Some super newbie questions - thinking about starting a shop geared to Japan customers

Shopify Discussion
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My questions are about the possibility of using Shopify geared towards customers in Japan.

I live in Japan and would like to get into some online selling as a side-gig. My initial goals are small - I’d like to earn at least $500/month to make up for some other lost income. My market would be Japan. I already have a tiny company here. I can set prices in Japanese yen and receive payments in yen to my company bank account here in Japan, right?

I also signed up as an Amazon Reseller and was approved but have’t dived into it or tried listing anything yet. I’m going back and forth in my mind about where and how to start.

So apologies for the really newbie questions but:

  1. With Shopify, you are responsible entirely for marketing pushes to get customers to your site, right?

  2. Sites are all custom domain, right? In other words, nobody goes to “shopify” to look for things to buy, correct?

  3. So it’s really a platform to help people build online commerce sites, handle payments, etc., but finding customers is 100% up to you, right?

  4. I read about drop-shipping with Shopify, like with AliExpress, but don’t see how you can make money doing that if just anybody can go there and order at the same price. Am I mistaken?

  5. With Shopify is there any way of sourcing from Japan wholesalers so I can offer food items without worrying about packaging/customs issues? Or is it best to stay away from those?

  6. If everything is drop-shipped (is that right?) then how are returns handled? With Amazon FBA they handle everything.

I’m just undecided in my mind about where to start, though I do have some ideas about things I would like to sell in my store once I get going.

Thanks.

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Hey @douglerner

Hello! It’s great to hear that you’re considering starting an online business in Japan. Let’s address your questions about Shopify:

1. Marketing with Shopify:

  • Yes, with Shopify, you are responsible for driving traffic to your site. Shopify provides the platform to build and manage your online store, but marketing, promotions, and customer acquisition are up to you. They do offer built-in SEO features and integration with various marketing tools to help you in your efforts.

2. Custom Domain with Shopify:

  • Correct. When you create a Shopify store, it initially comes with a default domain (e.g., yourstorename.myshopify.com), but it’s standard practice to purchase and use a custom domain (e.g., yourstorename.com). Customers don’t go to “Shopify” to shop; they go directly to individual stores’ domains.

3. Shopify as a Platform:

  • Yes, Shopify is primarily a platform that provides the tools to build and manage an online store, handle payments, inventory, etc. Acquiring customers and driving traffic is entirely up to the store owner.

4. Dropshipping with Shopify:

  • Dropshipping with platforms like AliExpress is popular on Shopify. The idea is to mark up the prices from what you get on AliExpress to cover your costs and make a profit. While anyone can order from AliExpress, many customers are unaware of it or prefer buying from more localized or curated stores. Your value can come from curating selections, providing faster shipping, or offering better customer service.

5. Sourcing from Japan Wholesalers:

  • Shopify doesn’t restrict where you source your products. If you can establish relationships with Japanese wholesalers, you can certainly offer local products. Selling local food items can be a unique selling point, but you’ll need to ensure you adhere to all local regulations and standards. Packaging and freshness will be crucial.

6. Dropshipping and Returns:

  • If you’re dropshipping, the return policies will depend on your agreement with the supplier. Some suppliers might accept returns, while others won’t. You’ll need to set your return policy based on these agreements. Unlike Amazon FBA, where Amazon handles returns, with dropshipping, you’ll typically be the intermediary between the customer and the supplier.

In conclusion, both Shopify and Amazon have their advantages. Shopify gives you more control over your brand and store, while Amazon provides a vast existing customer base. It might be worth starting with one platform and expanding to the other once you’re more comfortable. Remember to do thorough research on the products you want to sell and consider starting with a niche that you’re passionate about.

Best of luck with your online selling journey in Japan!

1 Like
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Thanks. That clarified and confirmed a lot of things.

Regarding finding wholesale sources, does Shopify provide any info? I did read about Alibaba at the Shopify site. But are there any references to other wholesalers, like in Japan, for example?

Thanks.

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Alibaba is not Shopify Site. It’s a separte company. But you can source product from Alibaba

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It’s just that Shopify has a blog post (“How Does Alibaba Work? A Guide to Safe Dropshipping (2023)”) about Alibaba and Shopify. So I was wondering if you had posts/guides/info about other ways of sourcing. And other ways besides drop-shipping.

Thanks.