Gavans

What Gavans does

Gavans Co., Ltd. (ギャバンス株式会社) is a Japanese boutique quality-inspection and apparel logistics services provider founded in 1995 and headquartered in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The company operates as the inspection and logistics division of the I-Link Group and runs a network of 17 facilities across Japan (6 centers), China (7 facilities including a Shanghai sales office), Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. Its core service portfolio covers apparel merchandise inspection, needle detection, picking, assortment, packing, price tagging, pressing, and repair, delivered both at dedicated TC/DC logistics centers for major Japanese specialty retailers and as on-site inspection services at overseas production factories.

The company's technology stack centers on industrial hardware rather than software: high-energy X-ray inspection equipment (80kV/140kV) installed at the Shimokawate and Wuxi facilities for foreign-object detection in footwear, bags, and accessories, complemented by the HASS (HHT/Assorting/Support/System) automated sorting platform at the Kakamigahara center. Each overseas facility is staffed with at least one Japanese quality manager to enforce Japanese product standards, and the Nantong facility holds ISO 9001 certification. Named enterprise clients include AEON, Right-on, Stripe International, TSI Holdings, and Shimamura, several of whom have formally designated Gavans sites as approved inspection points within their supply chains.

Gavans generates revenue through contract-based professional services — per-piece inspection fees, TC/DC dedicated-center charges, and Japanese quality-manager dispatch — sold direct to enterprise apparel retailers and manufacturers. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The business is privately held under the I-Link Group with ¥10M stated capital; no external funding rounds, public listing, or M&A activity is disclosed. The company does not maintain consumer-facing technology products, no mobile apps, and limited digital distribution, operating almost entirely through direct B2B sales relationships and a Japanese-language corporate website.

Name

Gavans

Legal name

ギャバンス株式会社 (GAVANS Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://gavans.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gavans is a Japanese boutique firm providing apparel quality inspection, needle/X-ray detection, and dedicated TC/DC logistics services to major Japanese retailers, operating 17 facilities across Japan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh as the logistics arm of I-Link Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Gifu

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Quality Inspection Services: Core revenue stream from apparel quality inspection (検品), needle detection (検針), picking, assortment, packaging, and labeling services performed at company facilities or on-site at client production sites across Asia.
2. Logistics and Distribution Services: Delivery and distribution services (デリバリー業務) to retail stores and e-commerce channels in Japan, including storage, inventory management, and shipping support using automated sorter systems.
3. Production Management Staffing: 派遣業務 -派遣 of Japanese quality control managers and Chinese production management staff to client factories; and domestic sales, OEM production services through Shanghai office.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Gavans provides outsourced apparel quality inspection, needle/metal detection, X-ray foreign-object inspection, assortment, packing, price tagging, storage, and distribution services for Japanese apparel retailers and brands sourcing from China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. The company operates dedicated inspection and TC/DC logistics centers in Japan (6 facilities in Gifu/Aichi) and 11 wholly-owned overseas facilities across Asia, delivering integrated quality-control and downstream logistics under contract with named retailers and brands.

Product overview

Gavans (ギャバンス株式会社) is a global logistics and quality inspection services provider for the apparel industry. The company operates a unified service portfolio centered on comprehensive quality inspection and logistics solutions, including merchandise inspection (検品), needle detection (検針), pressing (プレス), repair (補修), tagging (値付), assortment/sorting (アソート), and shipping (出荷). Their operations span multiple facilities in Japan (Headquarters, Kakamigahara, Ginan-cho, Kitagata, Shimokawate, and Ichinomiya centers) and overseas in China (Shanghai, Qingdao, Dalian, Nantong, Rudong, Wuxi, Nanchang), Indonesia (Bogor), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh and Ninh Binh), Cambodia (Phnom Penh), and Bangladesh (Dhaka). The Shimokawate Center features advanced X-ray inspection equipment for foreign object detection in footwear and accessories. Services are delivered through dedicated inspection centers and on-site/overseas inspection capabilities, supporting both Japanese and international apparel manufacturers and retailers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Quality Inspection Services (検品サービス) Comprehensive merchandise inspection for apparel products covering visual defect checks, pressing, repair, tagging, sorting (assortment), and shipping preparation. Operates at dedicated inspection centers in Japan and overseas production regions.
• Needle Detection Services (検針サービス) Specialized metal/needle detection using dedicated equipment to ensure apparel products are free from broken-needle and metal contaminants before shipment to retail.
• X-Ray Foreign-Object Inspection Services (X線異物検査サービス) High-energy X-ray inspection (80kV and 140kV) installed at the Shimokawate Center for detecting foreign objects in thick-material products such as boots, shoe soles, bags, leather goods, and accessories that standard needle detection cannot reliably inspect.
• GAVANS Logistics Center (TC/DC) Services Total integrated logistics services at Gavans' domestic centers encompassing receiving, needle detection, inspection, repair, pressing, tagging, assortment, storage, inventory management, and shipping support for apparel products delivered to retail stores and e-commerce channels in Japan. Flagship Kakamigahara and Ichinomiya centers operate as dedicated TC/DC facilities with HASS automated sorting and approximately 15 million pieces/year processing capacity.
• On-site Inspection Services at Overseas Factories (出張検品) Inspection, needle detection, inline inspection, and production-progress management deployed at client apparel factories across China (Qingdao, Dalian, Nantong, Rudong, Wuxi, Nanchang), Indonesia (Bogor, Jakarta, Bandung), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh, Ninh Binh), Cambodia (Phnom Penh), and Bangladesh (Dhaka), with Japanese quality-control managers stationed at each location.
• Quality Control Manager Dispatch Service (派遣業務) Dispatch of Japanese quality-control managers and Chinese production management staff to client apparel factories, coordinated through the Shanghai office. Includes domestic Chinese sales support, OEM production management, and China-side product research and development.
• Landsea-Gavans Inspection and Logistics (Qingdao Facility Services) Apparel inspection, needle detection, picking, assortment, scanning, packaging, price-tag attachment, and storage services at the 3,200㎡ Qingdao facility serving as a designated inspection site for AEON, TSI Holdings, and Right-on.
• Nantong Gavans Rudong Branch Inspection Services Integrated apparel inspection, needle detection, assortment, hanger attachment, and accessory-installation services at the 1,000㎡ Rudong facility, designated as an authorized inspection center for Stripe International.
• Wuxi Gavans Fashion Quality Inspection Services Apparel inspection, needle detection, assortment, and X-ray inspection services at the 2,390㎡ Wuxi facility, with capacity for small-lot orders.
• Nanchang Gavans Inspection Services Apparel inspection, needle detection, assortment, packaging, price-tag attachment, and finishing services at the 2,250㎡ Nanchang facility with capacity for approximately 10,000 inspection pieces per 8 hours.
• Dalian Gavans Fashion Logistics Services Apparel inspection, needle detection, picking, assortment, packaging, price-tag attachment, and price-tag production at the 4,900㎡ Dalian facility, designated as a TSI Holdings inspection site.
• Nantong Gavans ISO 9001 Certified Inspection Services ISO 9001-certified apparel inspection, needle detection, assortment, packaging, price-tag attachment, and storage services at the 4,000㎡ Nantong facility, designated as a Stripe International inspection site.
• PT. Gavans Indonesia On-site Inspection Services On-site apparel inspection across the Jakarta and Bandung areas, inline inspection, and production-progress management support from the 235㎡ Bogor facility.
• Gavans Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh DC) Inspection and Distribution Services Apparel inspection, needle detection, Shimamura DC operations, picking, assortment, and price-tag production at the 2,268㎡ Ho Chi Minh facility; recommended inspection site for Right-on and designated inspection site for Stripe International.
• Gavans Cambodia Bonded-Zone Inspection Services Apparel inspection, needle detection, logistics processing, assortment, on-site inspection, and carry-in inspection from the 1,056㎡ Phnom Penh facility located in a bonded zone enabling customs clearance.
• CG Apparel Bangladesh Inspection Services On-site inspection and carry-in inspection of cut-and-sew, knit, and woven apparel products at the 1,120㎡ Dhaka facility, with X-ray needle detection equipment and Japanese quality-control supervisors on-site.

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AEON Co., Ltd. (イオン株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEON designates Gavans Qingdao facility as an approved inspection site for apparel products, integrating Gavans quality control services into AEON's supply chain management for Chinese manufacturing.
• Right-on Co., Ltd. (株式会社ライトオン)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRight-on designates Gavans facilities in Qingdao and Vietnam as recommended and certified inspection sites for assortment operations and DC business services.
• Stripe International Co., Ltd. (株式会社ストライプインターナショナル)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStripe International designates Gavans Nantong and Rudong facilities as designated inspection sites for integrated quality control operations in their apparel supply chain.
• TSI Holdings Co., Ltd. (株式会社TSIホールディング)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSI Holdings designates Gavans Qingdao and Dalian facilities as approved inspection sites for quality control and logistics services across their apparel manufacturing operations.
• Shimamura Co., Ltd. (株式会社しまむら)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShimamura utilizes Gavans Vietnam Ho Chi Minh facility for DC operations including picking, assortment, and label production services for their retail distribution network.
• I-Link Group (アイ・リンクグループ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGavans is part of the I-Link Group, operating as the logistics and quality inspection division. Ishima Hisashi serves as Representative Director of both I-Link Group and Gavans. The group operates recruitment and other group company services.
• Imamura Transport Co., Ltd. (今村運輸有限会社)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGavans Kakamigahara Center is co-located at Imamura Transport's Asahimachi warehouse distribution center facility, suggesting a facilities partnership for logistics operations.
• ISO (International Organization for Standardization)coreOthersNantong Gavans Fashion Inspection Co., Ltd. holds ISO9001 certification for quality management systems, demonstrating compliance with international quality standards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Intertek: UK-headquartered TIC provider with extensive Asia inspection network and apparel/softlines testing services. Competes for outsourced QC mandates from large apparel brands and retailers operating in the same geographies as Gavans.
• LOGISTEED (formerly Hitachi Transport System): Japanese third-party logistics group with apparel and retail-focused distribution centers in Japan and Asia. Comparable on the apparel DC / value-added logistics side where Gavans' Kakamigahara and Ichinomiya centers operate.
• Yamato Holdings: Major Japanese logistics and parcel-delivery group operating TA-Q-BIN and B2B distribution services. Overlaps with Gavans' domestic apparel retail delivery and e-commerce fulfillment activities.
• SGS SA: Global Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) leader. While SGS covers many industries beyond apparel, its inspection and quality-control service lines overlap with Gavans' apparel QC offering, and it competes for the same Japanese retailer relationships in Asia.
• Yusen Logistics: Japan-originated global logistics provider with apparel-industry contract logistics and Asia-origin consolidation services. Comparable to Gavans on the apparel 3PL and in-region distribution side.
• Bureau Veritas: Major global TIC firm with significant consumer-goods inspection operations in Asia (including legacy Asia Inspection/QIMA). Overlaps with Gavans in apparel and softlines inspection services for global retailers sourcing from Asian factories.
• Nippon Express Holdings: Japan's largest logistics group with apparel industry services including warehousing, inspection-adjacent, and DC operations. Represents the incumbent alternative Japanese retailers could shift volume to instead of using Gavans' dedicated TC/DC centers.
• TÜV SÜD: Germany-based TIC group with consumer-products and apparel testing capabilities in Asia. Comparable to Gavans in providing third-party quality verification for retailers managing overseas production.

Direct peers

• V-Trust Inspection Service: Asia-based third-party product inspection and audit firm focused on apparel, textiles, and consumer goods. Direct competitor for outsourced QC services across the same Asian production geographies where Gavans operates.
• QIMA (formerly Asia Inspection): Asia-focused supply-chain QC and compliance services provider offering inspection, audit, and lab testing across apparel and consumer goods. Closest functional peer to Gavans' third-party apparel inspection model, although QIMA is more technology/marketplace-led and less Japan-centric.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gavans