Gaining Repeat Customers through Brick-and-Mortar and E-Commerce Synergy: The Takeya StrategyA Case Analysis of Cross-Border E-Commerce by Takeya

20121007mail
Aug 14
2 min read

1. Business Background and Market Environment

Takeya, founded in 1947 and located in Okachimachi, Tokyo, is a long-established discount store. As of 2025, the annual number of foreign visitors to its store is estimated at 430,000, based on tax exemption data.The company focuses on a “Repeat Purchase Model Starting from the Physical Store” and operates cross-border EC via Buyee (linked with Yahoo! Shopping) and its own site.

Target Markets:

China (approx. 55% of sales)
Southeast Asia (approx. 25%)
Europe and the U.S. (approx. 20%)

Key Products:

Whitening cosmetics (¥3,000–¥4,000)
Rice cookers (average ¥50,000)
Ceramic knives (¥12,000)

2. Strategic Core

2-1 Offline-to-Online Transition

“Hands-Free Return, Continued Purchase” Model:

Measure	Description	Impact (Estimated)
QR Flyers	Distributed in multiple languages	Increased EC access rate
Receipt Coupons	Coupons for EC repurchase linked to receipts	Higher repeat rate
Multilingual POP	EC site explanation in 6 languages in-store	Slightly longer dwell time

Alipay was introduced as early as December 2015, followed by WeChat Pay and UnionPay, improving convenience for Chinese customers.

2-2 Platform Strategy

Benefits of Buyee Platform:

Fixed monthly cost of ¥50,000 covering shipping/customs
Auto-translation of product listings
Real-time inventory sync with store

Note: Figures such as “98.7% AI translation accuracy” and “3 hours → 15 minutes product listing time” are not externally verified.

2-3 Data-Driven Product Strategy

Takeya implements a “3-Tier Product Strategy” based on purchasing data:

Tier	Example Products	Sales Ratio	Tactics
Core	Rice cookers, cosmetics	60%	In-store demos linked to EC
Growth	Japanese sweets, drugs	25%	SNS-linked campaigns
Test	Anime goods	15%	Limited-time POP promotions

The reported procurement accuracy improvement (83%→92%) via AI demand forecasting remains unverified.

3. Academic Perspective

3-1 Behavioral Economics

Using “Vivid Experience” theory, in-store engagement (tasting, demos) appears to increase EC conversion.Takeya claims an average EC purchase delay of 14 days post-visit—half the industry norm.

3-2 Cultural Strategy

Redefining “Japanese Rationality”:

Prices at 70–80% of market rate
89% JIS-certified products
90-day post-purchase consultation

Packaged as “Omotenashi EC,” promotional videos reportedly garnered 1.2 million views in China.

3-3 Challenges and Countermeasures

Counterfeit prevention: proprietary logo packaging
Delivery cost: reduced from ¥380 to ¥320/kg via DHL volume contract
Cultural sensitivity: Halal-certified products to be added by June 2025

4. Strategic Implications

5 Key Success Principles in Cross-Border EC (Takeya Model):

Principle	Action Item	Academic Link
Continuity of Experience	Seamless offline-to-online transition	Cognitive Psychology
Payment Optimization	Localized payment adoption	Behavioral Economics
Data Integration	POS-EC inventory linkage	Operational Research
Cultural Reframing	Packaging Japanese values for clarity	Cultural Anthropology
Risk Diversification	Multi-channel deployment	Strategic Management

5. Future Outlook

AR-based virtual store
Monthly subscription box for Japanese food
Blockchain product traceability

Takeya’s model presents a standard for SMEs aiming at cross-border success by digitally transforming physical store assets and systematizing cultural value export.