How to sell lingerie in Japan?

Andrea writes, "I read your very interesting article about finding lingerie in Japan. I work for a lingerie company and I was wondering if you had any idea how we could start exporting our line into lingerie stores in Japan or in a mail-order catalog like Peach John. Thanks for any leads or advice."

Doing business in Japan for a foreign company is not easy, but companies that have invested their resources in understanding the market and appreciating the needs of the Japanese customers have done well. Apple is a great example of a successful company in Japan.

How to enter the Japanese market?

• If you want to go the mail order route, you would need a catalog printed in Japanese, and I think it will be awesome to have a Japanese language website with ecommerce capabilities so that people can buy online. You will need to make sure that the website and the catalog is Japan friendly in the sense that it can accept Japanese credit cards, bank/post office money transfers, etc. I also want to emphasize the importance of having a Japanese language customer support system by phone and online.
• You could also work with department stores in Japan and see if you can find a partner. For instance, you could pick Isetan or Mitsukoshi or Takashimaya and many others. That would be the easiest way for you to get in.
• If you want to start small, you could target smaller mom-and-pop lingerie/apparel stores to dip your toe in the Japanese market to first understand the needs of Japanese customers and then target a large department store. Japanese women are unique and they have very special demands when it comes to shopping.

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