Back in Japan! “E-Commerce Connect 2025” and growing our partnerships
Konnichiwa from Tokyo! We're back in Japan, and we couldn't be more excited! After the incredible response to our Tokyo and Osaka seminars last year, returning to this vibrant eCommerce market feels like coming home to an amazing community of merchants and partners.
Last summer, we had the honor of hosting seminars in Tokyo and Osaka, welcoming over 60 eCommerce leaders and decision-makers. The connections we made, the insights we gained, and the warm welcome from Japan's Shopify community reinforced our commitment to this market, not just as visitors, but as dedicated partners in growth.
This time, we came back to speak at an e-commerce event and visit some of our partners. These meetings gave us valuable insights and helped us understand how we can better support Japanese merchants.
It was a great exchange of ideas! We're excited to share the highlights from this trip with you.
Speaking at "E-Commerce Connect 2025" by Ship&Co
We were honored to be invited as a panel speaker at Ship&Co's E-Commerce Connect 2025 event. This was a wonderful opportunity to share our insights with the Japanese e-commerce community and learn from other industry experts.
About "E-Commerce Connect 2025"
The event took place on Friday, October 31, 2025, in Kyoto—a beautiful city with deep cultural roots. Ship&Co organized this gathering to bring together e-commerce professionals and discuss the challenges and opportunities in Japan's growing online retail market.
For those who aren't familiar, Ship&Co is a Japan-based shipping management platform that's been helping online sellers since 2017. What we appreciate about Ship&Co is that they were created by sellers themselves—people who understood the real challenges of managing shipping. Their system connects with major Japanese carriers like Yamato and Japan Post, as well as international carriers such as DHL and FedEx, and integrates seamlessly with e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Rakuten, and Amazon.
E-Commerce Connect 2025
The event brought together around 143 participants, mostly e-commerce managers and business owners looking to improve their operations. It made for great conversations and meaningful exchanges of ideas.
With our guest speakers at E-Commerce Connect 2025
Qikify Checkout Customizer highlighted as one of the top leading apps from Asia
Qikify's sharing: Optimization tactics for Shopify Plus success
We had the privilege of speaking alongside some impressive industry leaders. Mr. Zaitsu Kazuya, CEO and Founder of Pontdes Tech, and Mrs. Higashi Yumiko, IT Systems Group Manager at Orefice Japan, joined us on the panel. Each speaker brought unique perspectives from their experiences in the Japanese market.
E-Commerce Connect 2025 in Kyoto
Our panel focused on an important question: "How do Shopify Plus brands win their e-commerce game with optimization tactics?"
💡We shared several insights based on what we've learned from working with Shopify Plus merchants:
Trust and authenticity matter more than ever. We talked about how user-generated content (UGC) is outperforming traditional advertising. Japanese consumers, like consumers everywhere, want to see real experiences from real people before making a purchase.
Checkout simplicity is critical. This is something we're passionate about at Qikify. We explained how a complicated checkout process or unclear shipping policies can lead to cart abandonment. For Japanese merchants, especially, clear communication about shipping costs and delivery times makes a big difference.
Data should guide every decision. We emphasized the importance of using data to optimize each stage of the customer journey, from the first visit to building long-term retention.
Liz, our Product Manager, sharing insights on eCommerce trends
Our gifts, soshina, for seminar attendees
After the main panel, we continued with a broader discussion session. We talked about success stories from Shopify Plus brands in Japan and dove deeper into checkout optimization. The other speakers shared their perspectives on data analytics and user experience in scaling e-commerce operations.
What made this session special was the exchange of ideas. We learned just as much as we shared, especially about the unique challenges Japanese merchants face.
Qikify's sharing at the seminar
Office visits with our partners
We met with FullBalance, one of our strategic partners who has been instrumental in helping us understand the Japanese market. It was great to finally meet the team in person and discuss how we can continue supporting their clients together.
We also visited TunaEC, and Weblife, all wonderful agencies doing excellent work in the Shopify ecosystem. Each meeting gave us valuable perspectives on what Japanese merchants need and how we can improve our solutions to serve them better.
Intimate dinner with our partner Fullbalance
Pre-event Warm-up Dinner hosted by WEBLIFE and other Japanese partners
Beyond agency visits, we had the opportunity to meet with some Japanese merchants who are using our apps. Hearing directly from store owners about their experiences and challenges is always valuable. These conversations help us build better products.
Checked in at Blue Bottle Coffee store, one of our merchants in Japan
We're grateful for the warm welcome we received at every office. These partnerships are important to us, and we're looking forward to growing together with the Japanese e-commerce community.
Looking forward
We're truly grateful for the warm welcome we received throughout this trip. From the stage at E-Commerce Connect to the offices of our partner agencies, everyone made us feel at home in Japan. The enthusiasm and openness of the Japanese e-commerce community continue to inspire us.
This trip reinforced our commitment to the Japanese market. We're excited about expanding our activities here in the near future—whether it's through more localized solutions, deeper partnerships, or additional events. We're dedicated to supporting Japanese merchants as they grow their businesses.
Thank you to Ship&Co for organizing such a valuable event, to all our agency partners for their time and insights, and to the merchants who shared their experiences with us. We're looking forward to more opportunities to work together and grow with our Japanese partners!
Stay tuned for more activities from Qikify!
Met again R6B team at the E-commerce Connect after our official meeting in Tokyo
