Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Japan, updated continuously by our newsroom.
Japanese automakers’ China sales grew by more than 10% from a year earlier in July as the world’s biggest auto market sustained its recovery. Nissan Motor said on Wednesday its sales in China rose 11.6% last month from a year earlier to 120,945 vehicles.…
Japan’s Honda Motor Co on Wednesday forecast a 68 percent decrease in annual operating profit to a 10-year low with global demand for cars expected to slide because of the coronavirus pandemic. The country’s No. 3 automaker expects profit to sink to 200…
Japanese retail sales have fallen by 1.2 percent during the month of June over the same month last year. It was the fourth consecutive month of a decline in retail trade, largely brought about by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The drop stands in…
Japanese electronics retailer Laox is to shut half of its stores in Japan as its customer base dried up due to Covid-19 social-distancing. Laox is managed by Chinese electronics giant Suning and the duty-free stores had been a popular location for Chinese…
Japanese clothing label Cecil McBee is shutting down all of its physical outlets in its home territory. The brand has operated since the 80s, targeting a young fashionable market, but has struggled to remain relevant against Forever 21, H&M and other newer…
A long-running feud for control of a Japanese provider of home-cooked meals Ootoya has spilled out of the boardroom and into the kitchen. Colowide, which owns multiple restaurant chains in Japan, is seeking to take control of Ootoya Holdings, a well-known…
Household and consumer goods retailer Muji has built a Muji bus – a store inside a revamped tourist coach targeting consumers living in Japan’s mountainous regions. The new Muji to Go mobile store launches alongside Muji’s largest store internationally which…
Japanese homewares and lifestyle retailer Muji has placed its US business in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with debts of US$64 million. The company said the measure was the result of having to continue to pay rent in high-profile locations while stores…
Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo will open a new store in the country at Bondi Junction this September, taking its store count in Australia to 24. The new store at Westfield Bondi Junction, which will span 1323sqm, will be the retailer’s ninth store in New…
Japanese convenience-store chain FamilyMart will be sold outright to local trading company Itochu, according to reports. The buyer, which currently holds 50 percent of FamilyMart business, made the decision to fully purchase the chain last Wednesday in a…
Takashimaya, the Japanese department store operator, has reported a loss of US$190 million in the May quarter as it faced extraordinary payments related to the Covid-19 pandemic and falling sales. The company was forced to effectively close 22 stores in Japan…
Toshio Yamada, the founder of Factelier, is a young Japanese entrepreneur who wants to preserve the craftsmanship of his country’s apparel industry. Yamada has created his own uniquely Japanese brand Factelier which designs and sources clothing and…
Chinese fruit-based cheese tea brand Nayuki is making its debut in Japan, opening its first cafe in the Zero Gate shopping complex in Osaka. The new 200sqm store features a teahouse experience similar to the brand’s locations in its home market, incorporating…
Amorepacific’s makeup brand Espoir has entered Japanese offline retail channels after making an online debut in April. The South Korean brand expanded into some mainstream multi-brand shops in Japan including @Cosme, Loft and Tokyu Hands. The brand’s…
Japanese convenience-store business Lawson will cooperate with local home-goods network Muji in a sales and brand development partnership, according to a Nikkei Asia report. The deal will see Muji products stocked in Lawson Japan outlets as well as the…
Japanese department store Odakyu has partnered with Taeltech marketplace to launch service in China. Through the Taeltech ecosystem, Odakyu Department Store will trial a selection of products including Japanese accessories, apparel and cosmetics, in the first…
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