How to Start Selling Your Consumer Product in Japan through ECommerce
Are you planning on selling your consumer product online in Japan? Do you know exactly what is necessary for a successful B2C e-commerce strategy in the Japanese market? Although there are some hurdles that overseas retailers need to overcome in order to trade in Japan, the obstacles are greatly diminished when selling online or on Japanese eCommerce marketplaces. Here we will introduce the easiest and fastest ways for you to start selling in Japan.
Top 3 easiest ways to sell your product in Japan
D2C via your eCommerce website:
This is probably the easiest way to start selling in Japan without having to set anything up in Japan physically. If you are already selling online via your website, you can easily create a localized version in Japanese. We do, however, recommend that you properly localize your entire website into native Japanese as English literacy is below 10% in Japan. Without a Japanese website, it will be difficult to win the trust of Japanese online shoppers and, as a result, your conversions will be low. In addition, as a newcomer to the Japanese marketplace, you will need to run brand awareness campaigns and promotions across all digital channels, utilizing search engine marketing and social media. Selling direct to customers on your own website will require some investment into online advertising, but you won’t have to open an office in Japan or hire anyone locally.
B2C via eCommerce marketplaces:
If you’re an unknown brand in Japan, then utilizing one of Japan’s popular marketplaces would be a great way to get your foot in the door. The top marketplaces (or “EC Malls”) include Amazon Japan, Rakuten and Yahoo! Shopping, and what is great about these platforms is that millions of Japanese online shoppers are already using them. Japan’s most popular marketplace, Rakuten offers support to overseas sellers in English. You can also leverage your visibility with marketplace PPC advertising. Furthermore, should you choose to sell on Amazon Japan, they offer Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) in Japan, which means logistics is taken care of by Amazon. Moreover, if you use their Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) service, they can fulfil orders that come from other channels – like Rakuten.
Distributor partnerships and third-party agencies:
Traditionally, it has only been possible to successfully enter the Japanese market via multiple layers of intermediaries. Although the landscape has changed dramatically with eCommerce as mentioned above, distributor channels can prove successful depending on your desired distribution channels. Local distributors and agencies will have the market expertise and existing relationships you need to start selling in Japan. Organizations such as the Department for International Trade and Export to Japan can help you with such partnerships. As for selling on Japan-exclusive marketplaces such as PayPal Mall, we at DFMA have a new solution for overseas sellers interested in selling on the platform.
Enter Japanese Market with No Worries!
Having local help on board is essential in order to be successful in Japan Market Entry. Don’t know where to start? We can help!
COVUE is a trustworthy Japanese company that has import licenses for many product categories. Let COVUE’s regulatory experts help you to speed up the market entry process so can that you can focus on your business. We’re here to help! It’s what we do best!