FOCUS: The State of Play in Japanese Retailing & Consumer Markets: Retail Results for FY2016: growth in the middle Lack of growth in retailing aside, most major retailers had another strong year in FY2016, but nothing near the clean sweep of 2015. A number of sectors fell back, partly due to stagnant ideas, particularly at […]
FOCUS: Vend me please, I’m Japanese Vending machines are so widely accepted here that even luxury brands sometimes make use of them. In April Chanel’s Ginza Six store introduced a new, high end lipstick vending machine, with each item dispensed with its own branded Chanel bag. Another overseas brand, Coca Cola, is also the largest […]
FOCUS: Home Fashion market expands within sluggish consumer economy IKEA Japan opened an online store last month, much earlier than expected, and partly in response to its first ever year of negative growth. This is good news for the Swedish retailer, but it may not be enough. The original momentum of its early years suggested […]
FOCUS: EC Success: best practices in selling online in Japan Kurt Salmon carried out its second Annual Digital Fulfilment Study in late 2016, not only providing a snapshot of the operational capabilities of Japan’s e-commerce retailers, but also offering insights into where Japan stands in comparison with other major markets. There are also some key […]
FOCUS: Fashion: The biggest e-commerce category – and still growing fast Our recent focus on e-commerce (JC1701) showed just how rapidly the sector is growing in Japan, catching up with other advanced markets, and in some ways surpassing them, especially in mobile e-commerce where Japan is now a global leader. One of the main drivers […]
FOCUS: Supermarkets becoming regional powerhouses as GMS chains flounder Japan’s supermarket sector remains extremely fragmented, but with consumers waking up to better deals and improved merchandising, some chains around the country are now making serious headway. A regionally diverse model is appearing, with individual chains now coming to dominate in particular areas. What is more, […]
FOCUS: E-commerce in Japan: 20% of retail by 2022 E-commerce will be Japan’s largest single retail channel by 2022. Having overtaken convenience stores to become the second biggest already in 2015, this is a forecast that few would challenge, although there are plenty of traditional retailers who are in deep denial. The only point of […]
FOCUS: Three chains mop up convenience store sector The convenience sector stands alone in terms of growth and innovation over the past 20 years. It is a format that suits Japan’s time-limited, urban consumer markets perfectly, but the leading companies have catered to this market with skill and dedication, making it the single most successful […]
FOCUS: Shopping Centres 2015-16: Top SCs surge nearly 7% on upgrades and tourism After sales growth of 4% in both FY2013 and 2014, the top 100 shopping centres posted their best year since 1995 last year, growing combined sales 7.1%. The top selling SCs fared better than the sector as a whole, but even then […]
FOCUS: Apparel Retailing 2015-16: specialty retailers surge ahead, led by top chains The apparel market overall contracted in 2015, but while small business and GMS chains lost out, big specialty retailers leapt ahead. It was a year of concentration and consolidation, with the top retailers across all formats taking share away from the rest. Independent […]
FOCUS Department Stores FY2015: the sun still shining but storm clouds gathering Department store sales are a bellwether for the spending patterns of two crucial market drivers in recent years: wealthy Japanese and tourists. Last year, both groups continued to support department stores, but most of the growth in spending was reserved for stores in […]
FOCUS Retail Results FY2015: one of the best years for retailing since the 1980s Japanese retailers had a remarkably good year in FY2015. Price increases helped of course but only three of the top 45 retail groups saw sales fall, and many posted sales in double digits. The strong performance was also across almost all […]
FOCUS: Outlet malls: here to stay A full update on Japan’s Outlet Mall sector, main players and stats. Gap Japan to close Old Navy Gap Japan was opening Old Navy stores faster than any other foreign retailer has ever done, but will close the entire operation this year. The right move? Editorial: Retailers don’t need […]
FOCUS: 2015 proving a good year for retailers – unless you’re a GMS chain Consumers face growing pressure from stagnant wages and increasing prices for basics, a situation that is likely to worsen with further weakening of the Yen. Last Autumn, worries about consumer spending led several major retailers to publicly express concern that things […]
FOCUS: Convenience Stores to dominate retail industry? The rise and rise of convenience store retailing is one of the most significant stories in Japanese business over the past 30 years. While few would fail to admire the skill with which the leading chains have grown, and their efficiency and profitability as retailers, for the majority […]
Although many major fashion brands now sell through online malls, there is a growing shift towards taking greater direct control of online sales. This leaves the two main online fashion malls Magaseek and Start Today with a major problem. Both are trying to solve this issue by providing consulting and operating services in addition to […]
