Cross-border e-commerce enters Japan: a dangerous shoal or a gold mine?
The mobile phone cannot be a constant rule, the motherland is relaxed and casual, and the latest and technological progress in the lively girls' information bureau. And it is not exclusively broadcast on Himalaya. With a serious injury to the mainstay of beauty and emotional intelligence, re-listen to today's lively girls' information bureau. When talking about Japan's internet market, what is your inherent impression? Is it a risky windstorm or a big mining site? A few years ago, the then CEO of the UCC district summarized the internationalization strategy, dividing the global market into four areas, with China as an emerging market, the US and Europe as another three overseas markets, and Japan and South Korea forming their own system. Especially in Japan, influential companies and business models have grown locally, and the entire internet industry environment is very closed. Foreign companies find it difficult to succeed. We decided to temporarily give up, which represents the views of most Chinese internet companies on the Japanese market at that time. In a long period of time, Chinese internet companies would often target Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, then Southeast Asia, India, and finally Japan. However, a trend has quietly begun to change. In the past two years, electronic brands such as Haier and Huawei have started operations in Japan, with platforms like Douyin and NetEase games entering the Japanese market. This has changed the impression of Chinese manufacturing among Japanese consumers. Low-end lifestyle service platforms have also penetrated the lives of Japanese consumers. In some areas, particularly in the e-commerce sector, Japan is worth paying attention to. It is a potential market with a large number of high-value consumers. E-commerce sales account for only 5% of total retail sales, leaving plenty of room for growth. The e-commerce sector in Japan is currently the fastest-growing channel among all retail channels, and it is difficult for Chinese cross-border players. However, the consumption trend is gradually changing. In Japan, a potential market with a large number of high-spending consumers. For Chinese e-commerce players seeking overseas development opportunities, it is time to explore the Japanese e-commerce market. However, before thinking about how to proceed, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of Japanese consumers. Unlike Chinese consumers who order directly on Taobao and JD using WeChat and Alipay for payment, Japanese online consumers have two very striking characteristics. One is the heavy use of mobile search during the shopping process. The other is the variety of payment methods due to the emphasis on privacy and security in Japan. In addition to credit cards, online payments can also be made through convenience stores, gift cards, bank transfers, etc. To better communicate with Japanese consumers, cross-border e-commerce players in China can take the following measures. Firstly, deep localization is the key to gaining consumer trust. For example, providing authentic Japanese language services and interfaces, converting payments into Japanese currency units, emphasizing product quality over price, and providing detailed product descriptions can increase customer stickiness. Chinese internet companies, especially cross-border e-commerce companies, have a great opportunity in Japan. The early bird catches the worm. Let's wait and see. That's all for this episode. See you next time.