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>Inbound tourism only got going again from October but the pent up demand to visit Japan has meant a surge in visitors. </li>
<li>Since many tourists also have stuffed wallets due to curtailed spending during the pandemic and the Yen is at very low levels, there is much higher spending. </li>
<li>Key beneficiaries are listed below among department stores, premium fashion stores and drugstores.</li>
</ul>


Inbound tourism only got going again from October but the pent up demand to visit Japan has meant a surge in visitors. 
Since many tourists also have stuffed wallets due to curtailed spending during the pandemic and the Yen is at very low levels, there is much higher spending. 
Key beneficiaries are listed below among department stores, premium fashion stores and drugstores.


Inbound Tourism up 50%, Spending Almost at 2019 Levels

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/welcia-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20895:1" rel="noopener">Welcia Holdings (3141 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/tsuruha-holdings-inc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9536:1" rel="noopener">Tsuruha Holdings (3391 JP)</a>, the country’s leading drugstore chains, are both looking to expand quickly in Kyushu after only entering the market recently. </li>
<li>This won’t be easy. Kyushu is full of discount retailers led by one of the best discounters, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/cosmos-pharmaceutical-corp" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:3797:1" rel="noopener">Cosmos Pharmaceutical (3349 JP)</a>, which is also a leading drugstore chain.</li>
<li>But building a significant market share in the Kyushu market is crucial to competing nationally with these emerging discount leaders.</li>
</ul>



Welcia Holdings (3141 JP) and Tsuruha Holdings (3391 JP), the country’s leading drugstore chains, are both looking to expand quickly in Kyushu after only entering the market recently. 
This won’t be easy. Kyushu is full of discount retailers led by one of the best discounters, Cosmos Pharmaceutical (3349 JP), which is also a leading drugstore chain.
But building a significant market share in the Kyushu market is crucial to competing nationally with these emerging discount leaders.


Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>Japan has been a favorite country since late-March, and we have continued to see improvement ever since.</li>
<li>Vermilion’s international Group CS-35 Drug Stores, Japan displays bullish price and RS downtrend reversals, giving us added confidence that outperformance is likely to continue</li>
<li>The two stocks highlighted today display base breakouts over the last couple of days, making them timely buys. Buy: Welcia Holdings (3141-JP) and Sundrug (9989-JP)</li>
</ul>


Japan has been a favorite country since late-March, and we have continued to see improvement ever since.
Vermilion’s international Group CS-35 Drug Stores, Japan displays bullish price and RS downtrend reversals, giving us added confidence that outperformance is likely to continue
The two stocks highlighted today display base breakouts over the last couple of days, making them timely buys. Buy: Welcia Holdings (3141-JP) and Sundrug (9989-JP)


Buying Japanese Drug Store Names: Welcia (3141-JP) And Sundrug (9989-JP)

<ul>
<li>As outlined in an overview on Japanese drugstores, the sector has outperformed all retail formats and grown 30% since 2015.</li>
<li>The sector continues to consolidate too, with greater share for a smaller number of leading firms.</li>
<li>This is being driven by organic expansion in and outside drugstores as well as M&amp;A, with a lot more of both to come.</li>
</ul>


As outlined in an overview on Japanese drugstores, the sector has outperformed all retail formats and grown 30% since 2015.
The sector continues to consolidate too, with greater share for a smaller number of leading firms.
This is being driven by organic expansion in and outside drugstores as well as M&amp;A, with a lot more of both to come.


Pan-Asia Index Flows & Special Situations, Quiddity Advisors

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

Pan-Asia Index Flows & Special Situations

Quiddity Advisors

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Event-Driven

Shinko Electric Industries / Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>JPX-Nikkei 400 is composed of stocks listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange selected based on multiple metrics relating to size, liquidity, financial performance, and corporate governance.</li>
<li>The annual rebalance of the JPX-Nikkei 400 Index takes place in August every year and the cut-off date for the data used for this rebalance is the end of June.</li>
<li>In this insight, we take a look at Quiddity's final predictions for Potential ADDs/DELs for the August 2022 review.</li>
</ul>


JPX-Nikkei 400 is composed of stocks listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange selected based on multiple metrics relating to size, liquidity, financial performance, and corporate governance.
The annual rebalance of the JPX-Nikkei 400 Index takes place in August every year and the cut-off date for the data used for this rebalance is the end of June.
In this insight, we take a look at Quiddity's final predictions for Potential ADDs/DELs for the August 2022 review.


JPX-Nikkei 400 2022 Rebal: Final Predictions

Japan

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.

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Welcia Holdings (3141 JP)

Inbound Tourism up 50%, Spending Almost at 2019 Levels

Of course inbound tourism will rebound in Japan in 2023 but spending per visitor may well exceed 2019 levels due to the weak Yen and full wallets....

Michael Causton

Welcia Challenges Cosmos in Kyushu

Kyushu has become a hotbed of retail competition, especially in discount and drugstores. Aeon is determined to undermine the local champions,...

Michael Causton

Buying Japanese Drug Store Names: Welcia (3141-JP) And Sundrug (9989-JP)

Japan $TOPIX $Nikkei 225 remains leadership, and Consumer Staples are leading the way within Japan. One timely Group are Drug Stores, with Welcia...

Vermilion Research

Drugstores in Japan: Winners and Losers

Japan's drugstore sector continues to grow but only a few retailers will emerge as winners as competitors carve out greater market share.

Michael Causton

JPX-Nikkei 400 2022 Rebal: Final Predictions

I have segmented the JPX Nikkei 400 Potential ADDs and DELs based on conviction levels. The high-conviction ADDs might outperform the high...

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

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