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 Retail Full Review 2020-2021: Some Retail Sectors Outperform in a Pandemic

Japan Fashion Retailing Complete Review 2019-20: Pain Now but a Recovery Is Certain

Gamechanger: Rakuten’s Win-Win Alliance with Japan Post

Rakuten - Strategic Investments Raise Needed Cash and Level the Playing Field

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>Not many apparel-based retailers improved performance during 2020 but <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nishimatsuya-chain-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13375:1" rel="noopener">Nishimatsuya Chain (7545 JP)</a> was an exception, with its suburban locations, reasonable prices and house-bound children and parents all contributing.</p><p>Whether the children’s retailer can continue the momentum depends on private brands and more non-apparel. The children’s market remains wide open for any brand or retailer with high cost-performance given market fragmentation.</p>

Not many apparel-based retailers improved performance during 2020 but Nishimatsuya Chain (7545 JP) was an exception, with its suburban locations, reasonable prices and house-bound children and parents all contributing.Whether the children’s retailer can continue the momentum depends on private brands and more non-apparel. The children’s market remains wide open for any brand or retailer with high cost-performance given market fragmentation.

Nishimatsuya Chain

Nishimatsuya Chain Thrives in Covid