Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Japan, updated continuously by our newsroom.
Five Japanese automakers including Suzuki Motor Corp and Mazda Motor Corp said they would each invest 2 percent in the on-demand, self-driving car service venture set up by SoftBank Corp and Toyota Motor Corp. Suzuki, Mazda, Subaru Corp, Isuzu Motors Ltd and…
Ryohin Keikaku Japan’s board of directors has resolved the establishment of a subsidiary in Denmark by Muji Europe Holdings – its regional headquarters in Europe – for further business development. Regarding the territory as a growing market in one of the…
Hong Kong dining concepts business Pirata Group is opening Honjo, a modern Japanese restaurant, in Sheung Wan district late next month. As Pirata’s second Japanese concept, Honjo will be a 120-seat venue independent from its cosy street-inspired neighbour,…
Japanese tax-free store operator Laox plans to raise US$94 million to expand its activities in China and boost its e-commerce footprint. The company will issue shares to Granda Galaxy (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Suning Appliance Group), and Global Worker (a…
A Japanese collective including Yamato Transport and Rakuten will partner with the Japanese government in a road test of autonomous delivery robots. A government-appointed team will monitor the testing to identify potential issues, with a special focus on…
Trends come and go in the retail world, but one which undoubtedly appears to be here to stay is the shift in how consumers now choose to pay for goods and services. Physical cash has played an important part in retail for decades, but a recent announcement…
Japanese-Italian cafe chain Pronto Caffe & Bar is opening in Singapore this week. Set to open on Thursday (June 13) at Capital Square, the outlet will serve breakfast sets, pastas, pizzas, desserts and coffee by day; and alcohol and bar food by night. The…
Nok Air airlines continue to launch international routes to meet every travel lifestyle. Which recently opened direct flights from Don Mueang to Hiroshima, Japan. The first flights have created a lot of excitement for the people of Hiroshima. They saw Nok…
The new Lush Tokyo store opened on Saturday is its largest yet in Asia, a three-storey, 1240sqm flagship. Billed as “a global destination, with a curation of the best of Lush as you know it,” the Lush Shinjuku store is housed in the southeast wing of Shinjuku…
UNIQLO’s graphic T-shirt brand, UT, launches the latest MANGA UT collection, with themes from globally popular manga and anime series. The collection is available at all UNIQLO stores through UNIQLO.com, with specific titles launching on May 27 and June 10.…
Amazon Japan is partnering with local supermarket operator Life Corp to sell fresh foods online. The project will commence in parts of Tokyo later this year and provide a range of produce to Amazon’s Prime Now subscribers in Japan, offering order times as…
The first crop of Asian operators have responded to the US trade ban on Huawei and its implication for Huawei’s access to the Android OS by freezing sales of new Huawei devices. Japan’s KDDI and SoftBank have both revealed plans to postpone the planned launch…
Japan’s communications ministry plans to create around 10 billion 14-digit phone numbers in anticipation of the 5G era. The 14-digit numbers starting with the code 020 will be introduced by 2021 at the latest. The current stock of 11 digit mobile numbers is…
Japanese household goods store The Loft is preparing to open a new store in China’s Chengdu with local superstore business Chengdu Ito-Yokado. The Loft holds a 90 percent stake in the new joint venture, which has registered capital of RMB45 million (US$6.54…
Japanese two-wheeler giant, Yamaha Motor has announced a production milestone of 10 million units in India. The company achieved the landmark production figure in 34 years of its presence in the country, having begun operations in 1985. The production number…
Japanese beauty brand SK-II has partnered with The Shilla Duty-Free to bring Future X Smart Store to Changi airport. According to SK-II, the smart store merges the latest digital technology with in-store experience to deliver “a convenient and pressure-free…
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