Tokyo, Japan – 4 December 2024 – BEENOS Inc. (TSE 3328) has hosted the "BEENOS Cross-Border EC × Ranking Announcement 2024," summarizing cross-border e-commerce sales trends for the period from January to September 2024 on its global proxy purchasing service Buyee (https://buyee.jp/).
The keyword defining cross-border e-commerce consumption in 2024 is "Hobby Nation: Unrivaled Consumption." Japan has firmly established itself as a "hobby powerhouse," offering enthusiasts worldwide uniquely crafted, high-quality products across diverse categories. With rising global interest in Japanese dramas, anime, and tourism, combined with the yen's depreciation, 2024 has seen increased purchasing power among overseas consumers, further fueling demand for Japan's distinctive offerings.
Among the standout trends, categories such as anime content, sports and leisure goods, including fishing gear and golf equipment, and daily essentials reflect Japan's unwavering dedication to quality and craftsmanship. These products, tailored to niche hobbies and lifestyles, continue to attract consumers worldwide who value the exceptional artistry and innovation synonymous with Japanese goods.
This combination of economic factors and cultural popularity has enabled Japan's uniquely curated products to reach hobby enthusiasts across the globe. BEENOS remains committed to driving access to Japan's distinctive offerings through Buyee, solidifying Japan's position as a leader in cross-border e-commerce consumption.
● Background
Buyee's GMV has continued to grow, reaching a record-high 77.4 billion yen in the fiscal year ending September 2024, reflecting a +12.5% YoY increase. This growth has been fueled by robust international demand, characterized as "Hobby Nation: Unrivaled Consumption." In 2024, favorable conditions provided a significant tailwind for cross-border e-commerce, including the exchange rate briefly surpassing 160 yen to the dollar, which substantially boosted overseas purchasing power. Additionally, Japan experienced record-breaking inbound tourism, with the cumulative number of visitors surpassing 30 million between January and October 2024 (*1). Consumption by inbound visitors for the July–September 2024 period is estimated at 1.958 trillion yen, representing a 41.1% increase compared to the same period in 2023 and a 64.8% increase compared to 2019 (*2), further amplifying real-world consumption.
BEENOS has long supported the overseas expansion of Japanese companies by leveraging purchase data from its cross-border e-commerce platform Buyee, while consistently analyzing and sharing global consumer trends such as "Worldwide Otaku Consumption." The driving force behind this surge in "Hobby Nation: Unrivaled Consumption" lies in Japan's soft power, which continues to captivate international audiences. Recognizing the inherent global appeal of Japanese products, particularly in soft power industries such as anime, entertainment, and niche hobbies, BEENOS is committed to strengthening cross-border e-commerce. By focusing on these areas of strength, BEENOS aims to enable Japanese companies across diverse industries to showcase the unique appeal of their products and connect with a growing global audience.
[BEENOS Cross-Border EC x Ranking Announcement 2024 Overview]
■ Ranking Calculation and Key Users by Region
Criteria: Rankings are based on the number of items purchased through Buyee between January 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024.
In terms of category growth rate compared to the same period last year, "Anime and Comic Merch" ranked first. As various Japanese anime series continue to gain traction globally through streaming platforms, they attract new fans worldwide. These fans are increasingly turning to cross-border e-commerce to purchase exclusive goods unavailable in their home countries, fueling growth in this category.
The keyword defining cross-border e-commerce consumption in 2024 is "Hobby Nation: Unrivaled Consumption." Japan has firmly established itself as a "hobby powerhouse," offering enthusiasts worldwide uniquely crafted, high-quality products across diverse categories. With rising global interest in Japanese dramas, anime, and tourism, combined with the yen's depreciation, 2024 has seen increased purchasing power among overseas consumers, further fueling demand for Japan's distinctive offerings.
Among the standout trends, categories such as anime content, sports and leisure goods, including fishing gear and golf equipment, and daily essentials reflect Japan's unwavering dedication to quality and craftsmanship. These products, tailored to niche hobbies and lifestyles, continue to attract consumers worldwide who value the exceptional artistry and innovation synonymous with Japanese goods.
This combination of economic factors and cultural popularity has enabled Japan's uniquely curated products to reach hobby enthusiasts across the globe. BEENOS remains committed to driving access to Japan's distinctive offerings through Buyee, solidifying Japan's position as a leader in cross-border e-commerce consumption.
Buyee's GMV has continued to grow, reaching a record-high 77.4 billion yen in the fiscal year ending September 2024, reflecting a +12.5% YoY increase. This growth has been fueled by robust international demand, characterized as "Hobby Nation: Unrivaled Consumption." In 2024, favorable conditions provided a significant tailwind for cross-border e-commerce, including the exchange rate briefly surpassing 160 yen to the dollar, which substantially boosted overseas purchasing power. Additionally, Japan experienced record-breaking inbound tourism, with the cumulative number of visitors surpassing 30 million between January and October 2024 (*1). Consumption by inbound visitors for the July–September 2024 period is estimated at 1.958 trillion yen, representing a 41.1% increase compared to the same period in 2023 and a 64.8% increase compared to 2019 (*2), further amplifying real-world consumption.
BEENOS has long supported the overseas expansion of Japanese companies by leveraging purchase data from its cross-border e-commerce platform Buyee, while consistently analyzing and sharing global consumer trends such as "Worldwide Otaku Consumption." The driving force behind this surge in "Hobby Nation: Unrivaled Consumption" lies in Japan's soft power, which continues to captivate international audiences. Recognizing the inherent global appeal of Japanese products, particularly in soft power industries such as anime, entertainment, and niche hobbies, BEENOS is committed to strengthening cross-border e-commerce. By focusing on these areas of strength, BEENOS aims to enable Japanese companies across diverse industries to showcase the unique appeal of their products and connect with a growing global audience.
[BEENOS Cross-Border EC x Ranking Announcement 2024 Overview]
■ Ranking Calculation and Key Users by Region
Criteria: Rankings are based on the number of items purchased through Buyee between January 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024.
2024 Popular Cross-Border E-Commerce Categories
The Trading Card category ranked as the most purchased product category in the North America and Southeast Asia regions. In the other four regions, trading cards also secured positions within the top 5 most popular product categories, underscoring their worldwide appeal.Anime and Comic Merch achieved the highest growth rate in Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and North America, while also ranking within the top 3 in the Middle East and Central and South America, demonstrating its global popularity.
Additionally, the fastest-growing user segment for purchases was teenagers of both genders across all regions. This trend, which continued from 2023, highlights the increasing adoption of cross-border e-commerce by younger generations.
Additionally, the fastest-growing user segment for purchases was teenagers of both genders across all regions. This trend, which continued from 2023, highlights the increasing adoption of cross-border e-commerce by younger generations.
Relation to the Soft Power Sector
◆ Toys and hobbies
In the Toys and Hobbies sector, "Plastic Models and Figures" ranked 1st, propelled by the enduring popularity of series like Gundam Plastic Models (Gunpla) and Zoids.
"Dolls and Character Figures" secured 2nd place, featuring beloved items such as Licca-chan Dolls and Dollfie Dream.
The 3rd position was taken by "Hero Play and Fighting Toys", driven by iconic franchises like the Kamen Rider and Super Sentai series.
The 7th place category, "Capsule Toys", reflected strong demand for character-themed products, while the 10th position, "Spinning Tops", was fueled by the ongoing success of Beyblade.
◆ Trading cards
In the trading card category, Pokémon Trading Card Game secured the top position. Instead of bulk or pack purchases, buyers demonstrated a strong preference for targeting specific individual cards. In the K-POP segment, trading cards of various artists, including Stray Kids, aespa, and Enhypen, were highly sought after.
◆ Food and beverages
The food and beverage category saw high rankings for products like alcohol, seasonings, and tea, which are also popular international export items. Among ramen brands, major names like Nissin Foods and Sanyo Foods topped the rankings, followed by Marutai, Ichiran, and Yamadaya, completing the top five.
◆ Beauty Healthcare
In the beauty and healthcare category, supplement brands DHC and FANCL claimed the first and second spots, showcasing Japan's reputation for health, safety, and reliability. Other Japanese brands, including Shiseido, CANMAKE, SUQQU, Lebel, and Orihiro, dominated, representing seven of the top ten spots.
For beauty appliances, hair care devices such as dryers and hair irons emerged as particularly popular items.
◆ Cameras and Optical Devices
Film cameras emerged as the best-selling items in the cameras and optical devices category, followed by compact digital cameras and lenses. Popular manufacturers included CANON, Nikon, and OLYMPUS. Notably, nine of the top ten popular manufacturers were Japanese, with Leica being the only exception.
◆ Automotive and Motorcycles
Car parts dominated the automotive and motorcycle category, with high demand for exterior and interior components as well as engine parts. In the popular manufacturers ranking, Honda, Toyota, and Nissan took the lead, with Pioneer, recognized for its car navigation systems, securing fourth place.
◆ Fashion
In the fashion category, tops ranked as the most popular items for both women's and men's apparel. The core user ranking, which analyzes buyers by country, age, and gender based on purchase amounts, revealed that men and women in their 20s to 40s from the United States held the top positions.
◆ Music
In the J-POP category, Ado ranked as the most popular artist. Notable changes from the mid-year rankings announced in August 2024 included new entries by YMO and singer-songwriter Minami. Regarding the purchase ratios within the music category, records accounted for 21.5% of purchases, reflecting a steady interest in vinyl.
◆ Books and Magazines
In the "Books and Magazines" category, "Manga and Comics" was the leading product genre. The top three manga titles showcased varying preferences across regions: "Dragon Ball" by Akira Toriyama was most popular in Spain, "Haikyuu!!" in Taiwan, and "One Piece" by Eiichiro Oda in the United States.
◆ Anime
Among anime series that debuted in 2023, "Mashle" achieved the highest growth rate in purchases between 2023 and 2024, with a remarkable year-over-year increase of 950%. While the top four titles continued airing into 2024, "My New Boss is Goofy," which concluded in 2023, maintained its popularity with international customers, highlighting enduring interest in the series.
◆ Sports, Leisure, and Outdoor
In the Sports, Leisure, and Outdoor category, fishing products were highly popular. Japanese brands dominated the ranking of popular fishing gear, with Shimano, Daiwa, and Megabass accounting for 9 out of the top 10 spots. Abu Garcia was the sole non-Japanese brand in the top 10, ranking 4th.
In the golf category, Japan's Mizuno secured 2nd place in the popular brand rankings. Other Japanese brands, including Honma Golf, PRGR, Dunlop, and Miura Golf, also ranked in the top 10, with Japanese brands occupying half of the list.
As a special feature, data from "Sekaimon," a cross-border e-commerce service enabling Japanese users to purchase global products, was used to rank popular Japanese baseball players active overseas. Shohei Ohtani ranked 1st.
◆ About BEENOS Group's Global Commerce Business
The BEENOS Group began its cross-border e-commerce initiatives in 2008 with the launch of "Tenso.com," an overseas forwarding service. This early entry allowed the group to develop unique expertise in global shipping operations and international customer support. In addition to creating tailored sales environments for overseas markets, the group provides services for user acquisition and traffic generation, resulting in comprehensive support for cross-border sales. This has been highly regarded, with over 6,000 cross-border e-commerce support cases for domestic companies accumulated across the BEENOS Group (*3).
The "Buyee" proxy purchasing service (https://buyee.jp/) is particularly popular due to its advanced features, including diverse shipping and payment options, cost-effective international shipping through proprietary logistics for North America, Europe, and Asia, and the ability to consolidate items purchased from multiple sites. These high-quality services have driven a high repeat customer rate, with membership surpassing 5.88 million (*4).
(*1) Based on press releases from JNTO's "Statistics on Inbound Tourism to Japan."
(*2) Based on the "Inbound Consumption Trend Survey" by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.
(*3) Includes figures from BEENOS Group services such as "Buyee," "Buyee Connect," dashboard provision, cross-border e-commerce-related services like "Tenso.com" (https://www.tenso.com/), support for listing and store openings on overseas marketplaces, and marketing and promotion assistance. Cumulative total as of the end of September 2024.
(*4) Combined figures for "Buyee" and cross-border e-commerce services like "Tenso.com," as of the end of September 2024.
【About BEENOS】
Company Name: BEENOS Inc.
Representative: Shota Naoi, President and Group CEO
Location: 8-4-13 Nishi-gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Founded: November 1999
Capital: 3,175 million JPY
*This is a translation of the original Japanese release. The Japanese text shall prevail in case of any variance between this version and the Japanese text.
In the Toys and Hobbies sector, "Plastic Models and Figures" ranked 1st, propelled by the enduring popularity of series like Gundam Plastic Models (Gunpla) and Zoids.
"Dolls and Character Figures" secured 2nd place, featuring beloved items such as Licca-chan Dolls and Dollfie Dream.
The 3rd position was taken by "Hero Play and Fighting Toys", driven by iconic franchises like the Kamen Rider and Super Sentai series.
The 7th place category, "Capsule Toys", reflected strong demand for character-themed products, while the 10th position, "Spinning Tops", was fueled by the ongoing success of Beyblade.
In the trading card category, Pokémon Trading Card Game secured the top position. Instead of bulk or pack purchases, buyers demonstrated a strong preference for targeting specific individual cards. In the K-POP segment, trading cards of various artists, including Stray Kids, aespa, and Enhypen, were highly sought after.
The food and beverage category saw high rankings for products like alcohol, seasonings, and tea, which are also popular international export items. Among ramen brands, major names like Nissin Foods and Sanyo Foods topped the rankings, followed by Marutai, Ichiran, and Yamadaya, completing the top five.
In the beauty and healthcare category, supplement brands DHC and FANCL claimed the first and second spots, showcasing Japan's reputation for health, safety, and reliability. Other Japanese brands, including Shiseido, CANMAKE, SUQQU, Lebel, and Orihiro, dominated, representing seven of the top ten spots.
For beauty appliances, hair care devices such as dryers and hair irons emerged as particularly popular items.
Film cameras emerged as the best-selling items in the cameras and optical devices category, followed by compact digital cameras and lenses. Popular manufacturers included CANON, Nikon, and OLYMPUS. Notably, nine of the top ten popular manufacturers were Japanese, with Leica being the only exception.
Car parts dominated the automotive and motorcycle category, with high demand for exterior and interior components as well as engine parts. In the popular manufacturers ranking, Honda, Toyota, and Nissan took the lead, with Pioneer, recognized for its car navigation systems, securing fourth place.
In the fashion category, tops ranked as the most popular items for both women's and men's apparel. The core user ranking, which analyzes buyers by country, age, and gender based on purchase amounts, revealed that men and women in their 20s to 40s from the United States held the top positions.
In the J-POP category, Ado ranked as the most popular artist. Notable changes from the mid-year rankings announced in August 2024 included new entries by YMO and singer-songwriter Minami. Regarding the purchase ratios within the music category, records accounted for 21.5% of purchases, reflecting a steady interest in vinyl.
In the "Books and Magazines" category, "Manga and Comics" was the leading product genre. The top three manga titles showcased varying preferences across regions: "Dragon Ball" by Akira Toriyama was most popular in Spain, "Haikyuu!!" in Taiwan, and "One Piece" by Eiichiro Oda in the United States.
Among anime series that debuted in 2023, "Mashle" achieved the highest growth rate in purchases between 2023 and 2024, with a remarkable year-over-year increase of 950%. While the top four titles continued airing into 2024, "My New Boss is Goofy," which concluded in 2023, maintained its popularity with international customers, highlighting enduring interest in the series.
In the Sports, Leisure, and Outdoor category, fishing products were highly popular. Japanese brands dominated the ranking of popular fishing gear, with Shimano, Daiwa, and Megabass accounting for 9 out of the top 10 spots. Abu Garcia was the sole non-Japanese brand in the top 10, ranking 4th.
As a special feature, data from "Sekaimon," a cross-border e-commerce service enabling Japanese users to purchase global products, was used to rank popular Japanese baseball players active overseas. Shohei Ohtani ranked 1st.
The BEENOS Group began its cross-border e-commerce initiatives in 2008 with the launch of "Tenso.com," an overseas forwarding service. This early entry allowed the group to develop unique expertise in global shipping operations and international customer support. In addition to creating tailored sales environments for overseas markets, the group provides services for user acquisition and traffic generation, resulting in comprehensive support for cross-border sales. This has been highly regarded, with over 6,000 cross-border e-commerce support cases for domestic companies accumulated across the BEENOS Group (*3).
The "Buyee" proxy purchasing service (https://buyee.jp/) is particularly popular due to its advanced features, including diverse shipping and payment options, cost-effective international shipping through proprietary logistics for North America, Europe, and Asia, and the ability to consolidate items purchased from multiple sites. These high-quality services have driven a high repeat customer rate, with membership surpassing 5.88 million (*4).
(*1) Based on press releases from JNTO's "Statistics on Inbound Tourism to Japan."
(*2) Based on the "Inbound Consumption Trend Survey" by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.
(*3) Includes figures from BEENOS Group services such as "Buyee," "Buyee Connect," dashboard provision, cross-border e-commerce-related services like "Tenso.com" (https://www.tenso.com/), support for listing and store openings on overseas marketplaces, and marketing and promotion assistance. Cumulative total as of the end of September 2024.
(*4) Combined figures for "Buyee" and cross-border e-commerce services like "Tenso.com," as of the end of September 2024.
【About BEENOS】
Company Name: BEENOS Inc.
Representative: Shota Naoi, President and Group CEO
Location: 8-4-13 Nishi-gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Founded: November 1999
Capital: 3,175 million JPY
*This is a translation of the original Japanese release. The Japanese text shall prevail in case of any variance between this version and the Japanese text.
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Contact Information Regarding this Release
BEENOS Inc. Public Relations