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

Nitori To Make a Rival Bid for Shimachu? More Fun To Go

Nitori Bids UP For Shimachu - Now Things Slow Down

IKEA Harajuku: Made for Japan and for Targeting Nitori

A New Era of Home Centre Consolidation Starts as DCM Buys Shimachu

DCM Does a Full Takeover of Shimachu - Looks Like a Strong Price. Look Again.

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

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nitori-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20386:1" rel="noopener">Nitori Holdings (9843 JP)</a> had a great 1H2020, with sales up 12.7% and operating profit jumping 45% but competitors are circling.
Cainz, the sector-leading home centre chain owned by the unlisted Beisia Group, opened two new stores for its Style Factory concept over the summer, both around Tokyo.
The new interiors and homeware stores look ideal for rapid rollout in shopping centres given the current surge in demand for home merchandise and will prove a challenger to <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/nitori-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:20386:1" rel="noopener">Nitori Holdings (9843 JP)</a> and possibly IKEA.
Style Factory could provide Beisia with same level of success as its other subsidiary retailer, <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/workman-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:8467:1" rel="noopener">Workman Co Ltd (7564 JP).</a> 
The move is also a sign of the growing maturity of the homecentre sector as much as the recent round of M&amp;A including <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/a-new-era-of-home-centre-consolidation-starts-as-dcm-buys-shimachu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this month's deal</a> between <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/dcm-holdings-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:13042:1" rel="noopener">Dcm Holdings (3050 JP)</a> and <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/shimachu-co-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:5235:1" rel="noopener">Shimachu Co Ltd (8184 JP).</a>

Nitori Holdings (9843 JP) had a great 1H2020, with sales up 12.7% and operating profit jumping 45% but competitors are circling.
Cainz, the sector-leading home centre chain owned by the unlisted Beisia Group, opened two new stores for its Style Factory concept over the summer, both around Tokyo.
The new interiors and homeware stores look ideal for rapid rollout in shopping centres given the current surge in demand for home merchandise and will prove a challenger to Nitori Holdings (9843 JP) and possibly IKEA.
Style Factory could provide Beisia with same level of success as its other subsidiary retailer, Workman Co Ltd (7564 JP). 
The move is also a sign of the growing maturity of the homecentre sector as much as the recent round of M&amp;A including this month's deal between Dcm Holdings (3050 JP) and Shimachu Co Ltd (8184 JP).

Targeting Nitori: Cainz Follows Workman’s Success into Homeware Retailing with Style Factory Chain