Japanese department stores Takashimaya and Mitsukoshi upgrading

Major Japanese department stores Takashimaya and Isetan are opening new developments in Tokyo.

Both newly-refurbished stores will launch in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district to attract a wider customer base. The move occurs against a backdrop of declining department store sales in Japan.

Today’s Takashimaya launch opens a seven-storey annex with one underground level next to its existing store, accommodating a high proportion of F&B tenants as well as clothing and variety stores, amongst others. The development targets nearby company employees in their 30s and 40s and families, many of whom visit the store to eat.

Takashimaya President Shigeru Kimoto said: “We integrated a department store with specialty stores. It’s the culmination of meeting the needs of today’s customer.”

The Isetan renovation to its Mitsukoshi main store in Nihonbashi will open in late October. Among its new features will be a new concierge service.

The store will share data on the tastes and purchasing histories of key customers with concierge staff and other employees, leading them to use suggestion selling techniques so as to meet customer preferences. Customers will be able to designate a specific concierge before visiting the store via smartphone app.