Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Japan, updated continuously by our newsroom.
SoftBank said it has been using NIDD (non-IP data delivery) technology to allow its IoT services to bypass the internet. The Japanese operator announced recently that it has succeeded in completing what it claims is the world’s first connection test in a…
Japanese vendor NEC has announced it has completed the construction of the first subsea cable crossing the south Atlantic ocean for Angola Cables. The South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) has been deployed and is now ready for commercial service. The cable…
A sale of Godiva Japan is being considered which could value the business at US$1.5 billion. Parent Yildiz Holding is considering an offer which would allow it to use the proceeds to reduce debt and invest in other markets with larger growth prospects. Gidova…
Vietnam’s plans for building and expanding airports and seaports have attracted the interest of companies in the U.S. and Japan. Joel Szabat, deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation and International Affairs,…
Japan will this month become the first major economy to launch a domestic payments system based on blockchain technology when three Japanese banks start offering customers free real-time money transfers via a new mobile app. The launch of the MoneyTap system,…
South Korean retail operators Lotte and Shinsegae are competing to buy the 21-year-old local subsidiary of Japanese convenience-store operator Ministop. Shinsegae and Lotte respectively own rival chains Emart24 and 7-Eleven and are both reportedly seeking to…
Major Japanese department stores Takashimaya and Isetan are opening new developments in Tokyo. Both newly-refurbished stores will launch in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district to attract a wider customer base. The move occurs against a backdrop of declining…
Daiso stores will be forced to stop selling individual items of stationery in a bid to try and help struggling small and medium enterprises, Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership (KCCP) said Thursday. The KCCP is set to hold a final vote on Oct. 10 on…
Japanese urban retail concept Lumine is set to open its first store in Jakarta in December. Opened in partnership with local retailer Time International, the store at the Plaza Indonesia mall will be Lumine’s second overseas location. The launch is timed to…
Nestle has opened a pop-up bar in Tokyo to mark today’s release of its new sake-flavoured Kit Kat bar. “Craft Sake Week @Kit Kat Bar” has been offering visitors a preview of the new Umeshu Plum Sake-flavoured chocolate bar paired with cocktails. The space is…
Men’s clothing designer Dunhill London has opened a new flagship store in Ginza, Tokyo. The Dunhill Ginza store blends bar and barbershop environments to create “a masculine and contemporary space” alongside the latest collections by creative director Mark…
A Cartier pop up is set to be hosted in a Tokyo convenience store. In a stark contrast of venue for the distinguished luxury heritage brand, the store-in-store will exhibit the brand’s latest jewellery collection Juste en Clou, designed to resemble the iron…
A Hong Kong property windfall and the Hermes Asia business helped the luxury label set a record profit margin during the first half of this year. Hermes says recurring operating profitability reached 34.5 per cent of sales, with net profit rising 17 per cent…
Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake has opened a new “Good Goods Issey Miyake” concept store in Daikanyama, Tokyo. The two-level 94sqm store, which opened next to label mate “Homme Plisse Issey Miyake”, stocks a curated selection of Issey Miyake pieces as…
Ikea Japan says it plans to expand its store network into city centres after the success of its large-format stores in outskirt locations. Ikea Japan K.K. president Helene von Reis said in an interview that the company will open “many shops in Tokyo” given…
Japanese handmade furniture brand Gankooyaji has opened a store in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Gankooyaji was founded in 1971 by Yasuhiro Ohara. The name translates to “a stubborn father”, which offers a hint to the brand’s mission of using only old-growth wood from…
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