E-Commerce

Japan's largest flea market app, Mercari, is in turmoil. Restrictions on listings of the popular trading card 「ポケモンカード」 have been tightened, and criticism over misuse has erupted, making Mercari the most talked-about name in Japan's e-commerce industry recently.

Meanwhile, Amazon Japan and 楽天市場 continue to reign as the two giants of Japan's domestic e-commerce market. Amazon is consistently cited as a leading name in mall comparison articles, while 楽天市場 reaffirmed its presence with its October payment and promotional campaign. Yahoo!ショッピング also keeps appearing in comparison articles thanks to its large user base, and fashion-focused ZOZOTOWN is named in nearly every usage survey. Qoo10, established as a women-oriented mall, au PAYマーケット, which integrates with smartphone payments, and LOHACO, a staple of everyday goods e-commerce, continue to be mentioned in the context of comparisons and promotions, each around its own strengths. Catalog retailer ベルメゾンネット and general electronics retailer ヨドバシ.com also secured a place in the rankings thanks to the brand recognition they have built over many years.

Looking at the bigger picture, while the Mercari regulation controversy draws attention for now, the dominance of Amazon and 楽天市場 remains intact, and a clear pattern is emerging in which specialized malls fill the gaps.