Cross-border EC shifts from 'starting' to 'growing results.' Marketing Week reveals the current status of Japanese companies' overseas expansion.

ZenGroup Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Osaka), which provides total support for cross-border EC, participated for the first time with its three overseas expansion support services (ZenLink, ZenStudio, and ZenPromo) at "Marketing Week - Summer 2026 -" held in June 2026.

Over three days, 510 company representatives visited the booth. An analysis of the consultations revealed numerous specific requests not only for building overseas sales funnels but also for site improvements and overseas marketing aimed at generating results.

This exhibition indicated that Japanese companies' interest in cross-border EC is expanding from 'how to start' to 'how to grow results.'

First Joint Exhibition of Three Services: The Background

Against the backdrop of a shrinking domestic market and a weak yen, interest in overseas expansion among Japanese companies is growing. Concurrently, the nature of consultations from companies is shifting from 'how to start overseas sales' to 'how to improve results.' In response to this change, ZenGroup exhibited its three services together for the first time: overseas sales funnel construction service (ZenLink), multilingual website production and improvement support (ZenStudio), and overseas marketing support (ZenPromo).

As companies' challenges extend beyond the initial sales launch to subsequent customer acquisition and improvement, we proposed a system at the exhibition that allows for comprehensive consultations.

Three Characteristics of Corporate Needs Observed at Marketing Week

An analysis of the consultations received at the booth revealed the following three characteristics in the interests of companies engaged in cross-border EC:

(1) Desire to convert inbound demand into sustained sales

Many visiting companies were already engaged in overseas sales. Particularly from companies with physical stores, there were noticeable consultations focused on generating results after sales commencement, such as "We want visitors from overseas (inbound) to continue purchasing from our EC site after they return home."

This suggests that interest in cross-border EC is shifting from 'starting overseas sales' to 'generating sales and fostering continuous engagement with customers.'

(2) Companies with specific issues seeking improvement measures

We had anticipated that companies would use the "Free Site Diagnosis" offered as a visitor benefit to identify their challenges. However, in reality, many companies visited with a clear understanding of their specific issues, seeking consultations on topics like "We want to review the design of our overseas website" or "We are considering multilingual content."

The prevalence of consultations seeking immediate improvement measures, rather than initial problem identification, indicates that companies' cross-border EC initiatives have progressed from the implementation stage to the operation and improvement stage.

(3) Interest in comprehensive support

At this exhibition, we showcased our overseas sales funnel construction service (ZenLink), multilingual website production and improvement support (ZenStudio), and overseas promotion and marketing support (ZenPromo) across all three services.

As a result, many companies that initially visited the booth due to interest in sales funnels expanded their consultations to site improvements and overseas marketing during subsequent discussions.

This indicates that companies increasingly view overseas sales not as isolated measures but as an integrated process, leading to a need for consultation that encompasses not only the sales funnel but also subsequent site improvements and customer acquisition.

Comments from Staff

Yuji Masutani, Head of Domestic Sales, ZenMarket, ZenGroup Inc.

Through this exhibition, I was once again able to confirm that Japanese companies' interest in cross-border EC is shifting from 'starting' to 'growing results.'

In particular, I had the opportunity to discuss specific themes for improving results with many companies, such as site improvements, overseas promotions, and collaboration with inbound initiatives.

Cross-border EC is not complete simply by setting up the overseas sales mechanism. To ensure overseas users can find us, purchase, and lead to sustained sales, it is crucial to integrate elements like overseas sales funnel construction, multilingual website design, and overseas marketing in accordance with a company's specific challenges and phase.

ZenGroup will continue to support overseas expansion tailored to each company's challenges through the integration of its services, including ZenLink, ZenStudio, and ZenPromo.

About ZenGroup Inc.

ZenGroup Inc. aims to achieve "20% of global cross-border EC sales in Japan" and provides one-stop solutions for all functions necessary for overseas expansion, from operating overseas sales platforms to promotion and creative services.

・ZenMarket: Overseas purchasing agent service

・ZenLink: Inbound-driving cross-border EC banner

・ZenPromo: Overseas promotion service (advertising agency/marketing)

・ZenPlus: Cross-border EC marketplace

・ZenLuxe: Cross-border EC marketplace specializing in luxury brands

・ZenStudio: Creative agency (multilingual production/branding)

Currently, the group has over 3.2 million members worldwide and has shipped over 10.5 million items to 175 countries and regions. We drive the global growth of Japanese companies by creating a system to simply deliver Japan's excellent products and culture to the world.

【Company Profile】

Company Name: ZenGroup Inc.

Established: April 2014

Representatives: Andrii Naumov, Oleksandr Kopyl, Viacheslav Slovie, Margarita Song

Address: 8F, 10F, Osaka Sakaisuji L Tower, 1-7-7 Kawaramachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka

Capital: 80,000,000 yen

URL: https://zen.group