Joor: Popularity of Japanese brands spikes as distribution broadens

A new report by wholesale platform Joor has seen a spike in popularity for Japanese brands over 2023, with the country’s fashion sector being particularly led by the strength of its men’s and unisex categories.

According to Joor’s data, the number of retailers who placed orders with Japanese brands on its platform had increased 8 percent in 2023 over the prior year, indicating what it said was a “broadening of distribution”.

Menswear and unisex dominated here, making up nearly 60 percent of the transaction volume for Japanese brands, which was a “much more significant portion of wholesale transaction volume on the Joor platform overall”.

Throughout the period, a further 77 percent of wholesale transactions for Japanese labels had been driven by small or medium sized global businesses, coming in ahead of the 57 percent of SMB purchasing volume across the platform.

The sales of such brands outside the APAC region has notably grown from 13 to 21 percent in the last three years, with North America leading the way, where sales rose 62 percent for related brands.

In a release, Amanda McCormick Bacal, SVP of marketing for Joor, said: “Joor has a long established relationship within the highly respected Japanese fashion market and continues to support brands’ growth by helping them reach a global audience.

“Our exclusive data confirms the increasing international demand and desire for Japanese brands, particularly from our smaller, independent US- and European-based retailers and buyers.”