Distribution & Business Practices in Japan

DBP : Training course in Japan for EU Managers working in Retail and Fast Moving Consumer Goods companies

Distribution and Business Practices in Japan is a practical training mission in Japan for EU managers responsible for their company’s marketing strategy. The course is focused on “Business Strategy for Customer Satisfaction in Japan: Creation of Added-Value in Retailing and Marketing”.

The mix of topics covered is designed to meet the needs of European companies committed to either expanding into Japan / Asia, or considering entering the Japanese market. The mission is open to all sectors (Food and Non-Food).

By providing insights into a fast-changing retail and distribution environment through strategic analysis, forecasting and best practices, as well as key facts, data and the latest industry/sector developments, the DBP mission in Japan will help EU companies to identify how existing diversified consumer needs and distribution channels are changing and to understand how existing distribution chains (from manufacturers to retailers) successfully adjust their strategy to develop segmentation and product differentiation in the Japanese market.

Summing-up session led by marketing experts will help EU managers to facilitate analysing market/sectors and building the best practices/marketing excellence.

Participant profile

The mission is targeted at European Manager or Executive such as:
- Marketing manager who needs to define and implement a marketing strategy for Japan;
- Asia commercial manager who is responsible for maintaining trade with existing Japanese customers;
- Sales and business development manager who needs to establish a client base in the Japanese market.

Eligibility

The candidate:
- must be a citizen of an EU Member State;
- must work for an organisation that is an EU juridical person *;
- must be supported by the employer;
- must be able to participate in the entire programme;
- must have a reasonable command of English;
- should be a manager or an executive from an industrial company;
- should have a minimum of 5 to 10 years’ experience in industry.

* Footnote 1:
a juridical person means any legal entity duly constituted or otherwise organized under applicable law, whether for profit or otherwise, and whether privately-owned or governmentally-owned, including any corporation, trust, partnership, joint venture, sole proprietorship or association.

* Footnote 2:
an EU juridical person means a juridical person of an EU member state set up in accordance with the laws of that member state and having its registered office, its central administration, or its principal

Target

Among others, the main sectors covered are:
- Commodities export, consumer goods
- Foods and beverages, textiles, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics
- Transportation, distribution and logistics services
- Trade, consulting and export promotion services

Selection

The main criteria for selection are:
- the professional & educational background of the candidate;
- the strategy of the participant’s company regarding business with Japan.

In order to ensure a high degree of personal attention, the number of participants in each programme is limited.

Programme objectives

The purpose of the mission in Japan is:
- to see how Japanese companies meet customer demand through high-quality service levels and how they implement the Customer-first strategy;
- to identify trends and needs that influence consumer interest in Japan;
- to assess the impact of economic, social and cultural factors to enable managers to forecast demand;
- to acquire up-to-date information on the sector to utilise the marketing strategy in global retailing;
- to acquire a practical understanding of the overall Japanese distribution system;
- to learn innovating to maximise customer satisfaction as a business-value creator.

Programme design and content

Distribution and Business Practices in Japan lasts 5 days and consists of lectures, seminars, case studies, field trips and visits to wholesalers, distribution centres and retailers such as convenience stores, general merchandise stores and supermarkets.

Lecture themes:
- Present status of the Japanese economy
- Trends and characteristics in Japanese retailing andconsumer markets
- Marketing strategy of Japanese companies
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Customer-first strategy in Japan

Case studies for Food and Non-Food Sectors:
To adapt to each DBP participant’s requirement, one-day company visits (1-2 case studies) will be customised for the Food sector and Non-food sector.
- Convenience Store (CVS): What is the CVS’s IT strategy to pursue high-quality service and customer satisfaction?
- General Merchandise Store (GMS) and regional supermarket: Consolidation in the market increases
- Direct Marketing by utilising IT

To learn trough Company visits:
- Operations in a high cost structure
- A complex supply chain
- Consumers have sophisticated tastes regarding the branding and packaging of products
- Freshness as a key element, as a high level of customer services
- Consumer reaction to low prices as well as value consciousness
- Marketing strategy for Customer-first
- How to develop the differentiation of products and services

Topics covered (to be confirmed):
The following topics are covered by lectures and case studies during the programme.
- Multi-dimensional distribution channels
- Innovating to maximise Customer Satisfaction as a business creator
- Value-added store operation, Branding strategy, Diversifying customer needs
- Logistics in Japan
- Best practices in marketing and retailing.

And also:
- Why is Carrefour not successful in Japan? And what is the key to being successful in Japan?
- What are key factors to being successful in the Asian market?
- What kind of added-values are created to meet Customer Satisfaction?

Costs

The EU-Japan Centre will cover costs relating to tuition, to travel costs for visits and to interpretation, beyond the €2,000 contribution by participants' companies other than SMEs.

SMEs (*): to facilitate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) participation in the course, participants from SMEs can apply for a scholarship to get EUR 600 towards their living expenses. They must complete the ‘scholarship request – self-assessment declaration’ form that will be sent to them once the EU-Japan Centre has offered a place on the course.

Participants' companies must pay a (refundable) deposit of €1,000 to guarantee the place on the course. The deposit will be refunded within 8 weeks after the course, minus any unpaid bills, provided that the participant attends the entire course and submits any and all reports the Centre asks him/her to make. Interest payment is excluded.

Other companies (*): participants' companies must pay a (non-refundable) contribution of €2,000 towards the costs incurred by the EU-Japan Centre in relation to the company's participation.

Failure to transfer the contribution or deposit by the date set by the EU-Japan Centre at the time a place on the course is offered may result in the offer of the place being withdrawn.

The participants' companies must cover travel costs to/from Japan, accommodation and any other costs not covered directly by the EU-Japan Centre.

Cancellations
A place on the course is confirmed once an application has been granted and the Centre has received the €1,000 deposit (from SMEs) or €2,000 contribution (from non SMEs). If, for whatever reason, a participant cannot take up his / her confirmed place, the deposit / contribution will NOT be refunded.

(*): SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) are companies meeting the standard European Commission criteria for an SME which have applied successfully for a scholarship. Other companies are large companies or SMEs that fail to apply successfully for a scholarship.

This website is maintained by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation. All rights reserved. Last update: 18-02-2012
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