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

Medipal Holdings (7459 JP): Better-Than-Expected FY23 Result; Accelerated Growth Expected in FY24

Major Japan Wholesalers up 2.8% in 2021, but Problems Looming

Widespread Price Rises at Japanese Retail and Wholesale

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 Consumer staples distribution and retail / Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The latest commercial census published this Spring shows that Japan's wholesale sector remains more dominant than in many other major economies, partly explaining the low margins in some retail sectors.</li>
<li>Wholesale sales fell 8% between 2016 and 2021, but were still 10% higher than in 2012 due to survey changes over the previous decade.</li>
<li>Consolidation of wholesaling into the hands of larger corporations, with correspondingly higher power within the supply chain, is increasing and opportunities for M&amp;A and margin growth are significant.</li>
</ul>


The latest commercial census published this Spring shows that Japan's wholesale sector remains more dominant than in many other major economies, partly explaining the low margins in some retail sectors.
Wholesale sales fell 8% between 2016 and 2021, but were still 10% higher than in 2012 due to survey changes over the previous decade.
Consolidation of wholesaling into the hands of larger corporations, with correspondingly higher power within the supply chain, is increasing and opportunities for M&amp;A and margin growth are significant.


The State of Wholesaling in Japan