This past summer, Maezawa sold a majority stake in Zozotown to Yahoo Japan for nearly $4 billion. With the deal, Yahoo Japan, which is owned by Softbank, is looking to double down on the country’s attractive e-commerce sector and catch up to Amazon.com and Rakuten, another domestic heavyweight.
Yahoo Japan chief Kentaro Kawabe said the company wants “to make e-commerce its main growth driver.”
Japan is sometimes overlooked by companies trying to expand abroad or set up shop in a new country. However, the nation has plenty to offer for established businesses and startups in the e-commerce sector alike, and its e-commerce sector boasts impressive growth potential.
GROWTH OF E-COMMERCE IN JAPAN
Japan has continuously ranked among the top five of the world’s largest e-commerce markets. Not only that, but its e-commerce market is among the fastest-growing globally, boosted by a very developed economy, highly urbanized population, high internet penetration, and single-language culture. Ecommerce businesses there also benefit from the small country size and excellent infrastructure, allowing for speedy delivery.
The internet penetration rate is above 93 per cent, and surprisingly, it remains on that level even for older generations. Thanks to these factors, Japan’s e-commerce sector is expected to keep growing actively in the years ahead. Analysts have estimated that Japan will remain among the world’s top five when it comes to online sales. Ecommerce revenue is forecasted to grow by about 6 per cent annually between 2018 and 2022.
EMERGING STARTUP ECOSYSTEM
Bu hikaye Entrepreneur magazine dergisinin May 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Entrepreneur magazine dergisinin May 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Chords of Success
For Saahil Goel, the deep-rooted passion for playing the guitar dates back to his high school days. Influenced by legends like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and the Pakistani band Strings, his musical journey mirrors his leadership style-balancing focus, discipline, and a collaborative spirit. Goel feels that playing guitar has enhanced his ability to balance focus and teamwork as a founder of an eCommerce shipping start-up.
IS YOUR RENT TOO DAMN HIGH?
Many small business owners struggle with their rents. Here's what to do.
HOW TO BOUNCE BACK FROM A BAD REVIEW
A one-star review can hurt your ego - and your business. But it's possible to prevent (and remedy!) this scary scenario.
HOW TO HIRE FOR THE FUTURE
Small businesses are struggling to find quality labor. So flip the conversation: Show workers how your business will set them up for opportunity.
You Can Hire Like Netflix
The streaming platform built an incredible team with a strategy called “talent density.” But you don’t need to be a tech giant to do it.
Speedy Growth Killed My Startup
We seemed to be rocking it - lots of press, major partnerships. Then we learned the harsh consequences of overlooking our customers.
Three Pivots to $100 Million
How do you find a working business model? Do it like Rowan-a brand that reinvented itself many times before finally piercing the ear-piercing market.
What Goals Actually Matter?
Some benchmarks are more important than others so what should you really care about? We asked six founders for their hardest-won lessons.
'Only the Strongest Are Going to Survive'
Brian Lee cofounded companies like LegalZoom and ShoeDazzle-and he believes a lot of conventional business wisdom is backward. Sure, it's harder to raise capital. But it's actually cheaper than ever to start a company.
HOW TRUST SAVED KFC
The former CEO of Yum! Brands explains how he turned around a struggling KFC-and the important lesson it offers for anyone in franchising.
