Bring local products together
in one storefront.
Local governments, tourism associations, chambers of commerce, regional trading companies and similar bodies can run an online store that sells products from local producers and makers together. Each business keeps its own stock and ships its own orders, and sales are paid out per order to each business's account.
* These are example concepts, not existing implementations.
- Recruit sellers
- Create a recruitment page with an application form and choose participating businesses by review, first come first served, or lottery.
- Each business holds stock and ships
- The organizing body holds no stock. Each participating business manages its own inventory and ships its products.
- Sales are split per order
- Fees and the sales commission (the organizing body's reward) are calculated for each order and paid to each business's account.
From recruiting to selling, in one flow.
The organizing body creates the online store as a Builder, and participating businesses supply products as Suppliers. Recruiting, selection, listing, orders and payouts all happen inside ECport.
-
01
Create the online store
The organizing body creates an account, builds a store named and themed for the region without code, and sets the sales commission rate.
-
02
Recruit sellers
Create a recruitment page and application form to invite businesses. You can charge no participation fee or set an amount to collect.
-
03
Select
Choose review, first come first served, or lottery as the selection method, and notify each applicant as accepted, rejected or waitlisted.
-
04
List products
Accepted businesses request a connection for their products to the store, and the products are listed once the organizing body approves.
-
05
Orders, shipping and payouts
When an order comes in, the business that supplied the product ships it, and each side's sales, less fees, are paid to their accounts.
What the organizing body and the participating businesses each do
This is the split when selling products from local businesses. The organizing body can also hold its own products and sell them as the seller.
| Item | Organizing body (Builder) | Participating business (Supplier) |
|---|---|---|
| Online store | Builds and runs it, and decides the design and features. | Can take part without running its own online store. |
| Recruiting and selection | Creates the recruitment page and selects applicants. | Applies, and once accepted, requests a connection for its products. |
| Seller, stock and shipping | Is not the seller of participants' products and holds no stock. | Is the seller, manages stock and ships to buyers. |
| Price | Sells at the price the participating business sets. | Sets the product price. |
| What they receive | The sales commission, plus participation fees if set. | Sales less the sales commission and other fees. |
| Buyer support | Handles buyer inquiries first. | Checks shipping status and product issues. |
* Scroll the table sideways to see more.
What you can do, and what to check before you start
What you can do
- Sell products from several local businesses on one online store
- Recruit sellers and select them by review, first come first served, or lottery
- Collect participation fees (paid through ECport and transferred to you less fees)
- Publish articles on the store and introduce products along with stories of the region and its makers
Check before you start
- Acceptance does not list products automatically. Accepted businesses request a connection for their products, and the products are listed once you approve.
- Participation fees are either none (0 yen) or 50 yen or more.
- The number of connected products and sites is capped by plan. If many businesses take part, check the limits when choosing a plan.
- To receive sales or rewards, each business needs to complete registration with the payment service (Stripe).
- Accepting furusato nozei (hometown tax) donations is not an ECport feature.
- If you need custom development or integration with existing systems, contact us as an Enterprise customer. See Enterprise
- To sell to buyers overseas, each storefront needs to apply for Buyee Connect. See how overseas sales work
Costs of running the store, and limits by plan
Separately from the organizing body's monthly plan fee, fees apply when a sale is made. If you collect participation fees, an allocation fee and a payment fee are deducted from them.
| Item | Starter | Standard | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| per month (incl. tax) | ¥0 | ¥9,800 | ¥39,800 |
| Setup fee (incl. tax) | ¥0 | ¥5,500 | ¥5,500 |
| Connected sales fee | 6.5% | 2.75% | 2% |
| System fee | 6.5% | 3.25% | 2% |
| Payment fee | From 3.6% | From 3.6% | From 3.6% |
| Connected products | 10 products | 50 products | Unlimited |
| Connected sites | 3 sites | 20 sites | Unlimited |
| Custom domain | Not included | Included | Included |
* Scroll the table sideways to see more.
Monthly prices are per month when billed annually (tax included). Fee rates exclude tax; consumption tax of 10% of each fee is added. Enterprise is quoted individually.
Steps to start a regional online store
-
01
Contact us or create an account
If you are still shaping the idea, start with a consultation. To start with the standard features, create a free account.
-
02
Set business details and a payout account
Enter your business details and complete registration with the payment service (Stripe) to receive sales and rewards.
-
03
Build the online store
Without code, design it around the region's name or theme, and set the sales commission rate.
-
04
Recruit and select sellers
Publish the recruitment page, accept applications and select. Accepted businesses then request a connection for their products.
-
05
Line up products and start selling
Once the approved products are listed, publish the store. Orders, shipping and sales can be checked in one dashboard.
FAQ / Frequently asked questions
Regional stores:
frequently asked
questions.
Common questions about running the store,
recruiting and payouts.
QUESTION THEMES
- Running and recruiting
- Participation fees and fees
- Sales and payouts
- Scope
01Can local governments and tourism associations use it?
Yes. Local governments, local organizations, tourism associations, chambers of commerce, regional trading companies and other bodies that want to sell local businesses' products together can run an online store. For specific requirements and how to proceed, contact us through Enterprise.
02How do we find participating businesses?
You can recruit them with a recruitment page and application form. Choose review, first come first served, or lottery as the selection method, and notify applicants as accepted, rejected or waitlisted. Accepted businesses request a connection for their products, and the products are listed once you approve.
03Can we collect participation fees from sellers?
Yes. The participation fee can be none (0 yen) or 50 yen or more. It is paid through ECport, and the amount less the allocation fee and payment fee is transferred to the organizing body's payout account. Applying and selection are free.
04Are sales paid out separately to each seller?
Yes. Fees and the sales commission are calculated for each order, and the business that supplied the product receives its sales less those amounts. The organizing body receives the sales commission.
05Does the organizing body need to hold stock?
No. Participants' products ship from the stock of the business that supplied them. The organizing body can also hold its own products and sell them as the seller.
06Can it replace furusato nozei (hometown tax)?
No. Accepting furusato nozei donations is not an ECport feature. What you build on ECport is an online store that sells local products as ordinary purchases.
07Can we sell to buyers overseas?
After applying for Buyee Connect for each online store and passing the review, you can accept orders from overseas buyers. Buyee ships overseas, and businesses ship to Buyee's warehouse in Japan.
08How are the timeline and cost decided?
If you start with the standard features, you only pay the plan fee and transaction fees. If you need custom development or integration with external systems, we provide a quote after hearing your requirements.
Take local products
to their next storefront.
You can consult us even at the idea stage. To start with the standard features, you can begin preparing with a free account.
Creating an account is free. If you are not sure which way to start, you can start by talking to us.