JANPARA launches global e-commerce via WorldShopping BIZ, selling second-hand electronic products to 228 countries.

Event Overview

Japan's leading second-hand electronics retailer JANPARA announced on June 23, 2026 that it has officially launched online sales to 228 countries and regions worldwide by integrating WorldShopping BIZ's cross-border e-commerce service. With 59 stores in Japan, JANPARA specializes in the recycling and sale of second-hand electronics such as smartphones, PCs, tablets, and digital cameras. By adding just one line of JavaScript code, its domestic online store can now offer multilingual support, overseas payment, and international logistics as a one-stop service, allowing overseas consumers to purchase JANPARA products without visiting a physical store.

Market Background

Behind JANPARA's expansion are three overlapping market trends:

1. Recovery of Inbound Tourism and "Post-Trip Demand"

According to data from the Japan Tourism Agency, the number of foreign visitors to Japan reached 36.87 million in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 47.1%, with tourism spending approximately 8.13 trillion yen (about 54 billion USD). Inbound demand has fully recovered after the pandemic, with visitors coming from North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. A November 2024 survey by BEENOS Group showed that 44.0% of foreign tourists who purchased goods during their trip to Japan later repurchased the same products through cross-border e-commerce after returning home. This "post-trip demand"—the continued intention to buy after returning home—is becoming a new driver for cross-border e-commerce growth. JANPARA's stores in electronics shopping districts such as Akihabara, Osaka Nipponbashi, and Nagoya Osu have long been popular destinations for international tourists, but previously there was no purchasing channel after they returned home. The integration of WorldShopping BIZ fills this gap.

2. Continuous Expansion of Japan's Second-Hand Market

According to the "2025/2024 Edition of Second-Hand Industry Market Size Estimate" published by Japan's Reuse Economy News, the domestic second-hand market in Japan has grown for 14 consecutive years since 2009, reaching approximately 3.26 trillion yen in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 4.5%. Another survey by the Ministry of the Environment estimated the market size at about 3.5 trillion yen in fiscal year 2024, with industry forecasts projecting it will exceed 4 trillion yen by 2030. Driving this growth is Japan's unique "quality culture" of second-hand goods. At specialized retailers like JANPARA, each product is individually inspected and tested by trained staff, graded according to clear standards, and then put on shelves. This meticulous management has earned high recognition from overseas consumers, and the perception that "Japanese second-hand goods are trustworthy" is firmly established. Moreover, the sustained depreciation of the yen has made Japanese second-hand goods extremely price-competitive, with high-quality smartphones and PCs often priced at less than half of new products.3. Substantive Progress in the Circular Economy Global discussions on sustainability have shifted from abstract "SDGs" slogans to concrete circular economy practices. Consumers, investors, and regulators are beginning to demand results: How many devices have been saved from disposal? How many kilograms of rare metals have been recovered? For how many years has a product extended its useful life, and in whose hands? JANPARA's business model is centered on the circular economy: it collects used digital devices from consumers, refurbishes and inspects them, then delivers them to new users. Today, this cycle has expanded to overseas markets, directly reducing e-waste and extending product life cycles.

Platform and Brand Impact

Impact on JANPARA JANPARA, a subsidiary of Sofmap under the BIC Camera Group, has annual revenue of ¥19.8 billion (as of August 2025) and 267 employees. The launch of cross-border e-commerce not only opens a new sales channel but also represents a key step in extending its business model to a global circular economy. The company plans to phase in multilingual support (initially focusing on English, Traditional Chinese, and Korean), establish an overseas customer support system, tailor product mixes for different regions (e.g., selling SIM-free smartphones to Southeast Asia and high-performance PCs to Europe), and publish annual data on overseas sales, as well as CO₂ and e-waste reductions achieved by extending product life cycles.

Impact on WorldShopping BIZ WorldShopping BIZ is a cross-border e-commerce support service operated by ZIG-ZAG, providing Japanese e-commerce companies with a one-stop solution for multilingual support, overseas payments, and international logistics. This partnership with JANPARA further validates the applicability of its service model for large-scale secondhand retailers and is expected to attract more Japanese retailers to join. The service has obtained 15 patents in Japan and internationally, offering merchants a secure environment through fraud prevention measures and a "Shop Dashboard" that visualizes overseas customer data.

Impact on Consumers Overseas consumers can now browse JANPARA's inventory in real time and make purchases directly from their home countries for the first time. Target audiences include: tourists who visited JANPARA during their trips to Japan but hesitated to buy; consumers looking for Japan-exclusive models or discontinued devices; those who trust the quality of Japan's secondhand goods and seek value for money; and environmentally conscious individuals focused on the circular economy who want to extend the life of products.

Consumer Trend AnalysisJANPARA's case reflects a significant trend of "experience-driven repurchase" in cross-border consumption. Tourists physically interact with products and verify quality during their trips, then convert to online purchases. This "experience first, purchase later" path is particularly prominent in Japan's tourism market. Additionally, global consumers' emphasis on sustainable consumption is shifting from concepts to concrete actions, with acceptance of second-hand electronics rising rapidly in developed countries. The depreciation of the yen has further reinforced Japan's position as a "source of low-cost high-quality second-hand goods," especially for highly standardized categories like smartphones and PCs, where price advantages directly stimulate cross-border purchasing decisions.

Regional Market Impact

• North America and Europe: These regions are traditional demand markets for high-quality second-hand electronics, with high consumer trust in certified refurbished products. JANPARA's high-standard inspection processes are competitive, but attention must be paid to local regulations (such as the WEEE directive and data security requirements) and shipping costs.
• Asia: Southeast Asian markets have strong demand for SIM-free and price-sensitive smartphones, and Japan's second-hand market enjoys a high reputation in the region. Near markets like China and South Korea may become early growth points due to cultural affinity and logistics convenience.
• Middle East and Latin America: Demand for high-end second-hand electronics is growing in these regions, but payment and logistics infrastructure remain challenging. WorldShopping BIZ's integrated solution helps lower the entry barriers.

Future Trends

JANPARA's initiative indicates that the globalization of Japan's second-hand e-commerce will accelerate. With the yen remaining weak and global consumers' preference for sustainable products continuing to rise, more Japanese second-hand retailers may follow this path. Cross-border logistics costs and timeliness, tariff policies, and consumer protection regulations will be the focus of future competition. Moreover, collaboration models between platform-level service providers (such as WorldShopping BIZ) and retailers may become standard practices, further lowering the barriers for small and medium-sized businesses to go global. In the long term, cross-border transactions of second-hand electronics are expected to shift from "niche demand" to "mass market," and drive the improvement of global e-waste management standards.