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

Aeon 2020: A Year of Ups and Downs but a More Profitable Future

Japan Drugstores: Growing Leadership in Food, Household, Cosmetics – and the Odd Medicine Too

Izumi Focus on Food and Online Should Improve Margins

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)

All leading supermarkets saw sales improve in FY2020 as shoppers stayed away from competing formats and profits also surged.However, while the changes confirmed stability among the largest companies and a handful of medium-sized chains, the sudden surge in profits among low-margin chains could be short-lived once shoppers become more mobile again and return to other options for their food needs.The gap between the best and rest will widen, spurring consolidation as the leaders grab more market share in new territories.

All leading supermarkets saw sales improve in FY2020 as shoppers stayed away from competing formats and profits also surged.However, while the changes confirmed stability among the largest companies and a handful of medium-sized chains, the sudden surge in profits among low-margin chains could be short-lived once shoppers become more mobile again and return to other options for their food needs.The gap between the best and rest will widen, spurring consolidation as the leaders grab more market share in new territories.

Leading Supermarkets Have a Great Year but Gap Widens Between Best and Rest