Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Japan, updated continuously by our newsroom.
Japanese cosmetics brand Etvos has received a significant investment from global private-equity firm L Catterton’s Asia fund. The LVMH and Groupe Arnault-backed fund will partner with Etvos’s existing management to extend growth, with special attention to…
Japanese retail sales have recorded a distinct uptick as consumers enter a panic-buying mode in response to the coronavirus outbreak, according to Nikkei Asian Review. According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japanese retail sales rose 1.7…
KFC Japan will celebrate its 50 anniversary this year. After its successful trial at the Osaka Expo in March 1970, KFC Japan was founded on July 4 in honor of Independence Day in the fast-food chain’s home country, the US. The first KFC Japan store was opened…
Japanese ramen chain Aori Ramen has declared bankruptcy after suffering from coronavirus and the boycott on Japanese goods in South Korea. All Aori Ramen branches will be shut down, including those in Malaysia and China. According to Koreaboo, Aori F&B filed…
Starbucks Japan has launched a new concept store in collaboration with railway operator JR East. The “Starbucks Coffee Takanawa Gateway Station” opened yesterday, introducing its Smart Lounge concept – a store space focused on business use. The store features…
Singaporean and Japanese Bridal jewelry brand Venus Tears has opened a flagship store off Orchard Road. Located inside Wisma Atria shopping mall, Venus Tears features wedding bands and engagement rings which are designed and manufactured in Japan. The brand…
Japanese sports and outdoor goods retailer Alpen Co is set to launch Kanagawa’s first experience-based store late next month. The Alpen Outdoors LaLaport Yokohama store will handle more than 40,000 predominantly outdoor-related products under 200 brands.…
A new Chopard Japan flagship store has opened in Osaka, its design upgraded to reflect the latest styles of the French jewelry brand’s European boutiques. Chopard Boutique Hankyu Umeda Honten “embodies the spirit of the Maison” according to a Chopard Japan…
Japanese department-store chain Isetan will quit Thailand later this year after 28 years operating in Bangkok. The company says it will not renew the lease of its space in the CentralWorld shopping center when it comes up for renewal in August. However,…
Osaka-based drugstore Maruya has made its international debut in Hong Kong with its first store in Sheung Shui, a prominent ‘border town’ notorious for parallel traders. The drugstore will feature imported Japanese goods including cosmetics and daily…
Starbucks Japan is to open its first signing store in early Summer 2020 in Kunitachi City, Tokyo. Launched for the convenience of the deaf and hard of hearing, the new Starbucks outlet will provide service to customers in Japanese Sign Language. Signing…
Isetan’s Japan Food Town restaurants on the Singaporean department store’s fourth floor have been unexpectedly shuttered. A Straits Times report said Isetan filed a statement with the Singapore Exchange in late January, saying that notice had been served to…
Starbucks Japan is to open a greenhouse store in western Tokyo this month, set in a theme park celebrating flora and fauna. Located inside the Hana Biyori greenhouse operated by Yomiuriland park, the Starbuck greenhouse cafe occupies a 1500sqm area, featuring…
Together with MUFG’s $726 million investment, the super-app has raised $876 million for its financial services push. TIS, a Japanese provider of network solutions and system integration services, is investing $150 million in super-app Grab in a strategic…
Tokyo Metropolitan Government has launched a souvenir shop, Tokyo Tokyo, at Haneda Airport. Located in a retail strip at the airport’s international terminal, Edo Ko-ji, Tokyo Tokyo offers a wide selection of souvenirs including traditional dolls Daruma,…
Tokyo is to host Japan’s largest fashion and art event next month – Tokyo Creative Salon – part of a plan to boost its case to become one of the world’s key fashion hubs. Supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Creative Salon will be held from…
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