks to the huge supply chain capabilities of its parent Itochu Corp (8001 JP), FamilyMart Co Ltd (8028 JP) is moving into new categories of private label product.
These are not the traditional staples of the convenience store but new types of more fashionable lifestyle products in clothing and cosmetics.
Recent results show successful collaboration with Noin for cosmetics and with Hiromichi Ochiai from Facetasm for clothing basics, selling more than 1 million items each.


<ul>
<li>Familymart is fast becoming the leading retailer for unmanned stores.</li>
<li>It has a target of 1,000 unmanned stores by 2024 and is rolling out new shops regularly, although most remain experimental as it searches for the best model.</li>
<li>Other convenience stores are catching up too although have much less ambitious targets.</li>
</ul>


Familymart is fast becoming the leading retailer for unmanned stores.
It has a target of 1,000 unmanned stores by 2024 and is rolling out new shops regularly, although most remain experimental as it searches for the best model.
Other convenience stores are catching up too although have much less ambitious targets.


Familymart Taking the Lead in Developing Unmanned Conbini

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>UK-Based Japanese share activist AVI said publicly yesterday that the price Mitsui OSK announced to take out minorities in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/daibiru-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19065:1" rel="noopener">Daibiru Corp (8806 JP)</a> should be ¥3,000/share not ¥2,200/share.</li>
<li>Today AVI launched a website at <a href="https://www.assetvalueinvestors.com/stopexploitingdaibiru/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.assetvalueinvestors.com/stopexploitingdaibiru/</a> in which they make their <a href="https://www.assetvalueinvestors.com/content/uploads/2021/12/Daibiru-Public-Presentation_202112_ENG_vF.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">case</a>. </li>
<li>They've got a point. And it is definitely a good point. But the shareholder structure means this is a short-gamma situation for bumpitrageurs.</li>
</ul>


UK-Based Japanese share activist AVI said publicly yesterday that the price Mitsui OSK announced to take out minorities in Daibiru Corp (8806 JP) should be ¥3,000/share not ¥2,200/share.
Today AVI launched a website at https://www.assetvalueinvestors.com/stopexploitingdaibiru/ in which they make their case. 
They've got a point. And it is definitely a good point. But the shareholder structure means this is a short-gamma situation for bumpitrageurs.


Mitsui OSK TOB for Daibiru (8806) Gets Loose from Its Mooring

Equity Analyst, LightStream Research

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

Equity Analyst

Long-Short Analysis on Japan, Asia and the World

LightStream Research

LightStream conducts quantitatively rigorous and data-driven analysis with a focus on Japan and Asia.

We consistently cover the Tech, Consumer and Industrial sectors, and provide ECM and Events coverage more broadly.

We supplement traditional qualitative insights from company relationships with a robust quantitative foundation that examines as much historical data as is available.
We further refine the accuracy of our insights and calls through the use of alternative data to flesh out current trends, and through a valuation framework that emphasises non-superficial peer group selection and a proper attempt to understand the metrics and changes that have driven security valuations in the past.

Our 2021 high conviction call, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/seven-i-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1041:1" rel="noopener">Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP)</a>, announced last week that it has completed the acquisition of the Speedway Gas Stations business from Marathon Petroleum. However, the acting chairperson Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Commissioner Rohit Chopra of the US Federal Trade Commission issued a statement on the FTC website, on May 14th, 2021, saying that this transaction is illegal as it could impact competition and cause prices to soar at gas stations and convenience stores across the U.S.This insight is labelled bullish because we think the odds of Seven &amp; I facing major legal and anticompetitive ramifications are somewhat slim, while there is still a possibility of 25-30% upside with the disclosure of the combined entity’s mid and long-term goals.

Our 2021 high conviction call, Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP), announced last week that it has completed the acquisition of the Speedway Gas Stations business from Marathon Petroleum. However, the acting chairperson Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Commissioner Rohit Chopra of the US Federal Trade Commission issued a statement on the FTC website, on May 14th, 2021, saying that this transaction is illegal as it could impact competition and cause prices to soar at gas stations and convenience stores across the U.S.This insight is labelled bullish because we think the odds of Seven &amp; I facing major legal and anticompetitive ramifications are somewhat slim, while there is still a possibility of 25-30% upside with the disclosure of the combined entity’s mid and long-term goals.

2021 High Conviction Call: Seven & I Completes the Speedway Acquisition, But Not Without Trouble

The merger of <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/matsumotokiyoshi-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:2259:1" rel="noopener">Matsumotokiyoshi Holdings Co., Ltd. (3088 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/cocokara-fine-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15447:1" rel="noopener">Cocokara Fine (3098 JP)</a> is just one symptom of the growing concentration of market share in the drugstore sector.But the sector's leaders are no longer just battling for dominance in drugstore retailing; increasingly drugstores are evolving far behind this niche sector.Drugstore retailing is growing faster than any sector other than e-commerce because drugstores are positioned to meet customer needs for well-being, health and, nowadays, a broad range of daily necessities including food, and so becoming ever more integrated into consumers’ daily shopping experience.Their eclectic ranges also mean they perform well in the middle of natural disasters and crises of various forms and many chains have seen good results thanks to earthquakes, extreme weather and especially thanks to Covid, but this doesn’t fully explain the sector’s success.Crises may have helped, but Japan’s top drugstores are today some of the country’s best retailers in their own right.The following is a complete, in-depth review of the drugstore sector, including rankings, KPIs, and future trends on the sector and the potential winners.Jun Tsuruha, the current <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tsuruha-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9536:1" rel="noopener">Tsuruha Holdings (3391 JP)</a> CEO, was widely quoted last year as saying the sector would soon be dominated by just “four or five” major firms. This is far from fantasy, with Tsuruha, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/welcia-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20895:1" rel="noopener">Welcia Holdings (3141 JP)</a>, Matsukiyo-Cocokara, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/cosmos-pharmaceutical-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3797:1" rel="noopener">Cosmos Pharmaceutical (3349 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sugi-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9255:1" rel="noopener">Sugi Holdings (7649 JP)</a> the most likely contenders.

The merger of Matsumotokiyoshi Holdings Co., Ltd. (3088 JP) and Cocokara Fine (3098 JP) is just one symptom of the growing concentration of market share in the drugstore sector.But the sector's leaders are no longer just battling for dominance in drugstore retailing; increasingly drugstores are evolving far behind this niche sector.Drugstore retailing is growing faster than any sector other than e-commerce because drugstores are positioned to meet customer needs for well-being, health and, nowadays, a broad range of daily necessities including food, and so becoming ever more integrated into consumers’ daily shopping experience.Their eclectic ranges also mean they perform well in the middle of natural disasters and crises of various forms and many chains have seen good results thanks to earthquakes, extreme weather and especially thanks to Covid, but this doesn’t fully explain the sector’s success.Crises may have helped, but Japan’s top drugstores are today some of the country’s best retailers in their own right.The following is a complete, in-depth review of the drugstore sector, including rankings, KPIs, and future trends on the sector and the potential winners.Jun Tsuruha, the current Tsuruha Holdings (3391 JP) CEO, was widely quoted last year as saying the sector would soon be dominated by just “four or five” major firms. This is far from fantasy, with Tsuruha, Welcia Holdings (3141 JP), Matsukiyo-Cocokara, Cosmos Pharmaceutical (3349 JP) and Sugi Holdings (7649 JP) the most likely contenders.

Japan Drugstores: Growing Leadership in Food, Household, Cosmetics – and the Odd Medicine Too

Japan

FamilyMart Co., Ltd. operates convenience store chains. The Company provides rice balls, hot snacks, stews, beverages, and other products. FamilyMart conducts businesses in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, and other countries and regions.

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FamilyMart Co Ltd (8028 JP)

Familymart, the Lifestyle Store

Itochu always intended to make better use of its vast network of suppliers to improve both the merchandise mix at Familymart and also gross...

Michael Causton

Familymart Taking the Lead in Developing Unmanned Conbini

A labour shortage has pushed Japanese convenience store retailers to invest in technologies to reduce staff requirements and are now beginning to...

Michael Causton

Mitsui OSK TOB for Daibiru (8806) Gets Loose from Its Mooring

Mitsui OSK's Tender Offer for Daibiru was low but supported by a substantial cross-held position - likely enough to get this past 2/3 IF the shares...

Travis Lundy

2021 High Conviction Call: Seven & I Completes the Speedway Acquisition, But Not Without Trouble

Investors cannot completely ignore legal ramifications, but the probability of occurrence of such seems somewhat slim in our opinion. On the other...

Oshadhi Kumarasiri

Japan Drugstores: Growing Leadership in Food, Household, Cosmetics – and the Odd Medicine Too

The Japanese drugstore sector has seen a big merger but there will be more as the sector not only consolidates down to a few leaders but also...

Michael Causton

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