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>Rakuten and Yahoo Shopping continued to outperform the e-commerce sector overall in the past six months – Amazon data is due early next year – so market share is rising.</li>
<li>However, a good chunk of recent growth was thanks to a now banned points scheme for tax offsets which led to a surge in sales pre-ban.</li>
<li>This means revenues may now dip again without that incentive but the longer term outlook remains clear: the big malls continue to increase market share in Japanese e-commerce.</li>
</ul>


Rakuten and Yahoo Shopping continued to outperform the e-commerce sector overall in the past six months – Amazon data is due early next year – so market share is rising.
However, a good chunk of recent growth was thanks to a now banned points scheme for tax offsets which led to a surge in sales pre-ban.
This means revenues may now dip again without that incentive but the longer term outlook remains clear: the big malls continue to increase market share in Japanese e-commerce.


Rakuten and Yahoo (And Zozo) Take More Share in Japanese E-Commerce Market

<ul>
<li>LY is finally moving to integrate LINE and Yahoo more effectively. It has taken too long.</li>
<li>LINE has 100 million users in Japan and yet until now, there has not been a decent shopping tab within the LINE app to encourage cross-use.</li>
<li>This is finally happening next month and, along with some AI-based UI and search improvements should help LY maintain parity with Rakuten if not surpass on growth rates.</li>
</ul>


LY is finally moving to integrate LINE and Yahoo more effectively. It has taken too long.
LINE has 100 million users in Japan and yet until now, there has not been a decent shopping tab within the LINE app to encourage cross-use.
This is finally happening next month and, along with some AI-based UI and search improvements should help LY maintain parity with Rakuten if not surpass on growth rates.


LY Finally Improves LINE Integration with Shopping Assets

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>There have been a lot of deals in the last 5 years, including M&amp;A between Japanese companies, distribution deals/licenses, foreign companies buying into Japan and Japanese buying foreign brands. </li>
<li>Consolidation is a key motivation but so are category expansion, rationalisation and buying in expertise. All these reasons and more suggest more deals to come in the next few years.</li>
<li>Here we provide a comprehensive list of deals between 2019-2025 as well as a map showing who owns who and, as important, who influences who without any paperwork at all.</li>
</ul>


There have been a lot of deals in the last 5 years, including M&amp;A between Japanese companies, distribution deals/licenses, foreign companies buying into Japan and Japanese buying foreign brands. 
Consolidation is a key motivation but so are category expansion, rationalisation and buying in expertise. All these reasons and more suggest more deals to come in the next few years.
Here we provide a comprehensive list of deals between 2019-2025 as well as a map showing who owns who and, as important, who influences who without any paperwork at all.


[Japan M&A] Who Owns Who in Fashion & Lifestyle Markets

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/melco-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:6597:1" rel="noopener">Melco Holdings (6676 JP)</a> chairman Hiroyuki MAKI bought up a 14% stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/base-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:28353:1" rel="noopener">BASE Inc (4477 JP)</a> in just under two weeks. It was done quite transparently. He announced daily.</li>
<li>He wants to get to 30% in a Tender Offer. The method, approach, lack of transparency, and similarity to previous situations where he invested has the company wary. </li>
<li>This looks like a Poison Pill case in the offing. It WAS a cheap stock. It is not expensive now. But it is not clear what the endgame is here.</li>
</ul>



Melco Holdings (6676 JP) chairman Hiroyuki MAKI bought up a 14% stake in BASE Inc (4477 JP) in just under two weeks. It was done quite transparently. He announced daily.
He wants to get to 30% in a Tender Offer. The method, approach, lack of transparency, and similarity to previous situations where he invested has the company wary. 
This looks like a Poison Pill case in the offing. It WAS a cheap stock. It is not expensive now. But it is not clear what the endgame is here.


Boss Maki Goes Hard on Base (4477) - Interesting Situation

Blue Lotus Non US Internet research, Blue Lotus Research Institute

Ying Pan

Blue Lotus Non US Internet research

China growth and global non-US Internet equities

Blue Lotus Research Institute

Blue Lotus Research is a Hong Kong Type 4 Licensed investment advisory firm focusing on Chinese growth equities and global non-US Internet equities

<ul>
<li>3690 HK: Meituan Food Delivery Daily Orders Reach 90 Million (+)</li>
<li>JD US: JD Officially Launches OTA Hotel and Travel Business with Three-Year Zero Commission Policy(+/-/-)</li>
<li>1439927D CH/4689 JP/4755 JP/4385 JP: TikTok Announces Launch of Japan E-commerce Business as Early as This Month (+/-/-/-)</li>
</ul>


3690 HK: Meituan Food Delivery Daily Orders Reach 90 Million (+)
JD US: JD Officially Launches OTA Hotel and Travel Business with Three-Year Zero Commission Policy(+/-/-)
1439927D CH/4689 JP/4755 JP/4385 JP: TikTok Announces Launch of Japan E-commerce Business as Early as This Month (+/-/-/-)


[Blue Lotus Daily-TMT Update]:3690 HK/JD US/1439927D CH/4689 JP/4755 JP/4385 JP/700 HK/NTESUS/BABAUS

Japan

LY Corporation operates as an internet search engine "Yahoo! JAPAN". The Company provides electronic commerce and settlement finance services for small medium enterprises and individuals. LY also operates media business including search linked advertising and display advertising services.

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LY (4689 JP)

LY Finally Improves LINE Integration with Shopping Assets

LY is integrating LINE and Yahoo to improve user experience and boost growth, including a new shopping tab within the LINE app. It has surpassed...

Michael Causton

[Japan M&A] Who Owns Who in Fashion & Lifestyle Markets

Recent years have seen a surge in deals between Japanese and foreign companies in lifestyle/fashion, driven by consolidation and category...

Michael Causton

Boss Maki Goes Hard on Base (4477) - Interesting Situation

Maki-san launched his tender at ¥400 on 7 May, 7 weeks after I wrote this as a sell at ¥496. The shares were higher. They came down. The company...

Travis Lundy

[Blue Lotus Daily-TMT Update]:3690 HK/JD US/1439927D CH/4689 JP/4755 JP/4385 JP/700 HK/NTESUS/BABAUS

Meituan Food Delivery hits 90 million daily orders, JD launches OTA hotel and travel business with zero commission policy, TikTok to launch Japan...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Rakuten and Yahoo (And Zozo) Take More Share in Japanese E-Commerce Market

​Rakuten and Yahoo Shopping lead in growth, but recent surge in sales was partly due to now banned points scheme. Revenues may dip but big malls...

Michael Causton

LY Finally Improves LINE Integration with Shopping Assets

​LY is integrating LINE and Yahoo to improve user experience and boost growth, including a new shopping tab within the LINE app. It has surpassed...

Michael Causton

[Japan M&A] Who Owns Who in Fashion & Lifestyle Markets

​Recent years have seen a surge in deals between Japanese and foreign companies in lifestyle/fashion, driven by consolidation and category...

Michael Causton

Boss Maki Goes Hard on Base (4477) - Interesting Situation

Maki-san launched his tender at ¥400 on 7 May, 7 weeks after I wrote this as a sell at ¥496. The shares were higher. They came down. The company...

Travis Lundy

[Blue Lotus Daily-TMT Update]:3690 HK/JD US/1439927D CH/4689 JP/4755 JP/4385 JP/700 HK/NTESUS/BABAUS

​Meituan Food Delivery hits 90 million daily orders, JD launches OTA hotel and travel business with zero commission policy, TikTok to launch Japan...

Blue Lotus Research Institute

Rakuten and Yahoo Shopping lead in growth, but recent surge in sales was partly due to now banned points scheme. Revenues may dip but big malls...

LY is integrating LINE and Yahoo to improve user experience and boost growth, including a new shopping tab within the LINE app. It has surpassed...

Recent years have seen a surge in deals between Japanese and foreign companies in lifestyle/fashion, driven by consolidation and category...

Meituan Food Delivery hits 90 million daily orders, JD launches OTA hotel and travel business with zero commission policy, TikTok to launch Japan...