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

Japan's Department Stores: The Most to Lose but Also the Hardest Hit

Japan Inbound Traffic Down 93% in March but Arrivals Spend and Spend

After Covid: The Future for Japanese Retail: Winners & Losers

Japanese Department Stores 2018-19: Taking New Risks Creates Opportunity

Kintetsu: Hybrid Stores Replace Department Stores as Profits Lift

Japan Shopping Centres 2018-19: Sales Rise Again but Fewer New Malls

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)

Japan Multiline retail / Thematic (Sector/Industry)

Top department stores generally performed well in the 12 months to December 2019, but compared to five years ago, most stores and most regions are well down as the sector continues to shrink.There are exceptions however with Hankyu's Umeda store up 17% in five years and Kintetsu Abeno up by 10%. Among the top chains,  <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/takashimaya-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:370:1" rel="noopener">Takashimaya (8233 JP)</a> is currently driving what growth there is, with sales up a remarkable 14% in the last five years, proving that there really is potential in these traditional old buildings.Over the next three years, the sector will decline yet further but a few chains will prosper.

Top department stores generally performed well in the 12 months to December 2019, but compared to five years ago, most stores and most regions are well down as the sector continues to shrink.There are exceptions however with Hankyu's Umeda store up 17% in five years and Kintetsu Abeno up by 10%. Among the top chains,  Takashimaya (8233 JP) is currently driving what growth there is, with sales up a remarkable 14% in the last five years, proving that there really is potential in these traditional old buildings.Over the next three years, the sector will decline yet further but a few chains will prosper.

Growth in the Declining Japanese Department Store Sector: Some Stores and Chains Show the Way