Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets, JapanConsuming

Michael Causton

Michael is co-founder and partner at 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 and seminars on retail sectors and consumer trends, as well as telephone consulting/meetings with investors. 

All of JapanConsuming's team are bilingual and bi-cultural, and the company's research sources are:

Direct meetings with retailers, wholesalers, distributors, trade body staff, govt., marketing firms, academics etc.
Govt. data
Trade association data
Trade Press across all consumer sectors
Unique Network of buyers/managers/marketing staff at retail, as well as wholesalers and trading firms.
Editors/Journalists at publishing houses and PR/Ad firms.


JapanConsuming was founded by Michael Causton and Roy Larke. 

Michael Causton set up and ran a consumer distribution business in Tokyo for 10 years and developed this into a business responsible for annual imports to Japan of several billion Yen, at the same time building up an inside knowledge of how Japanese distribution works and developing a network of contacts across the industry. Seeing the lack of quality market intelligence on Japanese markets, he co-founded JapanConsuming in 2000. He divides his time between Japan and Europe/US consulting for companies, governments and investors, including providing talks, seminars, and webinars as well as writing reports and books.

Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets

Senshukai (8165 JP) To Shrink After Failing to Remain Relevant

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

While Nissen and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/1349" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:1349:1">Senshukai (8165 JP)</a> have hit new lows in the past five years, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/5053" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5053:1">Belluna (9997 JP)</a> has gone from strength to strength by sticking with printed catalogues and tying these to e-commerce and retail store expansion.
The company's strategy is also helped by the core customer demographic being women over the age of 50, one of the few population segments that is still growing.
As a result, group sales have risen by 28.8% in five years and operating profit has almost doubled from ¥7.8 billion to ¥13 billion.
The acquisition of Sagami, a kimono retailer that suffered from lack of attention under Uny's management, could also result in a boost to profits in the next year.

While Nissen and Senshukai (8165 JP) have hit new lows in the past five years, Belluna (9997 JP) has gone from strength to strength by sticking with printed catalogues and tying these to e-commerce and retail store expansion.
The company's strategy is also helped by the core customer demographic being women over the age of 50, one of the few population segments that is still growing.
As a result, group sales have risen by 28.8% in five years and operating profit has almost doubled from ¥7.8 billion to ¥13 billion.
The acquisition of Sagami, a kimono retailer that suffered from lack of attention under Uny's management, could also result in a boost to profits in the next year.

Pan Pacific International Holdings (7532 JP)

Belluna: Growing by Selling Gentility to the Expanding Older Market in Japan

Belluna Co Ltd

Belluna: Growing by Selling Gentility to the Expanding Older Market in Japan