Case Study

Retail (DIY Products): Rakuten SOY Winner Extends Success to Amazon
Reclaiming Wallpaper Market Share TOP Through Channel Analysis × Brand Strategy

Annual revenue ¥2 billion · DIY products retailer | Strategic turnaround from Amazon struggles by a Rakuten SOY award winner
RetailDIY ProductsAmazonRakutenMarketing StrategyBrandingProduct Development

Client Overview

IndustryRetail: DIY Products (Wallpaper)
Annual RevenueApprox. ¥2 billion
Employees50
Services ProvidedStrategy Development / Marketing Strategy / DAY1 Culture Training

Situation & Challenges Before Engagement

While strong enough on Rakuten to win "Shop of the Year," they continued struggling on Amazon. The company was plagued by this contradictory situation. Having achieved ¥2 billion in annual revenue in the niche wallpaper market, EC was core to their business. But having channels where they won and channels where they struggled signaled a growth ceiling.

"Why can we win on Rakuten but not on Amazon?" Without finding an answer to this question, the pre-engagement situation involved piling up ad-hoc measures.

Meets Consulting's Approach

Meets Consulting's first initiative was thoroughly answering: "How do customers differ between Rakuten and Amazon?" Different channels mean different purchasing motivations, information needs, and decision-making processes. Understanding these differences became the starting point for all improvements.

Phase 1 | Channel Characteristic Analysis & Product Selection Optimization

Detailed analysis of customer characteristics, purchasing behavior, and competitive landscape across both Rakuten and Amazon. Established the shared understanding that "even the same product requires different channel-specific messaging," creating channel-specific product selection criteria and messaging guidelines.

Phase 2 | Brand Concept & Differentiation Strategy Building

Starting from the company's mission and values, we searched for unique positioning unoccupied by competitors. "Developing differentiation strategy from our company's mission and values deepened our self-understanding" — this process brought not only external differentiation but also organizational self-awareness.

Phase 3 | New Product Development Marketing Support

Based on customer insights and competitive gap analysis, proposed new product directions. Embedding a customer-and-manufacturer-combined sales approach (DAY1 Culture) into the organization established a consistent framework from product development through to sales.

Results Achieved

Through channel optimization and differentiation strategy execution, the struggling Amazon sales improved, reclaiming TOP share in the wallpaper market. A growth structure across both Rakuten and Amazon channels was established.

EC Sales Revenue
100%
YoY
Wallpaper Market Share
TOP
Reclaimed

Client Testimonial

"In the niche wallpaper market, they conducted detailed analysis to grow our sales. As a result, the products to focus on per sales channel became clear. Additionally, developing differentiation strategies and new products based on our company's mission and values deepened our self-understanding."
— Retail (DIY Products), Manager

Key Takeaways from This Case

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