Shrinking, ageing Japan but a growing solo marketThe latest Census confirms the ongoing fall in total population across most of the country but reveals surprising growth markets in small pockets, particularly around Greater Tokyo which now accounts for 29% of the total population. There are also ever growing numbers of single people, expanding the promising […]
Apparel groups respond to crisis2020 was an annus horribilis for the apparel sector, and particularly for wholesale-centred firms. The good news is that most have come out of the crisis energised, with new ideas about how to save their businesses and some even think they can expand again through e-commerce and diversification beyond apparel. Editorial: […]
Key stories in this month’s issue of JapanConsuming, the essential monthly analysis and data update on Japan’s retail & consumer markets: FY2020 proves better than expected as savings surgeInevitably, there were widespread problems throughout the retail sector in 2020, and with drugstores and supermarkets suffering a relative decline in the first quarter of 2021, things are still yet […]
Gamechanger: Rakuten’s win-win alliance with Japan PostThe war between Softbank/Z Holdings and Rakuten for leadership in digital ecosystems has seen Z Holdings acquire new partners and subsidiaries, and take leadership in cashless payments and then messaging through its merger with LINE (see Page10). Now Rakuten is fighting back with a truly game changing deal with […]
KEY STORIES IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE Japanese becoming wealthier There are now more rich people in Japan, with the number of ultra rich families increasing by 3.6% in the past two years, but a huge 67% since 2005. More than 1.3 million households now have assets over ¥100 million, presenting an attractive market at the […]
FOCUS: E-Commerce is Booming This month’s focus is a complete review of the e-commerce sector, including a unique top 100 ranking, and shows that online retailing looks set to become the biggest retail channel this year and to widen the gap with other channels sharply in the next five years. Some categories already see more […]
Nitori to expand N+ fashion chain and add 200 new furniture storesNitori, one of Japan’s best performing retailers, plans to increase the pace of growth, with up to 200 new stores in the next three years. The furniture chain will also invest around ¥200 billion in logistics to support the expansion, as well as rapidly […]
KKR & Rakuten ignite online food battle with Seiyu purchase Walmart’s 18-year attempt to build a business in Japan ended last month when the US retailer announced it would sell 85% of its stake in Seiyu to KKR and Rakuten. Seiyu has been transformed under Walmart’s leadership although it is much smaller than when Walmart […]
Rakuten moves into luxury marketRakuten is determined to become a leader in online fashion retailing, hoping some of the sector’s glamour will burnish its own brand name too. After relaunching its fashion store as Rakuten Fashion last year, it has now opened a new luxury section, including brands from LVMH, reflecting how online malls are […]
Style Factory: following Workman’s success into homewareCainz, the sector-leading home centre chain owned by Beisia Group, opened two new stores for its Style Factory concept over the summer, both around Tokyo. The new interiors and homeware stores look ideal for rapid rollout in SCs given the current surge in demand for home merchandise and will […]
Workman thrives in crisisIt hasn’t been easy selling clothing in the last six months or even in the months before, unless, that is, you are Workman. The workwear to sports retailer delivered six straight months of sales growth peaking at 44% year-on-year thanks to its low price cost performance and relentless expansion of its private […]
Essentials strong in May but in June discretionary bounces back Retail sales slumped again in May, but only because people are not buying clothes, visiting department stores and shopping centres, or buying their lunches at convenience stores. Although this led to another major drop in total sales, several sectors did very well and in June […]
Key stories in this month’s issue of JapanConsuming, the essential monthly analysis and data update on Japan’s retail & consumer markets: The zombie era ends: Renown finally goes underJapan’s major apparel firms are in trouble as Onward’s decision to slash 50% of its stores and Sanyo Shokai’s fight with activist shareholders both demonstrate. For nearly 30 years, Renown […]
KEY STORIES IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE Department Stores: sector with most to lose is hit hardest Some department stores have improved in the past 20 years and, in the past five, the big players have poured investment into more modernisation. This has brought some success to the top firms, especially from wealthy consumers, but no […]
Covid-19: FMCG gain amid nationwide painJapan is suffering as much as anywhere from the current coronavirus crisis. At least until March, the biggest issue was the country’s huge reliance on China as a supply base for everything from car parts to baby supplies, but as the government gave up hopes of running Abe’s Olympics in […]
PPI: a ¥3 trillion discount empirePPI, the owner of Don Quijote, likes 10-year plans, not surprisingly given it beat the targets in its last one by two years and by 65%. The discount and variety store retailer has now announced a new plan, called Passion 2030, which calls for a doubling of sales and a […]
Key stories in this month’s issue of JapanConsuming, the essential monthly analysis and data update on Japan’s retail & consumer markets: Merchants battle with Rakuten over new termsRakuten has been working hard to catch up with Amazon on customer service but, to do so, it has had to impose new disciplines and costs on its merchants, including free […]
KEY STORIES IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE Lawson and KDDI join forces in cashless payments war With a series of mergers over the past three months alone, the big three mobile providers, along with Rakuten and Amazon, are drawing up battle-lines for competition in e-commerce, mobile payments and loyalty schemes. Softbank/Z’s acquisition of Zozo and LINE […]
Aeon ties with UK’s Ocado in push for online food leadershipAeon 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 […]
Key stories in this month’s issue of JapanConsuming, the essential monthly analysis and data update on Japan’s retail & consumer markets:The Online Fashion Wars: Rakuten takes on Z&ZozoZ Holdings’ (Yahoo Japan) decision to accept Yusaku Maezawa’s proposal to buy his stake in Zozo has caused major ructions in the fashion industry and e-commerce. While Amazon continues to carve […]
