Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Japan, updated continuously by our newsroom.
London-based cloud-native application security startup Snyk is eyeing Asia Pacific and Japan, following a breakout year in 2020. Snyk has announced plans to expand in Singapore, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, and has appointed vice president…
Japan’s venture capital firm Genesia Ventures led the seed funding round of Vietnam based media startup Vietcetera with the investment of $700,000. The deal, finalized during the first quarter of 2020, is being made public after Vietcetera received its…
Japnese billionaire entrepreneur Maezawa Yusaku is once again tapping into the public sphere to further his personal pursuits, this time for the recruitment of co-travelers in a trip around the moon. Eight crew members will be chosen for a private SpaceX…
Japanese department-store operator J.Front is to introduce a fashion subscription rental service. According to Nikkei Asia, J.Font’s new service will offer a monthly rental option with fee starting from US$103, featuring high-end women’s apparel from local…
Japanese oil giant ENEOS Corporation has registered to buy 25 million shares of fuel distributor Petrolimex on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange. The transaction, to be completed in March, if successful, will see ENEOS increase its stake in Petrolimex to 2.94…
AirAsia Japan’s closure has cost the Malaysia-based AirAsia Group nearly $80 million over three quarters. AirAsia Group owns 48.9% of the joint venture carrier, which ceased operations in October and filed for bankruptcy in the following month. AAJ commenced…
The global semiconductor chip shortage is not likely to significantly affect the financial profiles of Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp or Honda Motor Co, ratings agency Fitch said in a statement on Wednesday. The automakers have enough financial flexibility to…
South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang, backed by Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp, on Friday filed to go public on the New York Stock Exchange, hoping to cash in on strong demand for high-growth tech stocks as it reported a near-doubling of annual revenue and…
Japan’s cuddly bear character Rilakkumma, who has captured the hearts of children and adults alike with his laidback demeanor, sits on the shelves of a swanky department store in the capital, flanked by Hello Kitty and other plush toys. As the Lunar New Year…
Fans of Japanese minimalist brand Muji will be delighted to know that the retailer is planning to open its “largest” store in the Philippines — soon. Muji announced this last night in a social media post, where it told followers to “stay tuned for more info.”…
IMAGR says the deal with Japanese H2O Retailing Corporation is its first international sales partnership. The Kiwi tech startup is the creator of the SmartCart intelligent shopping trolley. The system uses computer vision technology and AI to reduce queues in…
Brands in the tech sector are likely to record mixed fortunes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with retail tech brands predicted to fare the best compared to leisure and tourism tech brands, which are expected to suffer considerably, according to the…
Japanese cosmetics firm Shiseido Co Ltd said on Friday it was in talks to sell its lower-priced skincare and shampoo lines to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners in a deal reported to be valued at over $1.45 billion. Shiseido said it was in talks to sell…
British lifestyle brand Laura Ashley has revealed an expansion plan in Japan with seven new outlets scheduled to open during the first three months of this year. New Laura Ashley Japan stores will include those in Tokyu Department Store Sapporo, Tobu…
Japanese bank Nomura aims to more than triple assets under management in its International Wealth Management business by March 2025, through an accelerated expansion of the client franchise and enhancement of the wealth management product and services…
It was last year at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January when Sony Corporation surprised everyone by showcasing its fully electric car – Vision-S. The Japanese technology giant revealed the electric prototype which comes packed with high-end…
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