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. 

Private Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>Baycrews is an unlisted fashion retailer but is proving highly disruptive to both competitors and online malls like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zozo-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18379:1" rel="noopener">ZOZO Inc (3092 JP)</a>.</li>
<li>It is making best use of staff knowledge and experience, an increasingly crucial asset in the competitive online fashion market, to create true omnichannel retailing.</li>
<li>As a result, it garners more than 70% of online sales from its own store, proving that the biggest competitor to Zozo is merchant direct sales, not other platforms.</li>
</ul>


Baycrews is an unlisted fashion retailer but is proving highly disruptive to both competitors and online malls like ZOZO Inc (3092 JP).
It is making best use of staff knowledge and experience, an increasingly crucial asset in the competitive online fashion market, to create true omnichannel retailing.
As a result, it garners more than 70% of online sales from its own store, proving that the biggest competitor to Zozo is merchant direct sales, not other platforms.


Baycrews Grows Online Sales to 50% of Turnover

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<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

Executive Director, Metrical Inc

Aki Matsumoto

Executive Director

Independent Leading Corporate Governance Research

Metrical Inc

METRICAL INC. is an independent leading Corporate Governance research firm in Japan where Corporate Governance is increasingly recognized as an important element on corporate management in these days. Thus, CG research and solutions would become an essential component of global capital markets and play important to contribute to transparency of the markets and maximize shareholders’ value in Japan. 

METRICAL INC. provides Corporate Governance research and analysis including rating services, and  also offers investment research and IR services with solutions and customized profound research on CG and IR issues.

On Monday, November 8, I participated in the analyst meeting of United Arrows (7606). At the beginning of the meeting, there was a report on the progress of sustainability initiatives, and I would like to focus on the perspective of corporate governance.

On Monday, November 8, I participated in the analyst meeting of United Arrows (7606). At the beginning of the meeting, there was a report on the progress of sustainability initiatives, and I would like to focus on the perspective of corporate governance.

Japan's Governance: Information Meeting on Sustainability Initiatives: United Arrows (7606)

Equity Bottom-Up

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/united-arrows-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:4887:1" rel="noopener">United Arrows (7606 JP)</a> has created a second brand for sale solely through e-commerce which, like the first, is much cheaper than its store brands and aimed at dealing with one of its weaknesses: the difficulty in attracting more younger customers. The select shop retailer is also using digital services to try and attract and support wealthy consumers better, taking on the department stores. Last year, e-commerce sales rose 12% to ¥32 billion, around 27% of total sales.

United Arrows (7606 JP) has created a second brand for sale solely through e-commerce which, like the first, is much cheaper than its store brands and aimed at dealing with one of its weaknesses: the difficulty in attracting more younger customers. The select shop retailer is also using digital services to try and attract and support wealthy consumers better, taking on the department stores. Last year, e-commerce sales rose 12% to ¥32 billion, around 27% of total sales.

United Arrows Unveils New Online Brand, Goes After the Wealthy

Fashion retailers continue to rely on third-party platforms, especially <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zozo-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:18379:1" rel="noopener">ZOZO Inc (3092 JP),</a> to sell online but the scale of investment in direct mobile and web is growing. With Baycrews alone seeing customers that shop both online and in stores hitting 52% of all customers and spending 3.7 times more than store-only customers, it is not hard to see why.While there is no likelihood of direct sales taking significant share from the major online malls anytime soon, it is also true that the biggest competitive threat to the big three malls plus Zozo isn't another mall but the determination of fashion retailers and brands to wrest more control of online. On advantage they do have is experience of running retail stores and re opening more stores branded with the online shop name to increase awareness and cross-use.With one fashion retailer seeing the average annual purchase value of cross-use users 3.7 times that of store-only users, an astonishingly high difference, it is no surprise there is momentum to invest more in direct online sales.

Fashion retailers continue to rely on third-party platforms, especially ZOZO Inc (3092 JP), to sell online but the scale of investment in direct mobile and web is growing. With Baycrews alone seeing customers that shop both online and in stores hitting 52% of all customers and spending 3.7 times more than store-only customers, it is not hard to see why.While there is no likelihood of direct sales taking significant share from the major online malls anytime soon, it is also true that the biggest competitive threat to the big three malls plus Zozo isn't another mall but the determination of fashion retailers and brands to wrest more control of online. On advantage they do have is experience of running retail stores and re opening more stores branded with the online shop name to increase awareness and cross-use.With one fashion retailer seeing the average annual purchase value of cross-use users 3.7 times that of store-only users, an astonishingly high difference, it is no surprise there is momentum to invest more in direct online sales.

Japanese Fashion Retailers Advance Online Investment

Japan

VT HOLDINGS CO., LTD. sells automobiles produced by Honda, replacement parts, and used cars.  The Company provides vehicle maintenance and repair services and arranges automobile financing and insurance.

GEO Holdings Corporation operates stores that rent and sell videos, CDs, DVDs, games, and books nationwide. The Company also buys and sells used books and CDs. GEO operates its own stores and also franchise stores.

Komehyo Co., Ltd. operates discount and recycle retail stores.  The Company sells jewelry, precious metal, watch, bag, Kimono, home appliances and musical instrument.

XEBIO Holdings CO., LTD. engages in operating retail stores in Japan. Its stores offer sports equipment, including ski and snowboard wear, baseball, soccer, and golf equipment; and apparel, such as men's and women's casuals, house ware, children's clothing, knick-knacks, and accessories, as well as tailoring services.

Joshin Denki Co., Ltd. operates a chain store specialized in household appliances and computers.  The Company also sells its products through catalog shopping and on-line shopping.  Joshin Denki operates its own stores and also franchise stores.

HONEYS. CO., LTD. plans, manufactures, and retails ladies' casual clothing and accessories.  The Company operates stores throughout Japan.

AOYAMA TRADING Co., Ltd. is a menswear chain store known as Yofuku-no-Aoyama. The Company sells suits, jacket, formal wears, casual wears, shirts, ties, and business shoes.  The Company also operates credit card business.

G-7 Holdings Inc. retails automobile parts and accessories. The Company provides maintenance services including vehicle inspection and oil change. G-7 Holdings also operates used car, motorcycle business, and outdoor sports stores.

World Co., Ltd. designs, manufactures, and distributes apparels. The Company produces women's garments, men's garments, children's garments, and other products. World also operates investment businesses.

NISSAN TOKYO SALES HOLDINGS CO., LTD sells new and pre-owned passenger cars and commercialvehicles produced by Nissan Motor mainly in central Tokyo area. The Company also sells car parts and provides maintenance service. NISSAN TOKYO SALES HOLDINGS also operates office building rental, car leasing service, and insurance service.  The Company's subsidiaries sell Jaguar and Renault cars.

PC Jeweller Ltd. manufacture, retails, and wholesale jewelry.  The Company sells jewelry through its showrooms and over the Internet.  PC Jeweller offers a wide range of products including gold jewellery, diamond jewellery and other jewellery including silver articles, with a focus on diamond jewellery and jewellery for weddings.

Beijing Bashi Media Co., Ltd. provides urban bus transportation and advertising services.  The Company also provides taxi, inter-provincial transportation, car rental, and other transportation related services.

Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. sells home furnishings.  The Company stores are located in southern and central United States.  Haverty's offers brand name furniture, such as Broyhill, Thomasville, Lane/Action, La-Z-Boy, and Clayton Marcus.

Wuxi Commercial Mansion Grand Orient Co., Ltd. operates a department store retail business. Its department stores sell a variety of products including home appliances, apparel, textiles, and leather products.  Wuxi Commercial also sells cars. The Company sells its general merchandise through its own website www.eastall.com and has operation in food serve.

Wuxi Commercial Mansion Grand Orient Co (600327 CH)

Cortina Holdings Limited retails and distributes luxury watches in the Asia Pacific region.  The Company also trades, imports, and exports pens, lighters, and clocks.

Shinsegae International Co., Ltd. was spun off from Shinsegae in 1996.  The company imports and distributes famous foreign brands and manufactures/distribut es domestic brand.  The Company's line of business includes the wholesale distribution of men's and women's apparel.

America's Car-Mart, Inc, sells and finances the sale of used automobiles and trucks.  The Company operates its dealerships primarily in small cities and rural locations throughout the South-Central United States and provides financing for substantially all of its customers.  Car-Mart's customers are principally consumers with limited or damaged credit histories.

Designer Brands Inc. designs, produces, and retails footwear and accessories. The Company offers shoes, boots, sandals, sneakers, socks, handbags, and accessories. Designer Brands serves customers in the United States.

Fujian Zhangzhou Development Co., Ltd., trades automobile, manages and operates toll roads, produces and distributes tap water, and provides waste management services.

China Meidong Auto Holdings Limited is an automobile dealership and maintenance group in China.

UNITED ARROWS LTD., operates fashion stores, specializing in casual clothing and accessory for men and women.  The Company has stores nationwide.  Main forces are United Arrows, Green Label Relaxing and Chrome Hearts.

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United Arrows (7606 JP)

Baycrews Grows Online Sales to 50% of Turnover

Baycrews is leading the fashion sector on developing more direct online sales, pulling traffic away from the big online malls like Zozo. This is...

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 Governance: Information Meeting on Sustainability Initiatives: United Arrows (7606)

The corporate governance practices of UNITED ARROWS are rated relatively high, but there is a mix of commendable points and points that still need...

Metrical Inc

United Arrows Unveils New Online Brand, Goes After the Wealthy

United Arrows's is a respected Japanese fashion retailer but its biggest weakness is an ageing customer base. It is now launching more brands for...

Michael Causton

Japanese Fashion Retailers Advance Online Investment

The major competitor for the major online malls in the Japanese fashion market, like Zozo and Rakuten, isn't another online mall but the growing...

Michael Causton

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