Consumer & Lifestyle Reporter
Aiko Tanaka writes from Tokyo on Japanese and Korean retail, luxury, beauty and the cultural forces reshaping how Asia shops. She has spent more than eight years reporting on department stores, konbini chains and the country's ageing but still highly demanding consumer base. Before joining RetailNews.asia she was a lifestyle and business reporter at a Japanese national newspaper, where she covered Isetan Mitsukoshi, Fast Retailing and the rise of niche J-beauty brands. Her work often explores how heritage retailers in Tokyo and Osaka are courting younger shoppers, inbound tourists and premium K-beauty and K-fashion labels. Aiko is a regular visitor to Seoul, where she tracks Coupang, Musinsa and the fast-changing world of Korean live commerce. She is fluent in Japanese, Korean and English, and often translates industry reports for RNA's regional audience. When she isn't writing, she is usually browsing depachika food halls or hunting down independent boutiques in Shibuya and Seongsu.
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Archive
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On Thursday, gasoline prices in Vietnam experienced a modest decline compared to the previous week. The widely used E10 RON95 gasoline dipped by 0.94%, bringing the price down to VND22,110 (approximately US$0.85) per liter. There was a slightly larger drop in…
South Korean fashion house, Satur, has announced its expansion into the Thai market, with its first flagship store opening in Central Ladprao. This move was made feasible through an exclusive partnership with the Jaspal Group, a renowned lifestyle and fashion…
Telkom Indonesia has disclosed the completion of its two-step division of network infrastructure assets into its operational subsidiary, InfraNexia. The entire transaction, amounting to IDR 85.7 trillion (equivalent to USD 4.8 billion), was first proposed in…
The city of Frankfurt has just received a significant boost as a financial hub. Deutsche Bank, a prominent financial institution based in Frankfurt, has successfully become the first European bank appointed to serve as a renminbi clearing bank by the People’s…
Renowned dairy and plant-based milk brand, MilkLab, has expanded its market by introducing its Almond and Oat varieties to consumers in New Zealand via Woolworths stores. The move is in response to the increasing demand for dairy alternatives among New…
The Google Play Store is now offering a new third-party app outlet known as Aptoide Games, featuring a variety of free and paid games. Accessing this new store is straightforward; simply launch the Play Store app on your Android device, tap on the profile…
The US dollar notably strengthened against various major currencies, including the Vietnamese dong, on Friday morning. The upward trend was observed as Vietcombank, a leading Vietnamese retail bank, increased the selling price of the dollar by 0.04% to…
Heineken, the renowned brewing titan, has reported a substantial surge in growth during the first half of this fiscal year, following its decision to eliminate 3000 roles within the organization. The company declared a $24.3 billion revenue during this…
Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) is set to acquire UOB Asset Management (UOBAM), the asset management division of Singapore’s United Overseas Bank (UOB). This acquisition will notably augment AllianzGI’s influence in Southeast Asia and provide broader…
Hermès, the renowned luxury brand, is welcoming back its patrons to its newly renovated and expanded retail space in Hanshin Mall, located in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The boutique, which was initially launched in 1996, now sprawls over two levels after undergoing a…
Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company, a leading player in the commercial aviation sector, experienced robust financial and operational outcomes in the second quarter and first half of 2026. This growth was fuelled by stable travel demand, the airline’s…
Extended periods of rainfall have negatively impacted dragon fruit production, resulting in a doubling of farm-gate prices since May to VND15,000 (US$0.57) per kilogram. The price of the red-fleshed variety has seen an increase to VND20,000 in the Central…
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