SEKIDO CO.,LTD. and サラウンド株式会社 have entered into a business alliance and will launch the Japan Market Entry Platform Business, which provides end-to-end support for bringing overseas brands into the Japanese market. From test sales utilizing 19 directly operated stores through nationwide expansion, the business will validate and execute market entry in as little as 4–8 weeks.
SEKIDO CO.,LTD. and サラウンド株式会社 announced that they will jointly launch the Japan Market Entry Platform Business, a new business providing end-to-end support for overseas cosmetics brands entering the Japanese market. By combining the strengths of both companies, the business will address barriers to market entry, including establishing a Japanese entity, compliance with the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, developing sales channels, and building logistics and customer support systems.
The business will proceed through six steps, providing an integrated process from entry preparation and strategy development through product registration, test sales, data analysis, e-commerce expansion, logistics and customer support, and nationwide expansion. Its key feature is test marketing utilizing SEKIDO CO.,LTD.'s 19 directly operated stores, enabling market potential to be evaluated based on short-term purchasing data and customer feedback.
The value provided includes the ability to validate the market without establishing a Japanese entity, thereby promoting expansion based on actual data while keeping initial investment low. The two companies will provide comprehensive logistics, inventory management, and customer support systems, establishing a structure for ongoing support of overseas brands entering Japan.
Going forward, the companies plan to expand their support for market entry into Japan over the next 3 years and broaden the target categories to daily necessities and general merchandise, with the aim of establishing overseas brands' entry into Japan as a standard platform. The impact on financial results is expected to be minor.