Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Japan, updated continuously by our newsroom.
Japanese retailer Daiso has launched its first directly operated Canada store in downtown Vancouver. Taking over a former bookstore space, the debut Daiso Canada spans 4700sqft and features a selection of 12,000 products, ranging from seasonal items,…
Japan’s Fast Retailing, the owner of clothing brand Uniqlo, on Thursday reported a 23 percent jump in half-yearly operating profit and raised its full-year profit estimate. The company has been among the most resilient retailers during the COVID-19 pandemic,…
Food and grocery delivery service Foodpanda has launched a Covid-19 vaccination awareness campaign across Asia in the lead-up to WHO’s World Immunisation Week. The campaign, which aims to reach more than 10 million people across Asia, will include a series of…
Tech-enabled coffee chain Flash Coffee has raised US$15 million in its Series A funding led by White Star Capital, aiming to launch 300 stores this year. The Series A round sets the total capital raised by Flash Coffee to US$20 million. Investors include…
More losses from the downfall of Bill Hwang’s Archegos Capital Management have been unveiled, this time from Japan’s largest bank. Mitsubishi UFJ Group’s (MUFG) securities arm faces losses of up to $300 million related to an unnamed U.S. client, according to…
Japanese retail sales fell for the third straight month in February as households kept a lid on expenditure amid the coronavirus emergency, underscoring the fragile nature of the economy’s recovery from last year’s slump. Analysts expect Japan’s economy…
There are several unique and beautiful Starbucks stores in Japan including the traditional Machiya style store in Kyoto and the Edo-style wooden house store in Kawagoe City, and they have been popular tourist attractions nowadays. In 2020 spring, Starbucks…
More than 10 years after they were first proposed, high-speed railroad plans remain mired in concerns and disagreement over speeds and cost. Three high-speed routes are currently under study or have been proposed: north-south, Ho Chi Minh City-Can Tho and…
Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced that SoftBank Corp. has launched its 5G millimeter (mmWave) service in Japan – using devices based on Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 5G Mobile Platforms and Modem-RF Systems. 5G mmWave allows Japanese users to enjoy the fastest…
Shopping malls and restaurants in Japan will miss out on a business boom, as Tokyo expects to hold the Olympics without overseas spectators, dealing another blow to industries already on the ropes from the coronavirus. In the years leading up to the Games,…
The virtual and interactive experience will replicate the brand’s flapship Ginza store and will serve as a space to present its Spring/Summer 2021 collection. Customers will be able to purchase items from the collection by selecting the digital items in store…
Japanese e-commerce and tech company Rakuten has sold a 13% share amounting to $2.2 billion to Japan Post, Tencent and Walmart. Japan Post will invest $1.4 billion into Rakuten, thereby owning 8.3% of the company’s total share to become its fourth-largest…
Toyota, Nissan, Honda and other Japanese automakers scrambled on Monday to assess the production impact of a fire at a Renesas Electronics automotive chip plant that could aggravate a global semiconductor shortage. “We are gathering information and trying to…
LIXIL, maker of pioneering water and housing products, today announced the launch of its flagship showroom in Singapore. Located at a heritage shophouse unit at 24 Mohd Sultan Road, the 6,000 square feet store is in the heart of Singapore’s prime lifestyle…
Hermès is delighted to announce the opening of a new address in Tokyo’s Omotesando district on 28th February 2021. This new 488 square-meter home will be the house’s first free-standing store in Tokyo since the opening of Maison Hermès Ginza in 2001. A…
Los Angeles-based fine jewelry and lifestyle brand Hoorsenbuhs opened its first overseas store at the Ginza Six mall in Tokyo, Japan on Friday, March 5th. The 1,050 square foot space in Tokyo comes to life through the eyes of founder Robert Keith. For the…
Weekly Briefing
Tuesday, Thursday and a Saturday Weekly Wrap: the retail stories, numbers and moves that mattered across Asia. Nothing else, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Read by retail operators, investors and brand teams across Asia.