Askul
ASKUL is a Japanese B2B/B2C e-commerce platform, founded in 1963, selling office supplies, worksite supplies, and medical/nursing care products to corporate clients and consumers across Japan, with same-day/next-day delivery on a 15.85M-SKU catalog.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersToyosu, Japan
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Askul does
ASKUL Corporation (アスクル株式会社) is a Japanese e-commerce company founded in 1963 and headquartered in Toyosu, Koto Ward, Tokyo, operating one of Japan's largest B2B office, worksite, and medical/nursing care supply platforms. Its core offering is the askul.co.jp marketplace, which carries 15,852,828 SKUs and supports same-day to next-day delivery on 358,880 items, with free shipping on corporate orders above JPY 2,000 and consolidated monthly billing. The company runs complementary sub-brands including LOHACO for B2C consumers, Papuri (パプリ) for custom printing and stamps, Shigotoba.net for worksite procurement, Soloel Arena for enterprise procurement, and the ASKUL ORIGINAL private-brand line. ASKUL's distribution model is reinforced by an extensive logistics network and ISO 27001 certification, though it is currently operating under the material impact of an October 2025 RansomHouse ransomware attack that exfiltrated ~740,000 customer records and 1.1TB of data, prompting six-week service disruption and ~JPY 74B in revenue impact at the parent level.
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: B2B e-commerce of office and workplace supplies to corporate clients on monthly billing cycles with next-day delivery; B2C e-commerce of similar categories via LOHACO on a transactional basis; and print-on-demand services through Papuri covering business cards, rubber stamps, official seals, permeable stamps, envelopes, and medical cards, priced per unit (e.g., business cards from JPY 500, premium cards from JPY 1,891, wood cards from JPY 3,743). ASKUL migrated its core SAP S/4HANA ERP to AWS in August 2025, compressing 20TB of data to 5TB and enabling future AI/data initiatives. The company is a consolidated subsidiary of LY Corporation (formerly Z Holdings), and reported revenue declined from a 2021 peak to approximately JPY 333B in 2025, with 2025 net income compressed to roughly half of 2024 levels as the cyberattack weighed on results. Recent strategic priorities include vertical expansion into medical/nursing care consumables (Oral Care Wet Sheets co-developed with Oosaki Medical Corporation, launched March 2026), private-brand product development under ASKUL ORIGINAL, and domain consolidation of Soloel Arena onto the main askul.co.jp platform in mid-2026.
Askul firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Askul
- Legal name
- アスクル株式会社 (ASKUL Corporation)
- Website
- https://askul.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- ASKUL is a Japanese B2B/B2C e-commerce platform, founded in 1963, selling office supplies, worksite supplies, and medical/nursing care products to corporate clients and consumers across Japan, with same-day/next-day delivery on a 15.85M-SKU catalog.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Askul industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Office Supplies E-commerce
- NAICS
- Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42342), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (45942), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456), Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance Retailers (449)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040), Wholesale-Paper & Paper Products (5110), Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047), Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961), Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Office, School & Business Supplies Marketplaces (CRAFABAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Medical, Dental & Lab Supply Marketplaces (CRAFAHAG)
Keywords
Where Askul is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toyosu
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Askul business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- B2B E-commerce Sales: E-commerce sales of office supplies, workplace supplies, and medical/nursing care products to corporate clients with next-day delivery service.
- B2C E-commerce Sales: Consumer e-commerce platform through LOHACO subsidiary offering similar product categories to individual consumers.
- Printing Services: Custom printing services through Papuri platform including business cards, stamps, seals, envelopes, and promotional materials.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Corporate client standard pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Oral Care Wet Sheets product |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard business cards |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium business cards |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wood business cards |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Askul product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Askul operates an e-commerce platform that sells office supplies, workplace supplies, and medical/nursing care products to corporate clients and individual consumers in Japan. The company offers same-day to next-day delivery across a catalog of approximately 15.85 million items, complemented by custom printing and stamp services through its Papuri sub-brand and a consumer-facing storefront called LOHACO.
Product overview
ASKUL operates as a multi-channel B2B and B2C e-commerce platform offering a comprehensive portfolio of office supplies, workplace supplies, medical/nursing care products, and printing services. The core offering consists of the main ASKUL e-commerce platform (www.askul.co.jp) for corporate and consumer customers, complemented by the consumer-focused LOHACO platform and the specialized printing sub-brand パプリ (Papsi). The Papsi service provides print-on-demand products including rubber stamps, permeable stamps (Shachihata), official seals, business cards, envelopes, and medical cards. Recent additions include original products like Oral Care Wet Sheets developed for Japan's growing medical and nursing care sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ASKUL ORIGINAL: Company's original private brand products for workplace supplies
Products and services
- ASKUL Main E-commerce Platform B2B and B2C e-commerce platform selling office supplies, workplace supplies, and medical/nursing care products with same-day to next-day delivery and a 2,000 JPY minimum order threshold for free shipping.
- LOHACO
Quantifiable outcome
- 21 hours downtime during SAP S/4HANA migration, within 24-hour target
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Askul
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Askul technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Askul partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Oosaki Medical CorporationcoreJoint development partnership for original medical products. ASKUL collaborated with Oosaki Medical Corporation to develop and launch 'Oral Care Wet Sheets' product for medical and nursing care settings in Japan, addressing oral care challenges in healthcare facilities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Askul competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rakuten Business (Rakuten Group): Operates Rakuten Ichiba and B2B commerce services in Japan overlapping with Askul's office and worksite supply catalog and SMB/enterprise customer base.
- MISUMI Group: Japanese B2B e-commerce platform for factory automation, MRO, and office/worksite supplies, serving the same enterprise manufacturing and office customer base as Askul with global operations.
- MonotaRO: Japan's leading B2B e-commerce platform for indirect materials (MRO), serving manufacturing and office/worksite customers with a next-day delivery model. Closest direct competitor to Askul in Japanese online B2B procurement.
- Amazon Business: Global B2B procurement marketplace operating in Japan, directly competing for corporate office and worksite supply spend and offering next-day delivery in major Japanese cities.
- Staples Japan (and Staples Inc.): Major global office supplies retailer with operations in Japan, competing directly for the same corporate office-supply procurement wallet share as Askul.
Broad incumbents
- Kokuyo Co., Ltd. Japanese office furniture, stationery, and supply manufacturer/distributor with both catalog/online ordering and indirect competition with Askul in workplace supplies.
- Office Depot Japan (ODP/Office Depot Corp.): Global office supplies retailer whose catalogs and B2B offerings compete with Askul in multinational Japanese accounts and represent a comparable procurement-services business model.
Emerging players
- Bunbogu-no-Mori (Office-eibun): Japanese office and stationery specialist retailer with growing online channel, increasingly overlapping with Askul's small-business and SMB catalog customers.
Regional players
- ZOZO, Inc. Major Japanese e-commerce operator under LY Corporation's parent group, providing a regional benchmark for logistics and marketplace scale relevant to Askul's B2C LOHACO business.
Others
- ZOZO (Yahoo Shopping/Yahoo Auction): Sister LY Corporation property that competes for consumer/SMB procurement in Japan and is an ecosystem peer relevant to Askul's B2C LOHACO strategy and parent-group dynamics.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Askul social profiles
Digital presenceAskul compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Askul financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Askul leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Askul funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Askul M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments5 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Askul
What does Askul do?
Askul operates an e-commerce platform that sells office supplies, workplace supplies, and medical/nursing care products to corporate clients and individual consumers in Japan. The company offers same-day to next-day delivery across a catalog of approximately 15.85 million items, complemented by custom printing and stamp services through its Papuri sub-brand and a consumer-facing storefront called LOHACO.
Is Askul a public or private company?
Askul is a private company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Askul founded?
Askul was founded in 1963. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Askul based?
Askul is headquartered in Toyosu, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Askul make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. B2B E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are B2C E-commerce Sales and printing Services.
Who are Askul's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rakuten Business (Rakuten Group), MISUMI Group, MonotaRO, Amazon Business and Staples Japan (and Staples Inc.). Broad incumbents are Kokuyo Co., Ltd. and Office Depot Japan (ODP/Office Depot Corp.). Bunbogu-no-Mori (Office-eibun) is listed as an emerging player. ZOZO, Inc. is listed as a regional player. ZOZO (Yahoo Shopping/Yahoo Auction) is listed as an others.
Does Askul have an API?
No public API is recorded for Askul.
What industry is Askul in?
Askul's product category is Office Supplies E-commerce. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFABAM, Office, School & Business Supplies Marketplaces, with a secondary code of CRAFAHAG, Medical, Dental & Lab Supply Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 42342 and its SIC code is 5040.