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)

With Japanese shoppers still reluctant to visit stores too often, more are turning to online food shopping.This trend was already building gradually before the pandemic, but demand has grown massively in the past nine months and large and small food retailers alike are rushing to add more online capacity.The winners will be the ones able to solve the last mile problem and add some customer-centric innovations. The sector is currently led by <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> in its partnership with <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mitsubishi-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20668:1" rel="noopener">Mitsubishi Corp (8058 JP)'s </a>supermarket affiliate, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/life-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1743:1" rel="noopener">Life Corp (8194 JP).</a> Others like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/aeon-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3:1" rel="noopener">Aeon Co Ltd (8267 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/rakuten-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:31:1" rel="noopener">Rakuten Inc (4755 JP)</a> are also investing for the long-term and even <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/seven-i-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1041:1" rel="noopener">Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP)</a> is having another go and we review the current status of all the main players below the fold.What is certain is that, with online penetration of the food retail sector still below 3%, there is plenty of share to mop up for all concerned.

With Japanese shoppers still reluctant to visit stores too often, more are turning to online food shopping.This trend was already building gradually before the pandemic, but demand has grown massively in the past nine months and large and small food retailers alike are rushing to add more online capacity.The winners will be the ones able to solve the last mile problem and add some customer-centric innovations. The sector is currently led by Amazon.com Inc (AMZN US) in its partnership with Mitsubishi Corp (8058 JP)'s supermarket affiliate, Life Corp (8194 JP). Others like Aeon Co Ltd (8267 JP) and Rakuten Inc (4755 JP) are also investing for the long-term and even Seven &amp; I Holdings (3382 JP) is having another go and we review the current status of all the main players below the fold.What is certain is that, with online penetration of the food retail sector still below 3%, there is plenty of share to mop up for all concerned.

Online Food Demand Brings New Ideas and Innovations

No one really knows what will happen after the initial shock of the coronavirus fades away. Many observers in Japan, expert and otherwise, are already predicting a completely new world in one way or another, but the reality is likely more prosaic.What is certain is that the Japanese consumer economy will recover and it is just a question of when.The most likely effect of the crisis is that it will catalyse a period of change already in process and which also happens to be one of the most dramatic and far-reaching seen so far in retail.But there is one trend that may well reverse as more businesses go under or contract, providing relief for many retailers: the labour shortage and rise in wages.The following offers an in-depth review of both the impact of the current crisis and implications as well as the long-term trends in Japanese retailing, providing insight into which sectors, formats and specific companies will win and lose in the next three years.For a short read, we provide the conclusions and winners and losers first.

No one really knows what will happen after the initial shock of the coronavirus fades away. Many observers in Japan, expert and otherwise, are already predicting a completely new world in one way or another, but the reality is likely more prosaic.What is certain is that the Japanese consumer economy will recover and it is just a question of when.The most likely effect of the crisis is that it will catalyse a period of change already in process and which also happens to be one of the most dramatic and far-reaching seen so far in retail.But there is one trend that may well reverse as more businesses go under or contract, providing relief for many retailers: the labour shortage and rise in wages.The following offers an in-depth review of both the impact of the current crisis and implications as well as the long-term trends in Japanese retailing, providing insight into which sectors, formats and specific companies will win and lose in the next three years.For a short read, we provide the conclusions and winners and losers first.

After Covid: The Future for Japanese Retail: Winners & Losers

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

While the major averages are stalling below major resistance and their direction is unclear, there are many individual stocks that continue to act well and that are offering fantastic entry points at current levels. Health Care and Technology remain our two favorite global Sectors, and they are outperforming across all major markets including the US, Europe, Japan, and China. Remain overweight/add exposure. Consumer Staples is another leadership Sector, particularly in the Asia/Pacific region. Lastly, we are also continuing to expand our recommendations to include bottom-up ideas within several other Sectors as the market goes through a bottoming process.

While the major averages are stalling below major resistance and their direction is unclear, there are many individual stocks that continue to act well and that are offering fantastic entry points at current levels. Health Care and Technology remain our two favorite global Sectors, and they are outperforming across all major markets including the US, Europe, Japan, and China. Remain overweight/add exposure. Consumer Staples is another leadership Sector, particularly in the Asia/Pacific region. Lastly, we are also continuing to expand our recommendations to include bottom-up ideas within several other Sectors as the market goes through a bottoming process.

The risk of a pullback remains very real, however at this point the weight of the evidence suggests a meaningful pullback is not imminent. We recap important technical levels across market as well as Actionable Themes within the Consumer Staples, Health Care, and Technology sectors.

The risk of a pullback remains very real, however at this point the weight of the evidence suggests a meaningful pullback is not imminent. We recap important technical levels across market as well as Actionable Themes within the Consumer Staples, Health Care, and Technology sectors.

Equity Bottom-Up

Aeon has become the Japanese partner to Ocado, one of the best online supermarket and systems providers for food and FMCG retailing in the world.Ocado works with only one company per country, so Aeon has stolen a lead on its rivals by gaining access to Ocado’s deep experience and world-class technology.The potential is there but to make it work, Aeon has to force its hundreds of subsidiary CEOs and suppliers into line and invest heavily in the necessary systems.

Aeon has become the Japanese partner to Ocado, one of the best online supermarket and systems providers for food and FMCG retailing in the world.Ocado works with only one company per country, so Aeon has stolen a lead on its rivals by gaining access to Ocado’s deep experience and world-class technology.The potential is there but to make it work, Aeon has to force its hundreds of subsidiary CEOs and suppliers into line and invest heavily in the necessary systems.

Aeon's Tie with UK’s Ocado: A Chance for Online Food Leadership – but Not for a While

United Kingdom

Ocado Group PLC distributes a wide range of retail consumer products.  The Company provides home delivery of a wide range of products including food and drink, toiletries and baby, household, pet care, and holiday products.

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Ocado Group PLC (OCDO LN)

Online Food Demand Brings New Ideas and Innovations

E-commerce has less than 3% share of food retailing in Japan but this is about to change and fast. Amazon/Life is leading but Aeon, Rakuten and...

Michael Causton

After Covid: The Future for Japanese Retail: Winners & Losers

No one really knows what will happen after the initial shock of the coronavirus fades away. Many observers in Japan, expert and otherwise, are...

Michael Causton

Global Equities: Lower Highs Forming

While the major averages are stalling below major resistance and their direction is unclear, there are many individual stocks that continue to act...

Vermilion Research

Battleground Spot For Global Equities

The risk of a pullback remains very real, however at this point the weight of the evidence suggests a meaningful pullback is not imminent. We recap...

Vermilion Research

Aeon's Tie with UK’s Ocado: A Chance for Online Food Leadership – but Not for a While

Aeon has become the Japanese partner to Ocado, one of the best online supermarket and systems providers for food and FMCG retailing in the...

Michael Causton

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