In today’s briefing:
- Good Morning Japan | Bulls Still in Charge
- China’s Latest COVID Policy: What Are the Plays?
- China Optimized COVID Policy and Possible Reopen Timeline
- Japan’s Big 3 Convenience Stores Try to Innovate Out of Saturation
- Japanese Convenience Stores Recover but Where Will Future Growth Come From?
Good Morning Japan | Bulls Still in Charge
- Good Morning Japan: We strive to provide the very best breaking macro, stock and thematic overnight news that will impact your trading day in Japan. FOLLOW us to keep abreast!
- OVERNIGHT: BETA bid with Commodities &Tech leading; Momentum & Value sold; SOX +15%WoW; China 20-point plan on COVID-19 easing; FTX Bankruptcy – CEO flees the US. Democrats retain Senate-IRA safe.
- JAPAN: NKY Futs -0.5% vs Cash; Further yen strength with USDJPY ¥138.81; Bain to lift JP invest >$40b-focus is Kansai tech cos; No new Softbank buyback; Rakuten losing mobile subs
China’s Latest COVID Policy: What Are the Plays?
- China’s twists in its COVID combating measures are positive to the economy as many quarantine requirements are relaxed and secondary contacts are not identified and traced.
- The latest change should bring more spending confidence to the consumers, and this will benefit consumer discretionary companies in the retail and F&B sectors.
- Relaxed quarantine requirements are positive to the travel and hospitality companies. Chinese airlines and international air tickets have seen immediate demand surge after the announcement.
China Optimized COVID Policy and Possible Reopen Timeline
- There’re many fake news about China’s COVID policy.We think it necessary to discuss the situation and establish a rational expectation. Investors are advised to consider the credibility of related news.
- The government has set a clear tone for the Zero COVID policy and implementation standard. There’re also some changes. It is expected that there would be multi steps toward reopening.
- The zero-COVID policy could make economic sense. We advise investors to see the essence of things.
Japan’s Big 3 Convenience Stores Try to Innovate Out of Saturation
- With convenience stores at saturation, the question is how the big 3 chains, Seven Eleven, Lawson Inc (2651 JP) and Familymart can grow.
- Their long-standing reputation for innovation is deserved and they continue to adjust quickly to new realities, including during Covid.
- They are also now creating new events, hybrid stores and even advertising revenue streams. The following is a review of the key strategies of the big 3 chains.
Japanese Convenience Stores Recover but Where Will Future Growth Come From?
- Convenience store retailing was one of the worst hit retail sectors during Covid as commuters and students stayed at home. Recovery has taken time but is on track.
- Recovery aside, however, the sector has reached saturation, so the only way to grow is to maximise traffic to stores and the amount each customer spends.
- This is forcing unprecedented innovation on a sector already famous for it but it won’t be enough to generate the growth rates of the past.
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