Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Japan, updated continuously by our newsroom.
Japanese carmaker Honda Motor Co plans to double its market share in India within the next few years, the head of its local unit said, as it looks to boost its presence in the world’s fifth-largest car market. To be a major player and have a meaningful…
Japan’s SoftBank has reported a solid 20% increase in net profit for the nine months ending in December to 1.01 trillion yen ($9.35 billion), partly as a result of cost cutting at US subsidiary Sprint. Net sales for the first nine months of SoftBank’s…
McDonald’s Japan plans to open more stores this year, its first expansion in a decade. At the same time, rival Burger King is working on tripling its Japanese locations to 300 by 2022 at a cost of ¥5 billion (US$45.5 million). With a 4.5-fold increase in…
Shiseido Travel Retail has celebrated the relaunch of luxury brand, Clé de Peau Beauté with ‘A Radiant Day’ campaign, fronted by new global Ambassador – Academy Award-Nominated British actress, Felicity Jones. The campaign coincides with the introduction of…
RIL CREED’s collection of sustainable and ethical Japanese handbags opens its first flagship boutique in Hong Kong. Launched in 2012 in Japan and 2014 in Hong Kong, The Japanese handbag label RIL CREED is designed by Hanada Kazue, a seasoned designer who has…
After nearly a year of planning, Kyoto’s % Arabica Coffee has opened its first store for the Philippines. It is in Manila’s Bonifacio Global City and is the result of the efforts of a mother-and-daughter team that has been travelling around the world looking…
Physical gold demand in Asia picked up towards the end of the week, as a pullback in prices spurred purchases ahead of the Lunar New Year in China and the wedding season in India. Spot gold has declined about 1% so far this week and was headed for a second…
Puma Japan has launched a red-and-white themed collection that pays homage to the Hello Kitty character. At the centre of the limited-edition collection is a pair of sneakers created to mark the 50th anniversary of Puma Suede. For the collection, Hello Kitty…
Hermes international sales showed strong growth last year, pushed by an upward curve in Asia. Sales for the French fashion brand were up 9 per cent at constant exchange rates, with consolidated revenues reaching €5.5 billion (US$6.7 billion). After adjustment…
A rare Japanese whisky just became the most expensive ever sold at auction. The Spirits Business reports that a limited edition bottle of Yamazaki 50-year-old single malt fetched $300,000 at Sotheby’s Finest and Rarest sale in Hong Kong. That’s more than…
Nestlé may have struck gold with the release of a new type of Kit Kat made using special “ruby” cacao beans. The new flavor, Kit Kat Chocolatory Sublime Ruby, was launched in select stories in Japan and South Korea on 19 January 19 2018 and shows signs of…
Following series-A funding of US$2.75 million, Taiwan online retail platform Citiesocial seeks to expand into other parts of Asia. Its funding round was led by the Taiwan fund of Alibaba Group Holding. Citiesocial, which sells items such as water bottles and…
7-Eleven Japan has become the country’s first retailer to open more than 20,000 stores. The Seven & I Holdings unit reported a store count of 20,033 at the end of last month, up by 54 from the end of December. By comparison, Japan has about 24,000 post…
Eclectic Japanese department store Tokyu Hands has been named one of the global finalists in this year’s GIA Awards in Chicago. Tokyu Hands has 75 stores in Japan and three in Singapore, selling items including fashion and interior goods, but with…
In contrast with data about digital transformation and government’s engagement in promoting digital solutions for retail, Singaporeans have not fully embraced e-commerce. Credit Suisse data show that Singapore falls behind China, US, and Japan in terms of…
Japan’s tourism bonanza shows no signs of abating. The country welcomed a record 28.6 million visitors from abroad in 2017, an increase of 19.3% on the year. Travelers also spent significantly more: 4.4 trillion yen ($39.68 billion), up 17.8%. So, where are…
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