Cracking the land of the rising sun

Hyper-localization

Flavors: By analyzing ecommerce data on viewed products, cart additions and purchases, Myprotein discovered the overwhelming popularity of local flavors like matcha latte, Hokkaido milk and brown sugar milk tea. This deep understanding of Japanese preferences allowed them to develop region-specific offerings, like the top-selling Milk Tea flavor, driving significant sales and market share gains. 
 
Distribution: Capitalizing on digital commerce’s global reach, Myprotein utilized THG Ingenuity’s global fulfilment and courier networks to establish a Singapore warehouse and partner with local couriers, optimizing the supply chain and logistics.

This enabled fast and affordable deliveries across Japan, reducing customer churn, increasing customer lifetime value and positively impacting profitability by streamlining costs and maximizing efficiency.  

Payments: Integrating payment methods familiar to local consumers like Konbini (convenience store payments) and PayPay eliminated friction and boosted conversions, improving customer experience and brand health. 

Events: Myprotein hosted its first retail event in Tokyo in the summer of 2022 to increase brand awareness and promote the company’s official mobile app. 

Partnerships: The UK-based company collaborated with ITOCHU for licensing to expand retail presence, foster stronger relationships with retailers and drive top-line revenue growth.

Currently, there are four protein powder SKUs and one ready-to-drink available across Japan.   

Data-driven insights

DTC focus: Building closer relationships with Japanese consumers through direct-to-consumer (DTC) allowed for secure and profitable customer service, while gathering valuable insights to optimize operations. 
 
NPD team dedicated to Asia: Myprotein turned their e-commerce platform into a powerful tool, transforming every click and purchase into actionable insights about their customers.

Scaling first-party data empowered the brand to adapt their product offerings in real-time, ensuring that the products remained relevant and contributing to increased brand awareness and market share. 

Flash sales: Leveraging local holidays like Golden Week and Single’s Day increased brand awareness and relevancy, leading to increased market share. 
 
Rakuten marketplace: Establishing a strong presence on a popular platform reached a wider audience and increased sales, while maintaining a good relationship with a major retailer. 

Unlocking the power of Shun

Results

Challenges and opportunities

Despite their remarkable success in the Japanese market, Myprotein recognizes the need to constantly evolve and adapt to stay ahead in the dynamic Japanese market. Here, we explore the key challenges they face and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead. 

Maintaining innovation: Continuously introduce new localized flavors and products to stay ahead of the curve and retain the excitement of Japanese consumers. 
 
Local competition: Address rising competition from domestic brands by further strengthening customer loyalty and brand affinity through community engagement and product differentiation. 
 
Offline expansion: Leverage the success of retail collaborations to explore further brick-and-mortar presence, potentially in partnership with local fitness centers or health stores, building a stronger physical connection with their Japanese audience.

This expansion strategy aims to increase brand accessibility, foster deeper customer relationships, and ultimately drive even more sales, further solidifying Myprotein's position as a market leader in Japan.

Bottom line

By providing a flexible and scalable ecommerce platform, THG Ingenuity empowered Myprotein to quickly adapt product offerings, manage local marketing campaigns, and streamline fulfilment processes, effectively navigating the complexities of entering the Japanese market.