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

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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 / Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/11134" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:11134:1">Walmart (WMT US)</a> has worked hard to bring its Japanese subsidiary, Seiyu, around since buying the ailing GMS retailer 16 years ago. While it has done much to improve Seiyu's supply chains, Walmart has been unable to build more volume, either organically or by buying other retailers.
Recently, Nikkei sparked rumours of an imminent withdrawal by the US giant from Japan, rumours that have been flatly denied by executives at its US headquarters, but the rumours still persist.
The Nikkei story was also oddly timed: last month Walmart took the first steps in a new tie-up with Rakuten to open what might become a major challenger in Japan's fast-developing online food market.
This could finally be Walmart's chance to break out of the limitations of trying to grow its store chain and deliver its low prices to more Japanese consumers. If not, a sale to Itochu/Don Quijote could well be on the cards.

Walmart (WMT US) has worked hard to bring its Japanese subsidiary, Seiyu, around since buying the ailing GMS retailer 16 years ago. While it has done much to improve Seiyu's supply chains, Walmart has been unable to build more volume, either organically or by buying other retailers.
Recently, Nikkei sparked rumours of an imminent withdrawal by the US giant from Japan, rumours that have been flatly denied by executives at its US headquarters, but the rumours still persist.
The Nikkei story was also oddly timed: last month Walmart took the first steps in a new tie-up with Rakuten to open what might become a major challenger in Japan's fast-developing online food market.
This could finally be Walmart's chance to break out of the limitations of trying to grow its store chain and deliver its low prices to more Japanese consumers. If not, a sale to Itochu/Don Quijote could well be on the cards.

Pan Pacific International Holdings (7532 JP)

Walmart Launches E-Commerce with Rakuten: The Last Chance to Make It in Japan?