Japanese Market News

What simply began as an online store in 1996 selling various import and domestic beers five years later became an online specialty store selling just Belgium beer. In Japan, online shopping is becoming more a part of the everyday lifestyle creating more demand for very specialized online shopping experiences such this Belgium beer store.

The site is set up so visitors can search for beer by taste, type, glass, brewery, region, and fruit and all listed beers have a picture or illustration and description to make it easy to navigate even for first time visitors unfamiliar with Belgian beer. The major part of the site’s success is due to this extra care that is put into the website including the newsletter and blog where the brewers are introduced, adding depth to the site’s products. Currently the site owner’s dedication to Belgium beer has attracted 1000 to 1500 orders a month and half are regular customers.

Posted by Alisa at 08:30 AM | Permalink

According to a recent research on advertising done by online company goo research, in Japan television advertising still gets the most exposure at 60.8 percent. However, internet advertising is only a few steps away at 9.7 percent from newspaper advertising which is at 12.8 percent, and has already surpassed radio advertising at 1.9 percent and magazine advertisement at 2.7 percent. Furthermore, the research results continue with consumers expressing that if the internet and email advertisements are adjusted to their needs, almost 45 percent are expected to express interest in the advertisements.

These statistics show the emerging potential of internet advertising, which can be a great advantage for overseas businesses interested in targeting their products and services in Japan at a low cost.

Posted by Alisa at 08:31 AM | Permalink

In Japan, ecommerce has developed these past few years to a point that even businesses selling cardboard boxes are finding opportunities to make a profit online. Previously just selling via brick and mortar, the company’s business expansion to the internet which began in 1996 is finally breaking through with 40 thousand unique visitors a day. At bestcarton.com, you will find anything from boxes for moving, storage to product delivery for individuals and major companies.

The secret to the online store is its automated quotation system. The lesson to learn here for small and medium sized online businesses is that it is not just the technology behind the system that has made the site a success. It was simply having the patience and the flexibility to accept seemingly unprofitable small orders starting from one box to gain loyal customers.

Posted by Alisa at 08:33 AM | Permalink