AmazonRakutenYahoo! ShoppingRetailEC StrategyTalent DevelopmentManagement Consulting
Client Overview
| Industry | Retail (Bicycle Parts & Accessories) |
|---|
| Annual Revenue | Approx. ¥8 billion |
|---|
| Employees | Approx. 150 |
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| Supported Malls | Amazon / Rakuten / Yahoo! Shopping |
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| Services | EC Strategy / Sales Promotion / Logistics Reform / EC Talent Development |
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Situation & Challenges Before Engagement
This company specializes in bicycle parts and accessories, with annual revenue of approximately ¥8 billion and around 150 employees—a leading retailer in the industry. While they had built a solid physical retail foundation over many years, maintaining growth with existing business models alone was becoming increasingly difficult as the EC market rapidly expanded.
Before consulting with Meets Consulting, the company faced three main challenges.
- Physical store sales had plateaued, making EC channel reinforcement urgent as a new growth engine. However, operating Amazon, Rakuten, and Yahoo as separate silos led to inconsistent strategy and inefficiency
- Mass retail logistics and EC logistics systems were fragmented, causing chronic cost increases and delays in inventory management and shipping
- Lack of in-house EC talent meant individual staff members were handling operations in an ad-hoc manner, with no organizational structure for self-sustaining operations
"We had worked with consultants before, so I honestly wondered if there was any room for further growth," recalls the person in charge. Even so, they determined that external objective perspectives and execution support were essential to break through the revenue plateau, leading them to consult Meets Consulting.
Meets Consulting's Approach
Meets Consulting's distinctive approach was not to treat the three malls in silos, but to provide cross-platform strategy design and execution support. Starting with a detailed analysis of sales data and operational structure to visualize "previously unseen challenges," they implemented support across three phases.
Phase 1 | Strategy Development
- Developing annual and monthly targets for each mall based on platform characteristics (Amazon: product quality/reviews, Rakuten: points/events, Yahoo: PayPay integration)
- Designing promotional roadmaps aligned with seasonality and event calendars
- Market trend data analysis and competitor sales analysis for new product development proposals
Phase 2 | Execution Support
- Continuous hands-on support with monthly PDCA cycles for ad operations and product page improvements across all malls
- Proposing, issue identification, and implementation support for external OMS (Order Management System) to integrate logistics operations
- Rapid proposal and implementation of recovery actions based on fact-based sales data analysis
Phase 3 | Talent Development & Organization Building
- Designing and conducting regular training sessions for EC staff (mall-specific strategies, advertising, data analysis)
- Identifying next-generation EC leader candidates and designing practice-based OJT development programs
- Extending beyond EC to support management on mid-term business planning and recruitment strategy
Results Achieved
The effect of simultaneous three-mall support was demonstrated, achieving significant sales growth across all channels.
Amazon Focus Brand Sales
153%
YoY
Yahoo! Shopping Sales
160%
YoY
Organization
Self-Sustaining Operations Achieved
Staff can now run PDCA cycles independently without consultants
Beyond numerical growth, logistics system integration improved inventory turnover and reduced shipping lead times. Furthermore, the EC success experience deepened dialogue with management on mid-term business planning, recruitment, and talent development, establishing a strategic partner relationship.
Client Testimonial
"We had worked with consultants before, so we wondered if there was any room for further growth. However, through this project, they uncovered challenges we hadn't been able to see. Having simultaneous support across three malls enabled more efficient operations. Beyond e-commerce, being able to consult on mid-term business planning, recruitment, and talent development has been tremendously helpful."
— EC Division Manager
Key Takeaways from This Case
- Rather than optimizing Amazon, Rakuten, and Yahoo as individual channels, designing and operating all three malls integratedly creates synergy effects
- Progressing logistics/system improvements and talent development in parallel creates an organizational foundation that can operate independently after support ends
- EC success experiences can trigger company-wide transformation including recruitment and business planning
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