Komehyo
Komehyo is Japan's largest brand reuse retailer, buying and reselling pre-owned luxury watches, bags, jewelry, and apparel through 205+ stores, an online platform, mail-in service, and LINE appraisal, serving both individual consumers and corporate inventory liquidators.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1947
- HeadquartersNagoya, Japan
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Komehyo does
Komehyo (株式会社コメ兵) is one of Japan's largest pre-owned luxury brand goods retailers, operating a buy-and-sell model across more than 205 retail locations nationwide as the flagship operating subsidiary of Komehyo Holdings (TSE/NSE listed in 2016). The company purchases branded goods — including watches, bags, jewelry, apparel, and accessories — from individual consumers and corporate clients, then resells them through retail stores, an e-commerce platform at komehyo.jp, a mail-in purchase service, on-site corporate purchasing, and a LINE-based quick appraisal channel. Its core operating technology is a proprietary product grade classification system supported by 680+ certified expert appraisers and authentication partnerships with bodies such as AACD, enabling standardized intake and pricing across channels.
Komehyo's business model is transaction-based: the company buys at one price (payout to the seller) and resells at a markup to retail or online buyers, generating revenue from the spread. Its customer base is bifurcated between a long tail of individual sellers and buyers transacting through physical and digital channels, and a secondary corporate segment that uses Komehyo to liquidate excess inventory. Distribution is omnichannel — flagship and standard retail stores, an online marketplace, mail-in logistics, on-site corporate visits, department store partnerships such as VESCA, and integration with Rakuten — which together form a single funnel anchored on a 77-year-old brand and the country's largest certified appraiser workforce.
Komehyo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Komehyo
- Legal name
- 株式会社コメ兵
- Website
- https://komehyo.co.jp
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1947
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Komehyo is Japan's largest brand reuse retailer, buying and reselling pre-owned luxury watches, bags, jewelry, and apparel through 205+ stores, an online platform, mail-in service, and LINE appraisal, serving both individual consumers and corporate inventory liquidators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Komehyo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pre-owned Luxury Goods Retail
- NAICS
- Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), Jewelry Retailers (458310)
- SIC
- Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Authenticated Luxury Resale Marketplaces (CRAKAKAA)
Keywords
Where Komehyo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nagoya
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices6 records
Markets served
Komehyo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 中古ブランド品の販売 (Pre-owned Brand Product Sales): Core business: purchasing pre-owned luxury items from customers and reselling through physical stores and online platform. Items include jewelry, watches, bags, apparel, kimonos, cameras, and musical instruments.
- 高价買取服务 (Premium Purchase Service): Acquisition of luxury items from consumers at competitive prices, then retailing with margin. Multiple purchase channels including in-store, mail-in, and on-site services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Purchase and sale transactions with no fixed pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Komehyo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Komehyo purchases pre-owned luxury brand items from individual consumers and businesses through multiple channels (in-store appraisal, mail-in home delivery, and on-site visits), authenticates and grades them using 680+ certified appraisers, and resells them through 205+ physical retail stores across Japan and an e-commerce online store. The product range covers jewelry, watches, bags, apparel, kimonos, cameras, musical instruments, and precious metals across premium brands such as Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, and Cartier.
Product overview
KOMEHYO operates as a comprehensive brand reuse retail platform offering multiple interconnected services for luxury goods. The core business model centers on purchasing (buyback) and selling of pre-owned luxury brand items through 205+ physical stores across Japan and an online store. The product portfolio includes: (1) Core purchasing services with multiple delivery methods (in-store, home delivery, on-site); (2) KOMEHYO ONLINE STORE for retail sales; (3) Loyalty programs combining KOMEHYO Points and Rakuten Points; (4) Specialized services like LINE-based appraisal, trade-in exchange programs, and eKYC verification. The company handles diverse categories including jewelry, watches, bags, apparel, gold/precious metals, kimono, cameras, and musical instruments, with specialized expertise in Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, Cartier, and other luxury brands. The integration of physical retail presence with digital services (online store, LINE appraisal) creates a hybrid omnichannel model for the Japanese secondhand luxury market.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- KOMEHYO SHIBUYA: Flagship store in Shibuya, Tokyo
- KOMEHYO GINZA
- KOMEHYO 名古屋本店
- KOMEHYO オークション
- KOMEHYO mekiki-ryugi (目利きの流儀)
Products and services
- KOMEHYO Pre-owned Luxury Goods Purchasing (ブランド品買取)
Quantifiable outcome
- 89%以上の方が買取金額にご満足 - 89%+ customer satisfaction rate with purchase prices
Companies that use Komehyo
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Komehyo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Komehyo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Rakuten (楽天)corePartnership for Rakuten Points accumulation and Rakuten Pay integration. Customers can earn Rakuten points when selling items at Komehyo stores, with 1 point per 200 yen for Rakuten card holders. Rakuten Pay integration enables point earning on online purchases.
- VESCAsupportingPoint service provider for Komehyo's proprietary loyalty points system, enabling customer point accumulation and redemption across online and physical stores.
- AACD 日本流通自主管理協会coreSelf-regulatory organization for preventing counterfeit distribution. Komehyo is a regular member (会員番号 R-0017), committing to authentic product standards in the parallel import market.
- Yamazaki山形屋 (department store chain)supportingIn-store purchase centers located within Yamazaki department store locations in Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, offering jewelry, watches, bags, and fashion items.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Komehyo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Mercari: Japan's dominant C2C marketplace with growing authenticated luxury vertical (Mercari Shops, brand authentication services). Competes indirectly by providing an alternative resale channel for pre-owned branded goods.
- Yahoo! Auctions Japan: Japan's largest online auction marketplace with significant luxury resale activity. Provides a competing distribution channel for pre-owned branded goods, particularly for individual sellers.
Direct peers
- The RealReal: U.S.-listed authenticated luxury resale marketplace with in-house experts for authentication, consignment, and direct purchase. Closest international analog to Komehyo's vertical purchase-to-retail reuse model.
- Brand Off: Hong Kong-headquartered luxury reuse retailer with significant Japan presence. Directly competes with Komehyo in authenticated purchase and resale of pre-owned Hermès, Rolex, Chanel, and other luxury brands through a comparable store-and-online model.
- Vestiaire Collective: Global C2C luxury resale marketplace with rigorous authentication. Competes with Komehyo for cross-border luxury resale demand, particularly relevant given Komehyo's inbound tourism focus.
- Daiko: Japan-based luxury watch, jewelry, and branded goods reuse specialist. Competes head-to-head with Komehyo in authenticated purchase of high-end watches and jewelry, with overlapping customer base and similar appraisal-driven business model.
- RAGTAG: Japanese designer fashion reuse retailer operating physical stores plus an online channel for purchase and resale of pre-owned branded apparel and accessories. Closest domestic direct competitor to Komehyo in the curated-brand reuse segment.
Broad incumbents
- Sotheby's (Secondary Market / Buy-now): Global auction house with expanding buy-now luxury secondary market. Overlaps with Komehyo at the high end of authenticated pre-owned luxury watches, jewelry, and handbags.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Komehyo social profiles
Digital presenceKomehyo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Komehyo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Komehyo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Komehyo subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Komehyo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Komehyo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Komehyo
What does Komehyo do?
Komehyo purchases pre-owned luxury brand items from individual consumers and businesses through multiple channels (in-store appraisal, mail-in home delivery, and on-site visits), authenticates and grades them using 680+ certified appraisers, and resells them through 205+ physical retail stores across Japan and an e-commerce online store. The product range covers jewelry, watches, bags, apparel, kimonos, cameras, musical instruments, and precious metals across premium brands such as Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, and Cartier.
Is Komehyo a public or private company?
Komehyo is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Komehyo founded?
Komehyo was founded in 1947. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Komehyo based?
Komehyo is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Komehyo make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. 中古ブランド品の販売 (Pre-owned Brand Product Sales) is the primary driver. The others are 高价買取服务 (Premium Purchase Service).
Who are Komehyo's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Mercari and Yahoo! Auctions Japan. Direct peers are The RealReal, Brand Off, Vestiaire Collective, Daiko and RAGTAG. Sotheby's (Secondary Market / Buy-now) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Komehyo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Komehyo.
What industry is Komehyo in?
Komehyo's product category is Pre-owned Luxury Goods Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAKAKAA, Authenticated Luxury Resale Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 459510 and its SIC code is 5944.