Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Japan, updated continuously by our newsroom.
The Japanese online beauty retailer @Cosme has bought a stake in Singapore website Vanitee, described as a “digital marketplace for beauty artists”. Neither the value of the investment, or the size of the stake acquired was disclosed by either party. Vanitee…
The newly refurbished Aeon Tsuen Wan store has made the most of its Japanese parent’s design and range influence as it aims to capture more of the suburb’s rising affluence. Aeon Stores invested $30 million renovating the store which formally reopened last…
The dollar weakened against its main rivals Wednesday after a spate of weak economic data and the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book painted a troubling picture of the U.S. economy. The ICE U.S. Dollar Index DXY, +0.12% a measure of the dollar’s strength against a…
The chief of South Korean retail giant Lotte Group was sacked on Wednesday as an executive member of Japan-based Kojunsha Corp., the group’s virtual holding firm, in the latest step taken by his elder brother to gain control over South Korea’s No. 5…
Indian consumers are more digital savvy for reporting and resolving customer service experiences over social media than their counterparts in Japan and Hong Kong, says a survey by American Express. According to the American Express Global Customer Service…
AirAsia Japan Co., Ltd. (CEO: Yoshinori Odagiri) recently announced that the airline has been granted the Air Operator’s Certificate by the Civil Aeronautics Act by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, under the air transport business,…
Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo is continuing its expansion in the US, signing up for a strategically significant flagship in Denver. Uniqlo Denver will open in the Pavilions shopping centre, downtown in the Colorado state capital, displacing the former…
Fast Retailing US, the North American business unit of Japan’s largest apparel retailer is to slow its Uniqlo store roll out program after heavy losses. The Japanese company missed its earnings target in the latest quarter and posted losses due to a US$134…
Blooming Sweet, the online shopping mall specialising in DIY nail art materials is rapidly gaining popularity in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the US. CEO Kim Sun-Hee has been a famous nail artist in Korea for over 10 years, and launched Blooming Sweet in…
The Asia luxury goods market is still growing rapidly despite negative press about Hong Kong, Macau and deteriorating China spending. Luxury goods retail sales in Asia-Pacific are expected to reach US$134.9 billion by 2019, growing at a CAGR of seven per cent…
Aeon Living Plaza has opened at Hong Kong International Airport. The new 4200 sqft store offers 8000 items ranging from snacks and convenience items through to home furnishings, fine stationery and other giftwares. The shop takes up three retail spaces on the…
Asia Pacific consumers are increasingly likely to make their online purchases and bill payments through mobile devices (mobile phone or tablet), rather than via desktops, according to Visa’s 2015 Regional eCommerce Monitor Survey. The survey, which polled…
Origami, a social eCommerce startup for fashion and lifestyle products, is entering the offline payments fold. The startup, one of Japan’s most-funded, has announced the beta release of ‘Pay with Origami’ and ‘Shop Reward Program’. The new services allow…
Japan retail sales in August rose 0.8 per cent according to official data released on Wednesday. That was a full 0.4 per cent – or one third – below market expectations, fuelling concerns about the state of the nation’s fragile economy. The figure from the…
AirAsia Japan Co Ltd, which recently reorganised its shareholding structure, has received the air operator’s certificate from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. AirAsia said in a statement that AirAsia Japan was scheduled to begin…
JCB Co., Ltd. (“JCB”), the only international payment brand based in Japan, will be conducting a trial of payment using palm vein authentication in corporation with Fujitsu Limited and Fujitsu Frontech Limited. The trial will be held at the JCB World…
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