Japan is a high tech, gadget friendly country. With the world’s third largest economy and an appetite for speed and efficiency it’s no wonder that they have strongly embraced online shopping making e-commerce in Japan a very attractive market for foreign companies.

E-commerce in Japan is growing quickly, in fact Japan is the second largest online shopping market in Asia and fourth largest in the world. Over 70% of all internet users in Japan shop online. Most e-commerce retail sales goes through large players like Amazon Japan, Rakuten, Kakaku and Yahoo Japan. 

Loyalty is very important for Japanese consumers and this translates online. Successful brands develop generous Loyalty and Rewards Programs to attract and keep customers. But even this alongside a strong marketing campaign isn’t enough. Foreign companies looking to succeed in e-commerce in Japan also have to embrace the local culture, understand the retail season and learn when and what the Japanese purchase as gifts for holiday.

And they must embrace social media, as Japanese consumer are picky and tend to like to shop around and do their research before purchasing. Finally they also are particular about delivery timelines. They want their online shopping delivered fast and when the vendor said it would be.

If companies with good products follow these simple rule, they too can benefit from the burgeoning market for e-commerce in Japan.