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>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jade-group-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:26993:1" rel="noopener">Jade Group (3558 JP)</a> made some wild promises about its potential to grow its online fashion mall business last year when it acquired Magaseek. </li>
<li>But recent results suggest what many feared: building scale without due regard for the quality of the assets acquired does not an empire make.</li>
<li>With Magaseek contracting and e-commerce overall showing muted growth, Jade Group´s capacity to escape the shadow of the big three looks limited.</li>
</ul>



Jade Group (3558 JP) made some wild promises about its potential to grow its online fashion mall business last year when it acquired Magaseek. 
But recent results suggest what many feared: building scale without due regard for the quality of the assets acquired does not an empire make.
With Magaseek contracting and e-commerce overall showing muted growth, Jade Group´s capacity to escape the shadow of the big three looks limited.


<ul>
<li>Qoo10 is tiny in comparison to Amazon, Rakuten and Yahoo but it punches well above its weight by specialisation. </li>
<li>The online mall’s focus on Korean cosmetics and lifestyle has given it a depth of loyalty among young women that was once the preserve of Zozo.</li>
<li>Along with its other platform Move, Ebay Japan has built a solid presence in the Japanese market which looks set to continue to expand.</li>
</ul>


Qoo10 is tiny in comparison to Amazon, Rakuten and Yahoo but it punches well above its weight by specialisation. 
The online mall’s focus on Korean cosmetics and lifestyle has given it a depth of loyalty among young women that was once the preserve of Zozo.
Along with its other platform Move, Ebay Japan has built a solid presence in the Japanese market which looks set to continue to expand.


<ul>
<li>Warren Buffett is investing more in Japan's trading companies for a variety of reasons but Itochu stands alone in its dominance of Japan's fashion sector.</li>
<li>Itochu continues to emphasise investment in consumer brands, particularly fashion and sports, but will now adjust its decades-old playbook, introducing more direct oversight of subsidiaries and affiliates.</li>
<li>This will include a big new push to turn Vivienne Westwood into a luxury brand, upgrading Paul Smith and bringing <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/descente-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8225:1" rel="noopener">Descente Ltd (8114 JP)</a> in-house</li>
</ul>


Warren Buffett is investing more in Japan's trading companies for a variety of reasons but Itochu stands alone in its dominance of Japan's fashion sector.
Itochu continues to emphasise investment in consumer brands, particularly fashion and sports, but will now adjust its decades-old playbook, introducing more direct oversight of subsidiaries and affiliates.
This will include a big new push to turn Vivienne Westwood into a luxury brand, upgrading Paul Smith and bringing Descente Ltd (8114 JP) in-house


Itochu the Fashion Giant Doubles Down on Brand Business

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

<ul>
<li>Jade Group has acquired Magaseek and will merge the online mall with its own fashion e-commerce platform, Locondo and hopes to create a growing rival to Zozo.</li>
<li>Magaseek was founded by Itochu 20 years ago, and the deal underlines Itochu’s growing influence over Jade as a proxy for its ambitions in fashion e-commerce and distribution.</li>
<li>However, Jade Group has seen little organic growth for its Locondo platform in recent years, and while its acquisitions have added scale, integration has been haphazard.</li>
</ul>


Jade Group has acquired Magaseek and will merge the online mall with its own fashion e-commerce platform, Locondo and hopes to create a growing rival to Zozo.
Magaseek was founded by Itochu 20 years ago, and the deal underlines Itochu’s growing influence over Jade as a proxy for its ambitions in fashion e-commerce and distribution.
However, Jade Group has seen little organic growth for its Locondo platform in recent years, and while its acquisitions have added scale, integration has been haphazard.


Itochu Targets Fashion E-Commerce Via Jade Takeover of Magaseek

Japan

JADE GROUP Inc operates a mail order site for providing shoes. The company was formerly known as LOCONDO, Inc. and changed its name to JADE GROUP, Inc in June 2023. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Price Gauge
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Jade Group (3558 JP)

Jade Group: Magaseek and Locondo Stall

Jade Group's ambitious growth plans for its online fashion mall business through the acquisition of Magaseek have fallen short, raising doubts...

Michael Causton

Ebay's Qoo10 Surges on K-Style Boom

Ebay's Qoo10 may be small compared to giants like Amazon, but its specialization in Korean cosmetics has earned it a loyal following among young...

Michael Causton

Itochu the Fashion Giant Doubles Down on Brand Business

Warren Buffett is investing in Japan's trading companies for good reason but only Itochu has a big share of the fashion sector through Itochu...

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

Itochu Targets Fashion E-Commerce Via Jade Takeover of Magaseek

Jade Group acquires Magaseek to merge with Locondo, aiming to rival Zozo; Itochu's influence grows using Jade as a proxy for fashion e-commerce...

Michael Causton

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Jade Group: Magaseek and Locondo Stall

​Jade Group's ambitious growth plans for its online fashion mall business through the acquisition of Magaseek have fallen short, raising doubts...

Michael Causton

Ebay's Qoo10 Surges on K-Style Boom

Ebay's ​Qoo10 may be small compared to giants like Amazon, but its specialization in Korean cosmetics has earned it a loyal following among young...

Michael Causton

Itochu the Fashion Giant Doubles Down on Brand Business

​Warren Buffett is investing in Japan's trading companies for good reason but only Itochu has a big share of the fashion sector through Itochu...

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

Itochu Targets Fashion E-Commerce Via Jade Takeover of Magaseek

​Jade Group acquires Magaseek to merge with Locondo, aiming to rival Zozo; Itochu's influence grows using Jade as a proxy for fashion e-commerce...

Michael Causton

Jade Group's ambitious growth plans for its online fashion mall business through the acquisition of Magaseek have fallen short, raising doubts...

Ebay's Qoo10 may be small compared to giants like Amazon, but its specialization in Korean cosmetics has earned it a loyal following among young...

Warren Buffett is investing in Japan's trading companies for good reason but only Itochu has a big share of the fashion sector through Itochu...

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...

Jade Group acquires Magaseek to merge with Locondo, aiming to rival Zozo; Itochu's influence grows using Jade as a proxy for fashion e-commerce...