Japanese Food Corporation Case Study
About JFC Australia
JFC Australia (JFC) is Australia’s leading corporate importer and distributor of Japanese grocery products. Supplying major supermarket chains and speciality Asian grocers across the country, JFC plays a vital role in bringing authentic Japanese food and household items to Australian consumers. With warehouses located in every state on the Australian mainland and an international location in New Zealand, JFC benefits from its prime position to supply a vast range of unique, imported products. JFC has long been a leader in the wholesale Japanese grocery space.
What was the challenge?
Despite its wholesale success, JFC, like many companies, ran into major business challenges during the pandemic, where it experienced a significant drop in sales from its hospitality arm due to forced shutdowns.
Primary Challenge:
Up until this point in time, JFC was a pure-play wholesaler and did not retail or sell directly to customers at all. The management team has decided on a radical transformation of the company to enter the B2C market in a big way and that is why, as a primary reason, we were brought in, to help transform their visions into results, set up the retail arm and grow the sales revenue in that sector.
Secondary Challenge
JFC also faced a recurring challenge: each warehouse regularly held unsold inventory, often with approaching expiry dates. These products, while still high-quality and in demand, posed a logistical and financial burden.
JFC needed a reliable way to clear excess stock without compromising brand integrity or operational efficiency. The solution? Build an entirely new B2C sales channel that could directly reach everyday consumers and move products based on local inventory realities.
That’s when JFC partnered with Ignite Search.
Client
JFC Australia
Website:
Location
Worldwide
Services
- Website Development
- Graphic Design
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Content Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
Our Strategy
JFC had no prior experience in the B2C eCommerce space. Our first goal was to build them an online audience from the ground up. We launched individual Shopify stores for each state, starting with Melbourne in October 2022 and Sydney in November of that same year, linking each one to its local warehouse stock, eventually growing to have an online store in almost every state in the country and New Zealand.
We developed a rapid-response marketing framework, enabling up to three national campaigns per week depending on product availability and urgency.
Each campaign was built with end-to-end creative and strategic support:
- Homepage banners
- eDMs (email campaigns)
- Curated collection pages
- Organic social media content (Facebook & Instagram)
- Copywriting, campaign names
- Visual assets
Campaigns were themed around special occasions, seasonal events, national holidays (both Australian and Japanese), cultural references and exclusive product drops.
By May 2023, our messaging took a bold turn. We shifted focus to engage Japan-aware audiences, shoppers passionate about Japanese food, language and culture. We integrated Kanji product names, idioms, onomatopoeias and culturally nuanced content that created an authentic and emotional connection with the target audience.
Our Strategy
The transformation was staggering, especially in Sydney, which was the latest to launch in 2022.
The JFC Sydney Online Store recorded between April 2023 and April 2025:
B2C e-Commerce Sales:
- Orders: ↑ 313%
- Gross Sales: ↑ 351%
- Net Sales: ↑ 345%
- Total Sales: ↑ 344%
Growth in New Customers:
- Customer Count: ↑ 68%
- New Customer Orders: ↑ 68%
- Sales from New Customers: ↑ 54%
Whilst we are unable to disclose any sales figures, the results have been phenomenal and they are continuing to grow at a rapid pace every year.
What started as a warehouse stock turnover solution evolved into a high-performing, culturally resonant eCommerce presence. Today, the JFC Sydney Online store and JFC’s other online stores continue to drive meaningful revenue online, with a loyal and growing customer base.
Ready to Grow Your eCommerce Channel?
Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to revitalise an underperforming sales channel, our team can help. At Ignite Search, we combine data, design and cultural insight to deliver results that matter.
Let’s talk about what’s possible. Contact us today.
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