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>Lowya began as an online furniture retailer and is still one of the largest in e-commerce, but limited brand awareness has held it back and sales fell last year. </li>
<li>Vega Corporation, Lowya’s parent, is now expanding physical stores and offering omnichannel solutions to fix the problem.</li>
<li>This makes sense in a market where stores remain preeminent and are likely to remain so.</li>
</ul>


Lowya began as an online furniture retailer and is still one of the largest in e-commerce, but limited brand awareness has held it back and sales fell last year. 
Vega Corporation, Lowya’s parent, is now expanding physical stores and offering omnichannel solutions to fix the problem.
This makes sense in a market where stores remain preeminent and are likely to remain so.


Vega's Lowya Expanding Omnichannel to Grow Audience

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

Travis Lundy

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>The Sep 2024 Nikkei 225 Review base date is six weeks away. One can no extrapolate results quite accurately. It still gives us one ADD, one DELETE, and capping fun.</li>
<li>Recently, Yanai-san sold more Fast Retailing (9983 JP). More active holders own more stock (which may mean less interest to buy later), and only 1% to go to avoid capping.</li>
<li>There should be one DELETE, one ADD. There is a low-probability Dark Horse ADD but I expect Kokusai Electric (6525) to be added in March 2025. </li>
</ul>


The Sep 2024 Nikkei 225 Review base date is six weeks away. One can no extrapolate results quite accurately. It still gives us one ADD, one DELETE, and capping fun.
Recently, Yanai-san sold more Fast Retailing (9983 JP). More active holders own more stock (which may mean less interest to buy later), and only 1% to go to avoid capping.
There should be one DELETE, one ADD. There is a low-probability Dark Horse ADD but I expect Kokusai Electric (6525) to be added in March 2025. 


Sep24 Nikkei 225 Rebal - Still 1 ADD, 1 DELETE, 1 Dark Horse, But #2-Ranked ADD Is Close

<ul>
<li>Leading furniture retailer Nitori recently announced it would work with French platform developer Mirakl to build an online marketplace. The site will be available late 2024 or early 2025. </li>
<li>Nitori wants the mall to contribute 20% of revenues by 2032 within a sales target of ¥3 trillion, when overseas store numbers are expected to be double those in Japan.</li>
<li>But, founder Akio Nitori says he wants to see overseas sales much higher than official targets and may well get there through close targeting of the rising Asian middle class.</li>
</ul>


Leading furniture retailer Nitori recently announced it would work with French platform developer Mirakl to build an online marketplace. The site will be available late 2024 or early 2025. 
Nitori wants the mall to contribute 20% of revenues by 2032 within a sales target of ¥3 trillion, when overseas store numbers are expected to be double those in Japan.
But, founder Akio Nitori says he wants to see overseas sales much higher than official targets and may well get there through close targeting of the rising Asian middle class.


Nitori: One of the Best Bets in Japan Consumer Markets

<ul>
<li>The March 2024 rebal is done and dusted. When announced, there were 2 prospective DELETEs for Sep 2024. Now there is only one expected DELETE, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nippon-paper-industries-co-l" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:557:1" rel="noopener">Nippon Paper Industries (3863 JP)</a>. </li>
<li>The one likely inclusion is therefore <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ryohin-keikaku-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:2765:1" rel="noopener">Ryohin Keikaku (7453 JP)</a>. But there is more fun afoot with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/fast-retailing-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:751:1" rel="noopener">Fast Retailing (9983 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tokyo-electron-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:280:1" rel="noopener">Tokyo Electron (8035 JP)</a>. </li>
<li>The two stocks - of totally different sectors - interact somewhat, both in determining Nikkei 225 direction, and their relative potential selldowns. </li>
</ul>


The March 2024 rebal is done and dusted. When announced, there were 2 prospective DELETEs for Sep 2024. Now there is only one expected DELETE, Nippon Paper Industries (3863 JP). 
The one likely inclusion is therefore Ryohin Keikaku (7453 JP). But there is more fun afoot with Fast Retailing (9983 JP) and Tokyo Electron (8035 JP). 
The two stocks - of totally different sectors - interact somewhat, both in determining Nikkei 225 direction, and their relative potential selldowns. 


Sep24 Nikkei 225 Rebal - Now 1 ADD, 1 DELETE; Fastie+TEL Still Where the Fun Is

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/disco-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:15817:1" rel="noopener">DISCO (6146 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/socionext-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:36351:1" rel="noopener">Socionext (6526 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zozo-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18379:1" rel="noopener">ZOZO (3092 JP)</a> will replace <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/takara-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11074:1" rel="noopener">Takara Holdings (2531 JP)</a>, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sumitomo-osaka-cement-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20460:1" rel="noopener">Sumitomo Osaka Cement (5232 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/pacific-metals-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3439:1" rel="noopener">Pacific Metals (5541 JP)</a> in the <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nikkei-225" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22909:1" rel="noopener">Nikkei 225</a>.</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nitori-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20386:1" rel="noopener">Nitori Holdings (9843 JP)</a>'s PAF will increase from 0.3 to 0.5, and surprisingly there is no PAF adjustment for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zozo-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18379:1" rel="noopener">ZOZO Inc (3092 JP)</a>. </li>
<li>Passive trackers need to buy between 1-18 days of ADV on the adds while selling between 2.7-28 days of ADV on the deletes. There is a big funding trade too.</li>
</ul>



DISCO (6146 JP), Socionext (6526 JP) and ZOZO (3092 JP) will replace Takara Holdings (2531 JP), Sumitomo Osaka Cement (5232 JP) and Pacific Metals (5541 JP) in the Nikkei 225.

Nitori Holdings (9843 JP)'s PAF will increase from 0.3 to 0.5, and surprisingly there is no PAF adjustment for ZOZO Inc (3092 JP). 
Passive trackers need to buy between 1-18 days of ADV on the adds while selling between 2.7-28 days of ADV on the deletes. There is a big funding trade too.


Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance: DISCO, Socionext, ZOZO In; PacMetals, Sumitomo Osaka, Takara Holding Out

Japan

Nitori Holdings Co., Ltd., is based in Hokkaido and operates a furniture retail chain.  The Company sells living room furniture, storage furniture, dining furniture, office furniture, beds, and interior goods.  Nitori Holdings also sells original brand merchandise and imported merchandise.

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Nitori Holdings (9843 JP)

Vega's Lowya Expanding Omnichannel to Grow Audience

Lowya, the online furniture retailer, is expanding physical stores and omnichannel solutions to boost sales due to limited brand awareness and...

Michael Causton

Sep24 Nikkei 225 Rebal - Still 1 ADD, 1 DELETE, 1 Dark Horse, But #2-Ranked ADD Is Close

The Nikkei 225 rebal for September is still likely to be a small affair. One ADD. One DELETE. The big capping trade for Fast Retailing is 1% away...

Travis Lundy

Nitori: One of the Best Bets in Japan Consumer Markets

Furniture retailer Nitori to launch online marketplace as part of plans for a tripling of revenue by 2032 through online growth at home overseas...

Michael Causton

Sep24 Nikkei 225 Rebal - Now 1 ADD, 1 DELETE; Fastie+TEL Still Where the Fun Is

The Sep 2024 Nikkei 225 review now threatens to be 1 small ADD and 1 small DELETE but two-way flow of US$9bn+. The fun is on Fast Retailing and...

Travis Lundy

Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance: DISCO, Socionext, ZOZO In; PacMetals, Sumitomo Osaka, Takara Holding Out

The adds are all up since announcement, led by Zozo. Nitori is up too even though the upweight was knows. Two of the three deletes are lower....

Brian Freitas

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Vega's Lowya Expanding Omnichannel to Grow Audience

​Lowya, the online furniture retailer, is expanding physical stores and omnichannel solutions to boost sales due to limited brand awareness and...

Michael Causton

Sep24 Nikkei 225 Rebal - Still 1 ADD, 1 DELETE, 1 Dark Horse, But #2-Ranked ADD Is Close

The Nikkei 225 rebal for September is still likely to be a small affair. One ADD. One DELETE. The big capping trade for Fast Retailing is 1% away...

Travis Lundy

Nitori: One of the Best Bets in Japan Consumer Markets

​Furniture retailer Nitori to launch online marketplace as part of plans for a tripling of revenue by 2032 through online growth at home overseas...

Michael Causton

Sep24 Nikkei 225 Rebal - Now 1 ADD, 1 DELETE; Fastie+TEL Still Where the Fun Is

The Sep 2024 Nikkei 225 review now threatens to be 1 small ADD and 1 small DELETE but two-way flow of US$9bn+. The fun is on Fast Retailing and...

Travis Lundy

Nikkei 225 Index Rebalance: DISCO, Socionext, ZOZO In; PacMetals, Sumitomo Osaka, Takara Holding Out

The adds are all up since announcement, led by Zozo. Nitori is up too even though the upweight was knows. Two of the three deletes are lower....

Brian Freitas

Lowya, the online furniture retailer, is expanding physical stores and omnichannel solutions to boost sales due to limited brand awareness and...

Furniture retailer Nitori to launch online marketplace as part of plans for a tripling of revenue by 2032 through online growth at home overseas...