Graduating from Mall Dependency: Steps to Grow Your Own E-Commerce and Reclaim Profits and Customer Data

Why Now Is the Time to Move Beyond Marketplace Dependence

Online marketplaces such as Amazon and Rakuten have played a critical role in helping emerging brands acquire customers and establish trust. For many businesses, marketplaces serve as the fastest path to initial sales growth.

However, reliance on marketplaces also introduces structural risks that have become more significant in recent years:

• Increasing commission fees and advertising costs

• Frequent policy and algorithm changes beyond your control

• Intensifying price competition

• Limited access to customer data and behavioral insights

Perhaps the most critical limitation is the inability to fully own and leverage customer relationships. In marketplace ecosystems, customer data—email addresses, browsing behavior, and purchase history—often remains under the platform’s control rather than becoming a strategic asset for the brand itself.

As a result, a growing number of successful e-commerce companies are shifting their mindset:

Marketplaces are for acquisition.Owned e-commerce is the core of long-term growth.

Case Study 1: Kojima-ya – Investing in Owned E-Commerce During Marketplace Success

Kojima-ya, a specialty nuts and dried fruit retailer based in Tokyo, represents a textbook example of gradually transitioning away from marketplace dependence.

• 2004: Entered Rakuten Marketplace and rapidly expanded sales

• 2010: Launched its own e-commerce site

• 2014: Owned channel accounted for only about 1% of total sales

Despite strong marketplace performance, the company made a strategic decision to invest heavily in its own e-commerce platform.

The reasons included:

• Rising marketplace fees and advertising costs

• Increasing price competition

• Concerns about not owning direct customer relationships

Through two major website renewals in 2014 and 2020—focusing on usability, customer communication, and content marketing—Kojima-ya successfully increased its owned e-commerce share to over 25%.

The key lesson:The best time to invest in owned e-commerce is when marketplace revenue is strong enough to fund the transition.

Case Study 2: Saihoku Seafood Market – Fully Transitioning to Owned E-Commerce

Saihoku Seafood Market, a seafood retailer based in Hokkaido, took an even more decisive step.

After years of operating on marketplaces, the company gradually reduced its marketplace reliance over approximately four years and eventually exited marketplace platforms entirely.

Instead of focusing solely on product listings, the company redesigned its owned e-commerce site as a brand-centric content platform featuring:

• Stories about fishermen and production processes

• Seasonal content and gift recommendations

• Email marketing and customer engagement initiatives

As a result, the brand successfully generated strong direct demand, including increasing searches specifically for its brand name rather than generic product keywords.

This demonstrates that owned e-commerce can become sustainable when it evolves beyond a transaction platform into a brand communication channel.

Case Study 3: LOWYA – Achieving Over 50% Sales Through Owned Channels

Furniture brand LOWYA began its business on marketplaces but strategically expanded its owned e-commerce channel.

Through investments in branding, content, and search optimization, LOWYA achieved:

• Over 50% of total sales through owned e-commerce

• Significant growth in branded search volume

Key initiatives included:

• High-quality product pages with lifestyle photography

• Strong brand positioning

• SEO and social media investment

• Coordinated omnichannel strategy

LOWYA shifted customer behavior from platform-driven discovery to brand-driven search and purchase.

Case Study 4: Agricultural E-Commerce Brand – Growing Revenue 1.7× Through Content

A Hokkaido agricultural e-commerce business achieved significant growth by creating content documenting crop cultivation.

By sharing the growing process through blog posts and email updates, customers became emotionally invested in the products even before purchase.

This approach transformed the transaction from simple product delivery into an ongoing customer experience, increasing both loyalty and lifetime value.

Case Study 5: LION HEART – Increasing Owned Channel Sales Eightfold

Men’s accessory brand LION HEART transitioned from marketplace-dependent sales to a brand-driven owned e-commerce model.

Key initiatives included:

• Website redesign focused on brand storytelling

• Social media integration, particularly Instagram

• Content emphasizing brand identity and styling

Over eight years, owned e-commerce revenue increased approximately eightfold.

Five Steps to Build a Strong Owned E-Commerce Channel

Step 1: Visualize Profit Structure

Analyze sales, commissions, advertising costs, and profit margins separately for marketplaces and owned channels.

Many businesses discover that owned e-commerce delivers significantly higher profitability per customer.

Step 2: Define the Role of Owned E-Commerce

Owned e-commerce should serve as:

• The brand’s flagship store

• The primary customer relationship platform

• The foundation for long-term brand equity

Step 3: Create Exclusive Value

Offer benefits unique to owned channels:

• Membership programs

• Exclusive products or bundles

• Personalized services

• Rich content and storytelling

These experiences differentiate owned channels from marketplace listings.

Step 4: Build Independent Traffic Sources

Develop customer acquisition channels outside marketplaces:

• Content marketing and SEO

• Social media engagement

• Email marketing and CRM programs

The goal is to generate direct traffic and branded search demand.

Step 5: Invest in Customer Data and CRM

Owned e-commerce enables full use of customer data for:

• Personalized communication

• Targeted promotions

• Subscription models

• Long-term customer relationship building

Customer data becomes a powerful competitive advantage.

Marketplaces Should Be a Tool, Not a Dependency

Successful brands do not necessarily abandon marketplaces entirely.

Instead, they redefine the relationship:

• Marketplaces: customer acquisition channel

• Owned e-commerce: customer relationship and profitability channel

This strategic shift enables businesses to regain control over their brand, customer relationships, and profit structure.

Conclusion: Owned E-Commerce Is a Long-Term Strategic Asset

Moving beyond marketplace dependence is not simply a technical change—it is a strategic transformation.

Owned e-commerce allows businesses to:

• Increase profitability

• Own customer relationships

• Build sustainable brand value

• Reduce platform dependency risk

As demonstrated by companies such as Kojima-ya, Saihoku Seafood Market, LOWYA, and LION HEART, investing in owned e-commerce is essential for long-term competitiveness in modern digital commerce.

The businesses that control their customer relationships will define the future of e-commerce.

References

Future Shop (Future Shop Co., Ltd.)Case Studies: Kojima-ya Specialty Nuts Storehttps://www.future-shop.jp/casestudy/

Future Shop (Future Shop Co., Ltd.)Case Studies: Saihoku Seafood Markethttps://www.future-shop.jp/casestudy/

Future Shop (Future Shop Co., Ltd.)Official YouTube Channel – Owned E-Commerce Growth Case Studieshttps://www.youtube.com/@futureshop

LISKUL (Basic Inc.)E-Commerce Strategy and Direct Channel Growth Case Studieshttps://liskul.com/

BrainPad Inc.Customer Data Utilization and CRM Strategy in E-Commercehttps://www.brainpad.co.jp/

itsumo. Inc.Direct-to-Consumer Strategy and CRM Optimizationhttps://itsumo365.co.jp/

ebisumart (Interfactory Co., Ltd.)CRM and Owned E-Commerce Implementation Case Studieshttps://www.ebisumart.com/

Kojima-ya Co., Ltd.Official Online Storehttps://www.kojima-ya.com/

Saihoku Seafood Market (San-Ei Foods Co., Ltd.)Official Online Storehttps://www.saihok.jp/

LOWYA (Vega Corporation Co., Ltd.)Official Online Storehttps://www.low-ya.com/

LION HEART (Lion Heart Co., Ltd.)Official Online Storehttps://lionheart-shop.jp/

Corekara Co., Ltd.Owned E-Commerce Growth and Digital Transformation Case Studieshttps://corekara.co.jp/

Future Shop Co., Ltd.E-Commerce Platform and Marketing Resourceshttps://www.future-shop.jp/

itsumo. Inc.E-Commerce Growth and Customer Lifecycle Management Resourceshttps://itsumo365.co.jp/

BrainPad Inc.Customer Experience and Data-Driven Marketing in Retail and E-Commercehttps://www.brainpad.co.jp/

Interfactory Co., Ltd.CRM and E-Commerce Personalization Strategyhttps://www.ebisumart.com/