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. 

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The last 18 months were the most traumatic for the fashion retail history since WWII. </li>
<li>Average household consumption budgets for apparel fell 18% in 2020 to a monthly average of just ¥10,655, 22% down on five years previously.</li>
<li>The following is an in-depth review of the fashion sector with unique rankings of the top 100, most profitable, fastest growing chains.</li>
</ul>


The last 18 months were the most traumatic for the fashion retail history since WWII. 
Average household consumption budgets for apparel fell 18% in 2020 to a monthly average of just ¥10,655, 22% down on five years previously.
The following is an in-depth review of the fashion sector with unique rankings of the top 100, most profitable, fastest growing chains.


Fashion Retailing 2020-21: Leading Brands Suffer Worst Year in Modern History

<ul>
<li>Department stores are desperate to get back on track, having lost both the middle class at home and travellers from overseas. </li>
<li>There have been further squeezes on the middle class in the past 18 months and the average salary in 2020 stood at ¥4.24 million, just ¥180,000 more than in 1990.
</li>
<li>As a result, department stores are in a gold rush fervour to climb back upmarket and ply their wares to the rich. The problem is so is everyone else.</li>
</ul>


Department stores are desperate to get back on track, having lost both the middle class at home and travellers from overseas. 
There have been further squeezes on the middle class in the past 18 months and the average salary in 2020 stood at ¥4.24 million, just ¥180,000 more than in 1990.

As a result, department stores are in a gold rush fervour to climb back upmarket and ply their wares to the rich. The problem is so is everyone else.


Japanese Department Stores: Going After the Newly Wealthy

FY2020 was clearly a year when department store executives would have been better to live in an induced coma. Big city stores suffered especially because inbound tourists, their main growth driver of the past few years, disappeared and local shoppers stayed away, although some stores did manage to harness support from Japan’s expanding wealth market to offset the rout a little bit. The good news is that executives pushing for change in the last five years in the face of perennial intransigence are increasingly taking charge and the result should be a leaner, smaller and more clearly defined format that is more overtly upscale.

FY2020 was clearly a year when department store executives would have been better to live in an induced coma. Big city stores suffered especially because inbound tourists, their main growth driver of the past few years, disappeared and local shoppers stayed away, although some stores did manage to harness support from Japan’s expanding wealth market to offset the rout a little bit. The good news is that executives pushing for change in the last five years in the face of perennial intransigence are increasingly taking charge and the result should be a leaner, smaller and more clearly defined format that is more overtly upscale.

Japan's Department Stores: Radical Contraction Still to Come if Sector Is to Survive

The latest Census in Japan 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 just under 30% of the total population.There are also ever growing numbers of single people, expanding the promising solo market. In the bigger cities, younger people bring new types of consumption but the increase in older singles is a growing problem.The following provides background macro trends for any investor looking at the Japan consumer space and some stocks we think will benefit from these macro trends.

The latest Census in Japan 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 just under 30% of the total population.There are also ever growing numbers of single people, expanding the promising solo market. In the bigger cities, younger people bring new types of consumption but the increase in older singles is a growing problem.The following provides background macro trends for any investor looking at the Japan consumer space and some stocks we think will benefit from these macro trends.

Shrinking, Ageing Japan but a Growing Solo Market

Equity Bottom-Up

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/j-front-retailing-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8947:1" rel="noopener">J Front Retailing (3086 JP)</a> is well aware of the weakness of the department store format but also knows a market for high-end emporiums will remain. The key, it believes, is making the most of multiple formats and commerce at its best locations and that means investing in real estate of all kinds. The problem is all this real estate is in city centres and if working from home becomes even a small part of the working week, retail traffic may gravitate towards the suburbs.

J Front Retailing (3086 JP) is well aware of the weakness of the department store format but also knows a market for high-end emporiums will remain. The key, it believes, is making the most of multiple formats and commerce at its best locations and that means investing in real estate of all kinds. The problem is all this real estate is in city centres and if working from home becomes even a small part of the working week, retail traffic may gravitate towards the suburbs.

Japan

J. FRONT RETAILING CO., Ltd. is a holding company established through the merger of Daimaru and Matsuzakaya.  J. FRONT RETAILING operates department stores and supermarkets. The Company also manages subsidiaries which operate in wholesale businesses.

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J Front Retailing (3086 JP)

Fashion Retailing 2020-21: Leading Brands Suffer Worst Year in Modern History

This insight is an in-depth review of Japan's apparel sector providing key background and comparisons for investors, including rankings of the top...

Michael Causton

Japanese Department Stores: Going After the Newly Wealthy

Japanese department stores are waking up to the fact that the middle class is no longer their natural customer. The renewed focus on the wealthy is...

Michael Causton

Japan's Department Stores: Radical Contraction Still to Come if Sector Is to Survive

Japan's department stores are in trouble and were well before the pandemic but their outlook is much worse now. Major changes are required, not...

Michael Causton

Shrinking, Ageing Japan but a Growing Solo Market

Japan's population is contracting but there are areas of growth, particularly the solo market (single people living alone) and the senior market....

Michael Causton

J Front to Focus on Real Estate

J Front Retailing is the most diversified of the main dept. store operators. Even then however, its main assets are all in city centres and will...

Michael Causton

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