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 following is an in-depth review of the Japanese retail sector in 2021-22 and is designed to provide a complete overview for any investor in Japanese retail/consumer markets.</li>
<li>FY2021-22 proved a rebound year for retailers at the sector level. But on a company by company basis, there has been radical divergence between the best and the rest. </li>
<li>We look at the reasons for this divergence and the implications for Japanese retail and consumer firms in the years ahead.</li>
</ul>


The following is an in-depth review of the Japanese retail sector in 2021-22 and is designed to provide a complete overview for any investor in Japanese retail/consumer markets.
FY2021-22 proved a rebound year for retailers at the sector level. But on a company by company basis, there has been radical divergence between the best and the rest. 
We look at the reasons for this divergence and the implications for Japanese retail and consumer firms in the years ahead.


Japanese Retailing 2021-22: What's Really Going on and What's Next?

<ul>
<li>OniGo only opened its first dark store in the middle of last year and along with competitors is expanding rapidly.</li>
<li>But it also recently signed up to deliver orders from Lawson Store 100 and is running a trial from Comfort Market, Seven &amp; I’s concept store in Setagaya.  </li>
<li>In both cases, online orders are picked, not by store staff, but by OniGo’s own staff, to increase the speed of order preparation and to tie to store’s inventory systems.</li>
</ul>


OniGo only opened its first dark store in the middle of last year and along with competitors is expanding rapidly.
But it also recently signed up to deliver orders from Lawson Store 100 and is running a trial from Comfort Market, Seven &amp; I’s concept store in Setagaya.  
In both cases, online orders are picked, not by store staff, but by OniGo’s own staff, to increase the speed of order preparation and to tie to store’s inventory systems.


Dark Store Delivery in Japan Takes Off – Collaborating with Retailers

<ul>
<li>Half-Year results are coming in for the largest retailers showing that fundamentals are more important than ever. Aeon demonstrated improvements after a tough 2020.</li>
<li>Seven &amp; I reported a jump in revenues, thanks to its recent acquisition in the USA. The group may consider finally selling less successful parts of its business at home.</li>
<li>Life, the largest supermarket, recorded flat revenues but is planning a big investment in stores and systems in preparation for anticipated changes to shopping behaviour.</li>
</ul>


Half-Year results are coming in for the largest retailers showing that fundamentals are more important than ever. Aeon demonstrated improvements after a tough 2020.
Seven &amp; I reported a jump in revenues, thanks to its recent acquisition in the USA. The group may consider finally selling less successful parts of its business at home.
Life, the largest supermarket, recorded flat revenues but is planning a big investment in stores and systems in preparation for anticipated changes to shopping behaviour.


Ups and Downs in Japanese Big Retail a Year After Covid Hit

There were some fears that e-commerce growth would stall following massive consumer adoption after March 2020 but for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/rakuten-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31:1" rel="noopener">Rakuten Inc (4755 JP)</a> at least, repeat customers have helped sustain momentum. <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/z-holdings-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19603:1" rel="noopener">Z Holdings (4689 JP)</a> had a trickier start to the year, however. Last year, excluding the big convenience stores, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/amazon-com-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:409:1" rel="noopener">Amazon.com Inc (AMZN US)</a> overtook Fast Retailing to become Japan’s third largest retailer and one of just four with sales over ¥2 trillion and  accounted for 3.2% of all retail sales in Nikkei’s survey of 488 companies.Despite early, pessimistic forecasts for e-commerce in 2020, METI’s latest annual survey released in July shows that BtoC e-commerce surged 21.7% to ¥12.23 trillion.

There were some fears that e-commerce growth would stall following massive consumer adoption after March 2020 but for Rakuten Inc (4755 JP) at least, repeat customers have helped sustain momentum. Z Holdings (4689 JP) had a trickier start to the year, however. Last year, excluding the big convenience stores, Amazon.com Inc (AMZN US) overtook Fast Retailing to become Japan’s third largest retailer and one of just four with sales over ¥2 trillion and  accounted for 3.2% of all retail sales in Nikkei’s survey of 488 companies.Despite early, pessimistic forecasts for e-commerce in 2020, METI’s latest annual survey released in July shows that BtoC e-commerce surged 21.7% to ¥12.23 trillion.

The following is an in-depth review of Japanese retail in the last 18 months covering all the main formats and categories, providing a quick way to see an overview of all the key trends and winners and losers in Japanese retailing now and going forward.FY2020 was an anomaly and one that businesses everywhere will want to forget and never repeat. There was more than enough pain among Japan’s top retailers last year, but equally some formats did surprisingly well given the circumstances.For most, work-from-home was the single most important factor in determining a chain’s fortunes. City-centre stores and shopping centres offering mostly discretionary shopping have been hit hard, as have convenience stores.But those chains selling essentials, healthcare, electronics and, most importantly, food, all saw their fortunes improve. The pandemic has also revealed the strong, dynamic players and exposed the weaker ones. Oh, and everyone needs to be online.

The following is an in-depth review of Japanese retail in the last 18 months covering all the main formats and categories, providing a quick way to see an overview of all the key trends and winners and losers in Japanese retailing now and going forward.FY2020 was an anomaly and one that businesses everywhere will want to forget and never repeat. There was more than enough pain among Japan’s top retailers last year, but equally some formats did surprisingly well given the circumstances.For most, work-from-home was the single most important factor in determining a chain’s fortunes. City-centre stores and shopping centres offering mostly discretionary shopping have been hit hard, as have convenience stores.But those chains selling essentials, healthcare, electronics and, most importantly, food, all saw their fortunes improve. The pandemic has also revealed the strong, dynamic players and exposed the weaker ones. Oh, and everyone needs to be online.

The Polarising Pandemic in Japanese Retail

Japan

LIFE CORPORATION operates a supermarket chain mainly in Kansai and Kanto areas. The Company sells mainly groceries, and also clothing, and household utensils.

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Life Corp (8194 JP)

Japanese Retailing 2021-22: What's Really Going on and What's Next?

There is increasing divergence between the winners and losers in Japanese retailing and the following in-depth review looks at performance in the...

Michael Causton

Dark Store Delivery in Japan Takes Off – Collaborating with Retailers

Dark stores are taking off, set up by delivery firms to ship food and basic daily use products. Some are competing with retailers but others are...

Michael Causton

Ups and Downs in Japanese Big Retail a Year After Covid Hit

Big retail in Japan showed improving results in 1H2021 as both Aeon and Seven & I boosted revenues although for very different reasons. Both remain...

Michael Causton

Japanese E-Commerce Growth Continues

Japan is well-known for lagging some markets in e-commerce penetration but sales surged last year to more than 20%. Only Rakuten and Amazon seem to...

Michael Causton

The Polarising Pandemic in Japanese Retail

A complete review of the Japanese retail sector in the last 18 months, format by format, category by category, providing key trends and winners &...

Michael Causton

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