Population trends a fillip for Japan's boutique advisers on micro-M&A

Tokyo

BOUTIQUE advisers specialising in micro-M&A (merger and acquisition) for mostly family-run firms are enjoying a boom in Japan, as an ageing, shrinking population brings in the boundaries on the country's small business landscape.

There are no industry-wide figures for deals between 500 million yen (S$6.2 million) and one billion yen, but boutique advisers say they are benefiting as owners look to merge their businesses to cope with dwindling demand or as they reach retirement without a successor.