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. 

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The latest figures show that Japanese incomes fell for the first time in five years in 2021. </li>
<li>But despite this, average monthly household expenditure recovered and then accelerated at the end of the year. Online spending grew significantly, and much of this was new growth</li>
<li>We detail below which retailers are likely to benefit from these shifts in consumption behaviour over the next few years.</li>
</ul>


The latest figures show that Japanese incomes fell for the first time in five years in 2021. 
But despite this, average monthly household expenditure recovered and then accelerated at the end of the year. Online spending grew significantly, and much of this was new growth
We detail below which retailers are likely to benefit from these shifts in consumption behaviour over the next few years.


Japanese Household Expenditure in 2021 and Beyond: Which Retailers Will Benefit?

Executive Director, Metrical Inc

Aki Matsumoto

Executive Director

Independent Leading Corporate Governance Research

Metrical Inc

METRICAL INC. is an independent leading Corporate Governance research firm in Japan where Corporate Governance is increasingly recognized as an important element on corporate management in these days. Thus, CG research and solutions would become an essential component of global capital markets and play important to contribute to transparency of the markets and maximize shareholders’ value in Japan. 

METRICAL INC. provides Corporate Governance research and analysis including rating services, and  also offers investment research and IR services with solutions and customized profound research on CG and IR issues.

<ul>
<li>There was no supplementary explanation from financial perspectives regarding the details of plans to open new stores in each region, plans for supermarket M&amp;As, or the amount of these investments.</li>
<li>Aoki has yet to come up with effective pricing policies and sales promotion to boost SSSG. Its higher prices are leading to a decline in the frequency of store visits.</li>
<li>Its goal of "providing customers with one-stop shopping" is based on the assumption that consumers will not "buy separately" at discount drugs and discount supermarkets.</li>
</ul>


There was no supplementary explanation from financial perspectives regarding the details of plans to open new stores in each region, plans for supermarket M&amp;As, or the amount of these investments.
Aoki has yet to come up with effective pricing policies and sales promotion to boost SSSG. Its higher prices are leading to a decline in the frequency of store visits.
Its goal of "providing customers with one-stop shopping" is based on the assumption that consumers will not "buy separately" at discount drugs and discount supermarkets.


Japan's Governance: Kusuri No Aoki Holdings (3549): 2QFY5/2022 Financial Results Briefing

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>The Matsumotokiyoshi and Cocokara Fine merger is now complete following almost two years of dealing, planning and company bonding.</li>
<li>The combined business creates the single biggest drugstore group in Japan, although the Tokyo-based partners have lost ground in the past year while others have grown strongly.</li>
<li>As a result, the lead is smaller than they previously expected – and will likely get smaller still. The good news is that profits should soar.</li>
</ul>


The Matsumotokiyoshi and Cocokara Fine merger is now complete following almost two years of dealing, planning and company bonding.
The combined business creates the single biggest drugstore group in Japan, although the Tokyo-based partners have lost ground in the past year while others have grown strongly.
As a result, the lead is smaller than they previously expected – and will likely get smaller still. The good news is that profits should soar.


<p>In my previous article "Japan's Governance: Unclear Medium-Term Management Plan - Kusuri No Aoki (3549)", I wrote a review of the company after attending its 4Q results analyst meeting. In this article, I wrote that the possibility of equity financing in the near future was undeniable in order to achieve the same number of new store openings as in the previous fiscal year in response to the decrease in operating cash flow due to the deterioration of working capital, and that it would be difficult to find differentiation in product strategy in the drugstore industry where competition is becoming increasingly fierce and companies are focusing on food products. In the drugstore industry, where competition is becoming increasingly fierce and companies are focusing on food products, it is unclear whether a half-baked pricing strategy will work. This is an update along with a summary of the previous articles.</p>

In my previous article "Japan's Governance: Unclear Medium-Term Management Plan - Kusuri No Aoki (3549)", I wrote a review of the company after attending its 4Q results analyst meeting. In this article, I wrote that the possibility of equity financing in the near future was undeniable in order to achieve the same number of new store openings as in the previous fiscal year in response to the decrease in operating cash flow due to the deterioration of working capital, and that it would be difficult to find differentiation in product strategy in the drugstore industry where competition is becoming increasingly fierce and companies are focusing on food products. In the drugstore industry, where competition is becoming increasingly fierce and companies are focusing on food products, it is unclear whether a half-baked pricing strategy will work. This is an update along with a summary of the previous articles.

Japan's Governance: Unclear Mid-Term Management Plan Update: Kusuri No Aoki Holdings (3549)

<p>Japan requires retail developers to submit copious amounts of documentation to open any store over 1,000 sqm. In the past five years, there have been 2,505 applications for these larger developments, 750 of them anchored by drugstores, and more than 400 by <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> alone. The figures show that it is drugstores that are expanding more than any other retail sector.</p>

Japan requires retail developers to submit copious amounts of documentation to open any store over 1,000 sqm. In the past five years, there have been 2,505 applications for these larger developments, 750 of them anchored by drugstores, and more than 400 by Cosmos Pharmaceutical (3349 JP) alone. The figures show that it is drugstores that are expanding more than any other retail sector.

Drugstores Leads Large Store Openings in Japan Led by Cosmos Pharma

Japan

KUSURI NO AOKI CO., LTD. operates a drug store chain.  The Company sells medical drugs, cosmetics, toiletries, household and sundry goods, and groceries.  Some of their stores sell alcoholic beverages and frozen foods as well.

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Kusuri No Aoki (3398 JP)

Japanese Household Expenditure in 2021 and Beyond: Which Retailers Will Benefit?

Japanese spent more on homes and less on clothes in the last two years but they also added to their savings. This insight analyses the key...

Michael Causton

Japan's Governance: Kusuri No Aoki Holdings (3549): 2QFY5/2022 Financial Results Briefing

The challenge for its mid store format is to make the number of employees per store space in mid stores smaller than in small stores, and to make...

Metrical Inc

Matsukiyo Cocokara: Together at Last

MatsukiyoCocokara may top the drugstore ranking post-merger but Welcia and Tsuruha have grown much faster and may take the lead again soon given...

Michael Causton

Japan's Governance: Unclear Mid-Term Management Plan Update: Kusuri No Aoki Holdings (3549)

In a previous article, I pointed out a concern in Kusuri No Aoki that the strategy is unclear in the mid-term management plan. I will update this...

Metrical Inc

Drugstores Leads Large Store Openings in Japan Led by Cosmos Pharma

Some analysts think the drugstore sector in Japan is saturated. As the latest govt. data shows, the sector has led in large store expansion in the...

Michael Causton

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