Mercari recently made headlines when it decided to shift fees from sellers to buyers. On August 1, the company made another significant change: It announced that it would provide Japanese inventory to U.S. online shoppers and open a retail store in Los Angeles.

Before seeing the announcement, an EcommerceBytes reader told us that in July he noticed that a number of listings on Mercari’s search results pages were from sellers in Japan, with some of them listing international shipping. The reader’s concern: “For US sellers, this potentially means more competition, and while shipping costs from Japan drive up the overall cost, these listings add to the clutter that drowns out their own listings.”

In its announcement, the Japan-based company said Mercari x Japan is a new product offering that provides direct access to the inventory of millions of sellers on its Japanese marketplace. U.S. shoppers can now explore and browse an extensive selection of rare and hard-to-find items direct from Japan, it said, including the following:

• Women’s and men’s fashion finds from brands such as BAPE, BEAMS, Comme des Garçons, Hysteric Glamour and Seiko
• An expanded sneaker selection including Adidas, Asics, Converse, Nike and more
• Women’s handbags from some of the most sought-after labels
• A variety of top toys from brands such as LEGO, Hello Kitty and Pokemon
• Japanese collectibles that have increased significantly in popularity on Mercari US in recent years, including manga comics (up 45%), Bandai items (up 100%), Sanrio (up 160%), and Sonny Angel, whose popularity has increased exponentially.
• Rare and nostalgic action figures from brands like Dragon Ball, Marvel, One Piece, Pokemon and more
• Electronics such as gaming systems, video games, nostalgic toys and accessories from brands such as Nintendo, Sega and Sony

A Mercari spokesperson told EcommerceBytes that to celebrate the launch of Mercari x Japan, well-known influencer and resale entrepreneur Emma Rogue will curate an exclusive selection of secondhand items. “This selection reflects her unique style and appreciation for Japanese aesthetics, giving shoppers a personal touch to their discoveries. Emma’s collection can be purchased on Mercari and is also available in person at Mercari’s first brick-and-mortar store, Mercari on Melrose, now open on the iconic Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, California.”

The EcommerceBytes reader then received an email from Mercari announcing: “Shopping at Mercari just got more exciting thanks to new deals from Japan! Now you can snag those unique items you’ve been admiring from afar, discover great deals on a wider range of your favorite brands, or spot that rare, limited edition piece to complete your collection.”

The email linked to an FAQ page that provided further explanation: “All items shipped internationally will appear as sold by BEENOS. When an item is purchased, a seller in Japan will ship the item to the BEENOS warehouse where it will be inspected before being forwarded to the buyer.”

A link to BEENOS’ history on the website shows that in 2007, the company founded ShopAirlines America, Inc., “the company that manages the global shopping service Sekaimon, through a business alliance with eBay, Inc.” The BEENOS name was launched later, in 2014.

In 2021, BEENOS, through its wholly owned subsidiary Buyee, partnered with eBay to make products listed for sale on eBay US available to customers in Asia.

eBay is also opening its U.S. marketplace to goods from Japanese sellers. In its recent second-quarter earnings call, eBay CEO Jamie Iannone said volume growth has accelerated since eBay opened its authentication center in Japan last year. (In May, eBay also partnered with Rakuten to give its U.S. shoppers the ability to purchase items from Japanese sellers, primarily in the fashion category.)

The eBay CEO said he expects more opportunities to bring sellers from Japan and China on board and make it “easier for them to bring attractive goods to our marketplace.”