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. 

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>It has taken three years to build and set up but Aeon will finally open its first automated warehouse for online food sales in Chiba this summer. </li>
<li>The warehouse will run on technology from Ocado and act as the backend for a completely new online supermarket called Green Beans.</li>
<li>A second warehouse is due to come online in 2026, expanding sales to all of Tokyo and into Kanagawa. This is the most advanced food e-commerce operation in Japan.</li>
</ul>


It has taken three years to build and set up but Aeon will finally open its first automated warehouse for online food sales in Chiba this summer. 
The warehouse will run on technology from Ocado and act as the backend for a completely new online supermarket called Green Beans.
A second warehouse is due to come online in 2026, expanding sales to all of Tokyo and into Kanagawa. This is the most advanced food e-commerce operation in Japan.


Aeon to Launch Ground-Breaking Online Food Business

<ul>
<li>The 100 Yen shop model looked in danger when inflation began to bite and labour costs surged but the sector continues to expand</li>
<li>Their fixed price model meant there was little leeway to offset higher costs through higher prices but a survey shows 90% of respondents visited a Daiso store recently.</li>
<li>While Daiso has adapted quickly and looks to have a bright future, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/seria-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12989:1" rel="noopener">Seria Co Ltd (2782 JP)</a> refuses to adapt and has seen profits plummet.</li>
</ul>


The 100 Yen shop model looked in danger when inflation began to bite and labour costs surged but the sector continues to expand
Their fixed price model meant there was little leeway to offset higher costs through higher prices but a survey shows 90% of respondents visited a Daiso store recently.
While Daiso has adapted quickly and looks to have a bright future, Seria Co Ltd (2782 JP) refuses to adapt and has seen profits plummet.


100 Yen Shops to Hit ¥1 Trillion This Year but Seria's Model Squeezing Profits

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events, Quiddity Advisors

David Blennerhassett

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Quiddity Advisors

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/mitsubishi-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20668:1" rel="noopener">Mitsubishi Corp (8058 JP)</a>'s ¥300bn buyback means 8+% of ADV every day from here to end-Dec 2023. Buy MitCorp vs trading houses with less of a buyback impact. </li>
<li>Rumours abound of an MSCI up weight for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jardine-matheson-holdings-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:19718:1" rel="noopener">Jardine Matheson Holdings (JM SP)</a>. It wasn't a clear-cut situation. And nothing came of it. </li>
<li>There are concerns about the stability of funding for JIP’s offer for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/toshiba-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:637:1" rel="noopener">Toshiba Corp (6502 JP)</a> in the event that <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/kioxia" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:29243:1" rel="noopener">Kioxia (6600 JP)</a>’s results collapse further.</li>
</ul>



Mitsubishi Corp (8058 JP)'s ¥300bn buyback means 8+% of ADV every day from here to end-Dec 2023. Buy MitCorp vs trading houses with less of a buyback impact. 
Rumours abound of an MSCI up weight for Jardine Matheson Holdings (JM SP). It wasn't a clear-cut situation. And nothing came of it. 
There are concerns about the stability of funding for JIP’s offer for Toshiba Corp (6502 JP) in the event that Kioxia (6600 JP)’s results collapse further.


Last Week in Event SPACE: MitCorp, Jardine Matheson, Toshiba, Japanese Foreign Inflows

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>With food inflation exceeding 8% in December, prices have become the focus for all supermarket retailing. </li>
<li>This is good news for those that are set up for price competition but it presents a serious challenge to the majority of chains.</li>
<li>The net result will be a widening gap in performance between the best and rest, with the former delivering both top line growth and rising margins.</li>
</ul>


With food inflation exceeding 8% in December, prices have become the focus for all supermarket retailing. 
This is good news for those that are set up for price competition but it presents a serious challenge to the majority of chains.
The net result will be a widening gap in performance between the best and rest, with the former delivering both top line growth and rising margins.


Japan's Supermarkets: The Coming Disruption

<ul>
<li>Drugstores were already the fastest growing format before Covid and the health scare only improved their performance further.</li>
<li>Several of the largest chains are now powerful players in food, using their non-food base to shake up the supermarket sector in ways that Japan has never seen before.</li>
<li>Being price-led, inflation is only helping them along, with a much greater capacity to hold down prices than mainstream supermarkets.</li>
</ul>


Drugstores were already the fastest growing format before Covid and the health scare only improved their performance further.
Several of the largest chains are now powerful players in food, using their non-food base to shake up the supermarket sector in ways that Japan has never seen before.
Being price-led, inflation is only helping them along, with a much greater capacity to hold down prices than mainstream supermarkets.


Discount Drugstores Challenging Japanese Supermarkets

Japan

LAWSON, INC. operates a chain of convenience stores in Japan. The Company sells a variety of products including fast food, beverages, snacks, magazines, newspapers, and sundry goods.

Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd. is a holding company which was established through the merger of Ito-Yokado Co., Seven Eleven Japan Co., and Denny's Japan. The Company plans, manages, and operates mainly convenience stores, supermarkets, and department stores.

KOBE BUSSAN CO., LTD. is a supermarket franchise store operator which mainly deals in foods stuffs.  The Company also has direct-run stores.

Yaoko Co., Ltd. operates local supermarkets in the Saitama Prefecture. The Company handles fresh food products, daily-use sundry products, and other various goods in local area.

COSMOS Pharmaceutical Corporation operates drug stores based in Kyushu. The Company sells daily necessities such as drug medicines, foodstuffs, and alcoholic beverages.

SUGI HOLDINGS CO., LTD. operates a chain of drug stores located mainly in Aichi Prefecture.  The Company sells prescription and nonprescription medicine, cosmetics, health foods, and general merchandise.

TSURUHA HOLDINGS INC. is a holding company which manages subsidiaries that operate drug stores in Hokkaido and the Tohoku area.  The Company's product line includes drugs, cosmetics, and household utensils.

SUNDRUG CO., LTD. operates an outlet drug store chain primarily in the Tokyo area.  The Company sells mainly medicines, cosmetics, baby care products, and household utensils.  Sundrug supplies merchandise to franchise stores.  The Company also operates a real estate business.

WELCIA HOLDINGS CO.,LTD. is a holding company established through a merger of Welcia Kanto and Takada Pharmacy.  The Group mainly operates drug chain stores which sell medicines, health foods, cosmetics, nursery items and daily necessity goods.

Kusuri no Aoki Holdings Co., Ltd. operates as a holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides medicines, cosmetics, health foods, beauty care, and household products. Kusuri no Aoki Holdings serves customers in Japan.

Casey's General Stores, Inc. operates convenience stores in the Midwest.  The Company's stores, operating under the name Casey's General Store, carry a selection of food, beverages, tobacco products, health and beauty aids, automotive products, and other non-food items, as well as sells gasoline.

CP ALL PCL operates convenience store chains in Thailand and China.  The Company also owns and operates the a department store chain located primarily in Shanghai city and Chonqing city of China.

Jeronimo Martins, SGPS, S.A. is a holding company. The Company, through subsidiaries, distributes food in Portugal, Poland and Colombia. The Company operates supermarkets and cash and carry stores in Portugal as well as retail stores in Poland and Colombia. Jeronimo Martins also manufactures various food products as well as provides services to the restaurant industry.

Carrefour SA operates chains of supermarkets, hypermarkets, discount, cash and carry, and frozen food stores in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

BIM Birlesik Magazalar A.S. operates food and basic consumer goods discount stores in Turkey.  The Company provides an assortment of private label products.

George Weston Limited operates as a super market. The Company processes and distributes food and pharmacy products to grocer wholesalers, warehouses, and independent accounts, as well as provides real estate services. George Weston serves customers in Canada.

Metro Inc. distributes food and pharmaceutical products. The Company operates a network of food stores and drug stores in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario.

BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. operates as a warehouse club. The Company delivers electronics, furniture, fitness, video games, health, toys, home decor, computers, landscaping, jewelry, and grocery products. BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings serves customers in the United States.

Coles Group Limited owns and operates a chain of supermarkets and department stores. The Company offers apparels, liquor, office supplies, groceries, and household products. Coles Group serves customers throughout Australia and New Zealand.

US Foods Holding Corp. operates as a holding company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, provides catering services. US Foods Holding serves healthcare, hospitality, educational, government facilities, and other sectors in the United States.

AEON CO., LTD. operates general merchandise stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores throughout Japan. The Company is also engaged in women's and casual clothing store business, development business of commercial property, and financing service through the subsidiaries.

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Aeon Co Ltd (8267 JP)

Aeon to Launch Ground-Breaking Online Food Business

Aeon is now officially a major e-commerce business, after years of having barely any skin in the game. The potential of its new Ocado-backed online...

Michael Causton

100 Yen Shops to Hit ¥1 Trillion This Year but Seria's Model Squeezing Profits

Seria has always extracted the highest profits from the 100 Yen sector even as its larger competitor, Daiso, grew faster. Now, with labour and...

Michael Causton

Last Week in Event SPACE: MitCorp, Jardine Matheson, Toshiba, Japanese Foreign Inflows

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a coffee, grab a comfortable seat, and sift through a brief summary of insights on various events discussed...

David Blennerhassett

Japan's Supermarkets: The Coming Disruption

With Trial's IPO looming and inflation at record highs, Japan's supermarket sector is a sector ripe for disruption as pricing pressures widen the...

Michael Causton

Discount Drugstores Challenging Japanese Supermarkets

Japan's supermarkets are facing unprecedented challenges from new competition in e-commerce but especially drugstores. We highlight the winners in...

Michael Causton

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