Strategies of Foreign and Japanese E-Commerce Companies in the Japanese Market

Despite the fact it appeared not so long ago, e-commerce proves to be a rapidly growing sphere. It is especially noticeable when it comes to a country with a highly advanced economy, such as Japan – since COVID-19 pandemic has started, purchases on e-commerce platforms encountered unprecedented growth. E-commerce platforms in Japan are not only represented by native companies, but by foreign ones as well – the most popular among them are Amazon (USA) and Rakuten (Japan). Their management strategies differ in accordance with their origin – thus, they possess unique characteristics and encounter specific challenges. The study is relevant due to the fact that it is crucial to consider the best practices since the sphere of e-commerce is rapidly growing, therefore, the competition is high. This paper can be of use to both researchers and corporate managers who are willing to learn about the certain challenges and features of various e-commerce companies in Japan. Moreover, it can become the basis for further research. The purpose of this study is to compare corporate strategies of foreign and native e-commerce companies operating in the Japanese market in order to identify main features, possible differences and similarities. As the result of the research, organizational hierarchy and brand positioning proved to be the most crucial in terms of corporate strategies. Those characteristics have the strongest effect on company processes and stakeholders. Keywords: e-commerce, retail, Amazon, Rakuten, corporate strategy, strategic management.