Japanese department store Matsuya launches official Chinese E-commerce website

Matsuya begins this cross-border E-commerce business aiming to boost repeat purchasing among Chinese inbound consumers even after they have returned to China.

by Azoya

Azoya International (Hong Kong) Ltd. (Main Office: Hong Kong, hereinafter called Azoya) who provides e-commerce solutions has started to provide cross-boarder solutions geared towards mainland China for Matsuya Co., Ltd. (Main Office: Tokyo, hereinafter called Matsuya) on March 21st. Matsuya’s cross-boarder e-commerce website (URL:cn.matsuya.com)currently has more than 700 SKU including products that are very popular among Chinese consumers such as products for babies and mothers and beauty products. More products will be added from now on.

Since its establishment in 2013, Azoya has been providing solutions for cross-boarder e-commerce for more than 35 overseas retailers (including Matsuya) in 11 countries and its all-encompassing services to support overseas retailers include not only the construction of Chinese websites and payment solutions, but also logistics and fulfillment, local customer services, marketing, planning for campaigns, etc. Azoya is planning to support Matsuya expanding its business in China by providing cross-boarder e-commerce solutions.

Supporting customer care through Azoya’s cross-boarder e-commerce solutions

Recently, rising demand for Japanese products in China has contributed to the trend of growing cross-boarder e-commerce business, and cross-boarder e-commerce market size in China in 2019 is expected to go over 2 trillion Japanese yen[i]. Until now, as a solution for China-bound cross-boarder e-commerce, it has been a common practice to use major online marketplaces. However, this solution also had some difficulties, such as the risk of high price-competition due to the harsh comparison of prices and deals among the millions of products in the marketplaces. It is also difficult for brands to gain exposure in these marketplaces. There is also the rising concern over counterfeits when various e-commerce websites have been launched due to the high demands for Japanese products.

Under these circumstances, Azoya provides the official Chinese website which is linked to the Japanese companies’ original websites, for the coherence of website designs and brand image. This helps Chinese customers to understand the authenticity of the website. Also, Azoya’s dedicated customer care services are provided for each client company. This enables overseas retailers to use cross-boarder e-commerce not only as a sales channel, but also to construct long-term relationships with customers.

Mr. Yukio Imai, Executive Officer and Director of Customer Strategy at Matsuya Co. Ltd., quoted:

Matsuya begins this cross-border E-commerce business aiming to boost repeat purchasing among Chinese inbound consumers even after they have returned to China.

We also expect that we can provide the right products for Chinese consumers with a deep understanding of their demand developed through Azoya’s marketing activities in China. Since the number of tourists from overseas will increase for cherry blossom viewing season in the spring season, we decided to start this service on March 21st. We will also announce this new service at our store targeting Chinese inbound customers. Moreover, through our partnership with Azoya in China we aim to improve awareness of the “Matsuya brand” through efficient information distribution.

Characteristics of Azoya’s solutions for cross-boarder e-commerce

  • lDirect exposure of the retailers’ brand image
  • By constructing the Japanese companies’ official website for cross-boarder e-commerce toward China, which reflects the images of design of the original Japanese website even though the contents are in Chinese, it helps Chinese customers to acknowledge the authenticity of the website and their products. The website also lists both the retail prices in the physical stores in Japan in Japanese yen and in RMB based on the exchange rate of the day. Since the website is also used not only to provide information about products, but also provide other kinds of information to customers, it enables companies to enhance customer loyalty.
  • lOne stop solutions for cross-boarder e-commerce
  • Azoya takes care of everything from logistics and marketing, to customer service. This reduces the risk for Japanese companies expanding into the Chinese market. As for logistics, Azoya will be responsible for the rest of logistics after the designated warehouse in Japan. Moreover, a dedicated team in China will be formed for each client company. These dedicated teams understand the brands’ images, the products’ characteristics and Chinese consumers’ preferences. They provide day-to-day operations and marketing from Day 1 and deal with inquiries from Chinese consumers.
  • lOmni Channel Solution (O2O)
  • Through the marketing and branding activities in China, Azoya’s Omni Channel Solution is to manage online and offline traffics in order to enhance their sales and to create customers’ loyalty to the brand. For examples, there will be QR codes of WeChat placed in the physical department store to get attention of inbound Chinese tourists and encourage them to re-purchase at Matsuya’s website online once they are return to China. At the same time, campaigns on Chinese social medias, mobile apps and websites will facilitate young Chinese consumers who shop online to visit the physical stores.

About Matsuya

Ginza, one of Japan's foremost urban centers, is home to glamorous department stores, jewelers, and fashion brands. Matsuya Ginza is a cornerstone of that culture.

At Matsuya, we believe Ginza culture is the coexistence of the traditional and the innovative, the global and the local. Embodying the highest quality, sophistication, and refinement is a must. Matsuya Ginza has grown alongside this Ginza culture. We will continue to progress as a department store that is truly worthy of representing Ginza culture well into the future.

About Azoya

Azoya is a leading turnkey e-commerce solutions provider, which endeavors to help overseas retailers break into China via cross-border e-commerce. The company prides itself as being the e-commerce leader that has signed exclusive agreements with the largest number of overseas retailers in China. With its all-encompassing services and dedicated specialist team, the company has won trust from more than 35 overseas retailers in 11 countries, such as La Redoute, the largest online retailer of women's apparel in France; and Feelunique, the largest online premium beauty retailer in Europe. For more details, visit http://www.azoyagroup.com/


Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)-Japan, “2015 Ecommerce Market Report”, June 2016 says that expected cross-boarder Ecommerce market in 2019 will be \2,335.9 (Billions of yen)


FULLY MANAGED CROSS-BORDER E-COMMMERCE SOLUTIONS

China E-commerce Cloud ServicesInternational Brand AgencyCross-border O2O |

9 SERVICE BUILDING BLOCKS

Elastic CloudE-com Platform SetupMarketing |

 | Managed OperationsChina PaymentInternational Logistics |

Customer ServiceValue-added ServicesOmni-Channel Kits |