Japan Cross-border E-commerce Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Platform (B2B, B2C, C2C), By Application, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2030

Report Overview

The Japan cross-border e-commerce market size was valued at USD 2.59 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5% from 2020 to 2030. Cross-border e-commerce is termed as international online trade. It is also known as online trade between businesses and consumers (B2C), two businesses (B2B), or two consumers (C2C). Cross-border e-commerce occurs when a consumer chooses to buy a product from an online seller located in another country. There are several reasons such as varied product pricing and, differentiation, quality, shipping options, and payment methods that enable a consumer to buy a product through cross-border e-commerce. The market in the country is anticipated to witness significant growth owing to several factors such as the growth of the overall e-commerce industry, availability of different payment methods, along with online fraud prevention measures.

Factors such as high urban population, internet penetration, changing shopping behavior coupled with rising awareness about e-commerce among consumers are anticipated to fuel the market growth over the forecast period. For instance, according to the Japan Internet Stats and Telecommunications Report, the internet penetration rate in Japan in 2019 was 93.8%. According to industry experts in Japan, consumer behavior in Japan is changing rapidly. There is rising inclination amongst consumers towards buying globally recognized brand products, and they are often increasingly shopping more online. These factors have also paved the way for several payment providers and merchants to enter the Japanese market.  Furthermore, more than 60% of consumers in Japan pay for the products using credit cards; also apparel & fashion is anticipated to be the leading category in Japan.

Established organizations and large enterprises are leaning towards online business due to lesser expenditure in communication, and infrastructure. E-commerce offers the organization an easier reach for the customers and hence, necessary exposure to business is also achieved. E-commerce is also driven by the increasing importance of online marketing tools such as Google ads and Facebook ads. The marketing options these days are in abundance due to the popularity of social media applications; this in turn helps in escalating the market towards growth trajectories.

Furthermore, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic spread has affected the entire world. However, several countries are moving toward recovery. During the crisis consumer buying behavior regarding cross-border differs by the stage of the pandemic reached in each market. The initial months of January and February were challenging however, the sales rate picked up again from March. The pandemic has significantly affected the brick and mortar stores, however, according to Rakuten Super Logistics., a freight brokerage and e-commerce order fulfillment company based in Japan, retailers who have an online presence witnessed a 52% increase in order during the pandemic.

Platform Insights

In terms of revenue, Business to Consumer (B2C) dominated the Japan cross-border e-commerce market with a revenue share of 53.85% in 2019. This high share is attributable to the growing middle-class population and intense use of social media is also aggravating the demand for online purchasing of various products and services, thereby positively impacting the Business to Consumer (B2C) market growth. The internet has transformed the way people sell and buy goods and services. E-commerce or online retail is changing the shopping experience for customers.

Banks and other players in the market are allowing a safe and secure online platform to pay easily via payment gateways. Market players are focusing on unique changes to their business models in order to enable sellers and consumers to transact online. The big retailers in the market are trying to complement their traditional retailing with online commerce and tying up with other big e-commerce players.

The Customer to Customer (C2C) segment accounted for over 10% of the market in 2019, however, it is expected to record the highest growth from 2020 to 2030, expanding at a CAGR of more than 8%. Companies are offering platforms where individual sellers from one country can sell products to different countries. This enables individuals to directly contact the buyer and ship product, thus, eliminating the need for middlemen. However, the lack of trust is anticipated to inhibit the segment growth over the next few years.

Application Insights

The furniture and appliances segment held the largest market share of 25.33% in 2019. This is attributable to the rising presence of companies offering home furniture and appliances. Additionally, the current ongoing work-from-home situation has also positively affected the segment growth. For instance, several companies have advised their employees to work-from-home. Due to social distancing, millions are turning towards the internet since social interactions are moving online and business-to-business communications are taking place digitally. According to e-commerce industry experts, this has positively impacted the e-commerce industry and several e-commerce companies have witnessed a tremendous increase in demand for products such as power banks, routers, headsets, laptops, worktables, and chairs.

The electronics and media segment held a considerable market share in 2019 and is expected to continue retaining a high share for the next few years. Mobile phones are a major factor contributing to the market share of the electronics and media segments. Apple Inc.’s iPhones are hugely popular in Japan; thus, people use e-commerce websites to buy these phones from sellers outside the country. The personal care segment is anticipated to record a high CAGR from 2020 to 2030 owing to the increasing popularity of importing cosmetic products.

Country Insights

The market is influenced by the increased inclination of customers’ preference towards products from foreign countries owing to the unavailability of certain products in their own county, price benefits, and loyalty towards specific foreign brands. Additionally, the emergence of e-commerce portals as a key selling medium on account of improved internet connectivity along with the presence of multiple applications in Android and iOS platforms is expected to remain one of the favorable factors over the next six years.

In Japan, over 80% of the population is using the internet while 70% of adults in Japan shop online. Around 54% of the population in the country uses smartphones and about 14% of online sales are made through mobile phones. The country has a market of 76 million online shoppers where 10.2% of consumers shop from overseas websites. Localization is considered a key element to success as the population patronizes portals which are easy to comprehend and use the Japanese language.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is consolidated and is marked by intense competitive rivalry as there are few market players conducting their business operations. The market has witnessed various inorganic growth strategies such as acquisitions and mergers, partnerships, and collaboration adopted by companies over the recent past. For instance, in December 2018, Rakuten, Inc. announced a collaboration with Walmart, Inc., under which the first Walmart e-commerce store, Walmart Rakuten Ichiba Store, was opened in Japan. This collaboration will enable Rakuten, Inc. to gain a competitive edge in the market while Japanese customers will be able to access a wide variety of U.S. branded products, including outdoor goods, fashion apparel, and toys.

Market players are also focusing on expanding their business by launching various partnership programs across different regions. In October 2019, Amazon, Inc. announced the launch of Project Zero in Japan. The initiative is aimed at improving customers’ online shopping experience by identifying counterfeit or fake products using the company’s self-service counterfeit removal tools and eliminating such products and suspected entries. Project Zero has already been implemented in the U.S. and Europe and has proved successful. Some of the prominent players in the Japan cross-border e-commerce market include:

• Amazon.com, Inc.

• Rakuten, Inc.

• Kakaku.com, Inc.

• Yahoo! Japan Corporation

• Apple Inc.

• DMM.com, Ltd.

• YODOBASHI CAMERA CO., LTD

Japan Cross-border E-commerce Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at the country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2015 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the Japan cross-border e-commerce market report based on platform, application, and country:

• Platform Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2030)

  • B2B

  • B2C

  • C2C

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2030)

  • Food & Beverage

  • Personal Care

  • Furniture & Appliances

  • Toys, hobby & DIY

  • Electronics & Media

  • Fashion