Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets, JapanConsuming

Michael Causton

Michael is co-founder and partner at 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 and seminars on retail sectors and consumer trends, as well as telephone consulting/meetings with investors. 

All of JapanConsuming's team are bilingual and bi-cultural, and the company's research sources are:

Direct meetings with retailers, wholesalers, distributors, trade body staff, govt., marketing firms, academics etc.
Govt. data
Trade association data
Trade Press across all consumer sectors
Unique Network of buyers/managers/marketing staff at retail, as well as wholesalers and trading firms.
Editors/Journalists at publishing houses and PR/Ad firms.


JapanConsuming was founded by Michael Causton and Roy Larke. 

Michael Causton set up and ran a consumer distribution business in Tokyo for 10 years and developed this into a business responsible for annual imports to Japan of several billion Yen, at the same time building up an inside knowledge of how Japanese distribution works and developing a network of contacts across the industry. Seeing the lack of quality market intelligence on Japanese markets, he co-founded JapanConsuming in 2000. He divides his time between Japan and Europe/US consulting for companies, governments and investors, including providing talks, seminars, and webinars as well as writing reports and books.

Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets

Nitori and Muji: Cutting Prices as Inflation Nears

Japan Shopping Centres 2020-21 Review: A Shocking Year

Aeon Mall: Experiential Shift Will Get Footfall Back in Japanese Malls

Muji Expands Channels with Lawson and Major Online Malls

Japan Retail Review 2019-20 Part II: A Sector by Sector Review of Winners and Losers

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

<p>Ryohin Keikaku’s <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/muji-a-3-trillion-brand-by-2030" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement last month that it is aiming to be a ¥3 trillion company by 2030</a> is being quickly backed up with new stores and refits of existing ones. Food will be a core part of the reinvented Muji business, with sales of ¥900 billion if the company meets its goals. The plan is to work with existing supermarkets to create formats that sell FMCG in a new and exciting way. The latest opened in Saitama last month and 70% of new stores will be supermarkets going forward.</p>

Ryohin Keikaku’s announcement last month that it is aiming to be a ¥3 trillion company by 2030 is being quickly backed up with new stores and refits of existing ones. Food will be a core part of the reinvented Muji business, with sales of ¥900 billion if the company meets its goals. The plan is to work with existing supermarkets to create formats that sell FMCG in a new and exciting way. The latest opened in Saitama last month and 70% of new stores will be supermarkets going forward.

70% of New Muji Stores to Be Supermarkets