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

Japanese Department Stores: Going After the Newly Wealthy

Japan Shopping Centres 2020-21 Review: A Shocking Year

Aeon Mall: Experiential Shift Will Get Footfall Back in Japanese Malls

United Arrows Comes Out Fighting with Plans for Major New Chain

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

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><a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/united-arrows-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:4887:1" rel="noopener">United Arrows (7606 JP)</a> has created a second brand for sale solely through e-commerce which, like the first, is much cheaper than its store brands and aimed at dealing with one of its weaknesses: the difficulty in attracting more younger customers. The select shop retailer is also using digital services to try and attract and support wealthy consumers better, taking on the department stores. Last year, e-commerce sales rose <strong>12% to ¥32 billion, around 27% of total sales.</strong></p>

United Arrows (7606 JP) has created a second brand for sale solely through e-commerce which, like the first, is much cheaper than its store brands and aimed at dealing with one of its weaknesses: the difficulty in attracting more younger customers. The select shop retailer is also using digital services to try and attract and support wealthy consumers better, taking on the department stores. Last year, e-commerce sales rose 12% to ¥32 billion, around 27% of total sales.

United Arrows Unveils New Online Brand, Goes After the Wealthy