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

Big Apparel in Trouble: Onward to Close 1,400 Stores

Big Apparel in Trouble: Sanyo Shokai Slashes Stores and Fights off Shareholder Pressure

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

Hell Will Freeze over And (Some) Japanese Department Stores Will Increase OPM

Sanyo Shokai Launches New Brands: Too Little Too Late with Further Decline to Come

Seven & I's Sogo Seibu Loses Kansai Branches, Converting More Stores to SCs

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

The major Japanese apparel firms like <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/world-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:27437:1" rel="noopener">World Co Ltd (3612 JP),</a> <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/onward-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11370:1" rel="noopener">Onward Holdings (8016 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/sanyo-shokai-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12308:1" rel="noopener">Sanyo Shokai (8011 JP)</a> continue to struggle.The key problems are: 1) declining apparel sales for their middle market brands and 2) the erosion of apparel sales in department stores – on which they remain overly dependent.In addition, department stores are increasingly taking over sales space for their own purposes, space that used to be controlled by these same apparel firms.<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/12308" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:12308:1" rel="noopener">Sanyo Shokai (8011 JP)</a> is one of the worst afflicted with declining sales since losing the licence for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/burberry-group-plc" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21849:1" rel="noopener">Burberry (BRBY LN)</a> four years ago.As well as investing in its own fashion labels, Sanyo is also looking for overseas brands to distribute. The latest is Ecolaf from Madrid.It is unlikely to be enough but may mean an end to the decline in sales.

The major Japanese apparel firms like World Co Ltd (3612 JP), Onward Holdings (8016 JP) and Sanyo Shokai (8011 JP) continue to struggle.The key problems are: 1) declining apparel sales for their middle market brands and 2) the erosion of apparel sales in department stores – on which they remain overly dependent.In addition, department stores are increasingly taking over sales space for their own purposes, space that used to be controlled by these same apparel firms.Sanyo Shokai (8011 JP) is one of the worst afflicted with declining sales since losing the licence for Burberry (BRBY LN) four years ago.As well as investing in its own fashion labels, Sanyo is also looking for overseas brands to distribute. The latest is Ecolaf from Madrid.It is unlikely to be enough but may mean an end to the decline in sales.

Sanyo Shokai Signs Joint Venture with Spanish Brand Ecolaf but It Won't Stop the Rot