Google Shopping in Japan

Average CTR in Japan

In order to calculate the click-through rate (CTR) of a paid ad you divide the total number of clicks on the ad by the total number of impressions (i.e. the total number of people who saw the ad).

Top ecommerce categories in Japan

Below are the top ecommerce categories in Japan and the % of online buyers that have purchased in these categories.

What you need to know before selling in Japan?

Today Japan's B2C e-commerce market is worth €3.99504 trillion. Growth, however, is steady and is set to continue at an annual growth rate of around 2%.

Per capita the average annual online spend in Japan is €1,372. The e-commerce market in Japan presents an opportunity for international merchants to court an audience with money to spend and an appetite for consumer electronics and fashion. However, those entering Japan’s e-commerce market must master the challenges of a single-language culture and ongoing cash use.

Japan’s top ecommerce sites are:

• 1. Rakuten
• 2. Amazon.com
• 3. Yahoo

Cross-border spending in Japan is growing, international e-commerce now accounts for 6% of total ecommerce spend in Japan. When Japanese buyers choose to buy cross-border they tend to seek products from major markets like China, the UK, the US and Germany. The main driver for buying outside of Japan tends to be price and the availability/uniqueness of the product.

How to list for free on Google Shopping Japan?

In 2020 Google transitioned their Google Shopping Ads platform from a mainly paid service to a global ecommerce ecosystem that enables any merchant to sell their products anywhere for free.

It’s now free to list on Google Shopping in the US, the UK, EU, Asia and Latin American markets. By selling internationally in markets such as Japan, merchants not only open up their business to more buyers than ever before, but it also enables them to move away and ahead of their domestic competition.

We compared the Google Shopping traffic of several merchants; after the US launch of free visibility in April 2020 and then, after the international launch in October 2020:

• In the US, merchants saw a massive influx of free clicks growing to 10%-25% of total clicks.
• After October global launch, merchants could see their unpaid clicks quickly grow to 8-15% of total clicks in less than a month.
• Learn more about the impact of free listings on international Google Shopping.

How do I qualify for free Google Shopping in Japan?

Whilst it is now free to list items, there are still criteria that needs to be met in order for merchants to qualify, and just like paid ads if they do not meet 100% of the requirements then they will not be eligible to be shown in the shopping tab.

To qualify for the free Google Shopping Ads in Japan, you need to first create a Japanese feed and then opt into their program. To do this you need to localise your website and your listings for the Japanese market, to ensure that you meet the criteria set by Google to sell onto the Japanese market.

To set up your Japanese feed, you will need to:

• Translate and localize your landing page and product details so they meet Google’s Japanese requirements.
• Convert product currencies into Japanese Yen (JPY) and make sure your checkout accepts Japanese Yen (JPY) payments.
• Enable international shipping through a global carrier. International shipping prices for the Japanese market will have to be included in your Japanese product feed. See more details.
• If your Japanese product pages are hosted on a separated domain, you’ll need to setup a multi-client account that will allow you to submit data feeds for multiple domains. Each client may have a distinct store name and URL. When you request a multi-client account, your current Google Merchant Center account will become a sub-account in your new multi-client account. See more details.
• Once your website is fully localised, upload your product feed for the Japanese market to your Merchant Center.

Why do you need to localize product ads?

Localization is extremely important for cross-border trade. Not only does it ensure your international listings get traffic but that your store can start to convert international buyers at the checkout. They expect a shopping experience similar to if they were to shop domestically, and providing them with a localized experience leads to an increased checkout conversion.

You’ll need to adapt your listings and store to the Japanese market. This includes product descriptions in Japanese, correct local sizes, prices in Japanese Yen (JPY) and with common Japanese methods of payment.

Adopting your feed, listings and store for the Japanese market will not only dramatically increase your international transactions, but also increase the average transaction value. Learn more about Glopal’s free product ads localisation solution.

Don’t have a Japanese store?

If you don’t have a Japanese store you can still benefit from Google Shopping Ads, but you will need to address the following:

Language: Japanese version. Your store must have a Japanese version and your product feed that you submit to the merchant center for Google Shopping Ads should also point to the Japanese version.

Currency: The prices in your product feed must be in Japanese Yen (JPY).

Prices: Your landing pages, product pages and checkout must show the same currency that you use in the feed. For example, if you submit a feed with Japanese Yen (JPY) then all the prices on your site must also be in Japanese Yen (JPY).

Shipping: All shipping prices must also be in Japanese Yen (JPY).

Taxes: Where possible include local duties and taxes to ensure smooth and quick delivery of your products to Japan.

Legal: Ensure your site is fully compliant with Local Japanese ecommerce Terms of Service and Returns policies.

Checkout: You’ll need to have a checkout that can process payment in Japanese Yen (JPY).

Find out how to automate the store localization process with our translation plug & play solution.