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

New AI Ordering Systems to Counter Criticism of Convenience Stores

Familymart Taking the Lead in Developing Unmanned Conbini

Home Delivery Next Evolution for Japan's Conbini Sector?

Japan's Convenience Stores: Tougher Trading

Keeping It in the Family: Why Familymart Is Worth so Much More to Itochu

Convenience Stores: Diversification and a Fight for Share as Familymart Delists

Familymart: What's Next? And Will Mitsubishi React?

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 Food and staples retailing / Thematic (Sector/Industry)

2020 was probably the worst year in the CVS sector’s history.Not only is footfall down due to the Covid crisis, but the sector faces both saturation and the prospect of lower growth. Franchisees are disgruntled at long operating hours and tight controls over their incomes by the big operating companies, and the government is backing the store owners.Store numbers are set to fall, but the big firms are worried that the drop could be much faster than forecast and they could lose key locations.

2020 was probably the worst year in the CVS sector’s history.Not only is footfall down due to the Covid crisis, but the sector faces both saturation and the prospect of lower growth. Franchisees are disgruntled at long operating hours and tight controls over their incomes by the big operating companies, and the government is backing the store owners.Store numbers are set to fall, but the big firms are worried that the drop could be much faster than forecast and they could lose key locations.

Japan's Convenience Store Chains Soften up Franchisees