Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Japan, updated continuously by our newsroom.
Modelled after airline lounges, the Sora Japanese gourmet food hall opens at Changi Airport’s Terminal 2 today. Combining two concessions, the 7760sqft (720sqm) space seats about 300 diners and is the largest restaurant across the four terminals at the…
Asia Pacific sales accounted for 39 per cent of group sales for Swiss luxury-goods holding company Richemont for its half-year to September 30. Sales in Asia Pacific rose by by 25 per cent, with double-digit growth in most markets led by Mainland China, Hong…
French leather goods brand Longchamp officially opened its biggest Asian store in Tokyo in October 2017. The move signals a move to attract more Japanese clientele to the Parisian brand, as well as tourist shoppers visiting Japan. Dubbed ‘La Maison…
Athleisure cannot stop, will not stop, and probably will never, ever stop, the proof is on the runway. More specifically the Valentino Resort 2018 runway, which saw a parade of athletic-inspired looks featuring everything from silk tracksuits to fuzzy slides…
Sales momentum in Mainland China helped boost growth for French luxury retailer Hermes in its third quarter. Overall sales grew 11 per cent at constant exchange rates, and at the end of September revenues were up 10 per cent to €4 billion (US$4.6 billion).…
Fast Retailing, operator of casual clothing chain Uniqlo, will introduce IC tags at all its outlets worldwide within a year, President and Chairman Tadashi Yanai said. The retailer will be Japan’s first to use the tags on a global basis. IC tags will save…
Mitsubishi Motors Corp said on Tuesday it swung to an operating profit for the second quarter, beating expectations as it rebounded from a mileage-cheating scandal a year earlier helped by cost cuts and favorable exchange rates. Healthy demand in Southeast…
US brand Blue Bottle Coffee is expected to open in South Korea soon, followed by other Asian countries including China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. “We’re developing our contact here,” CEO Bryan Meehan said while attending the World Coffee Leaders Forum at the…
Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd. is leveraging its AI, mixed reality and other cutting-edge technologies to support Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) in an initiative to enhance its customer relations, boost employee productivity and drive the…
Muji Thailand has opened another store in Bangkok, its second in little more than a month. On Wednesday, Muji opened its doors in the Siam Discovery shopping centre. Yuki Yamamoto, director and GM of Muji’s parent Ryohin Keikaku Co and Naratipe Ruttapradid,…
Led by double-digit growth in China and Hong Kong, Asia/Pacific sales increased sharply for Estee Lauder Companies for its first quarter to the end of September. It says the higher sales in China reflected strong gains for every brand except designer…
Longchamp Japan has launched its largest store for Asia with a flagship in Tokyo’s fashion mecca Shibuya. French actress Audrey Tautou attended the inauguration of La Maison Omotesando, which has a 35m-high facade and offers 500sqm of retail space. It…
NTT DoCoMo joined forces with Toyota, Ericsson and Intel on a trial of 5G technologies for automobiles, achieving data speeds of up to 1Gbps in a vehicle traveling at 30km/h. The trial of 4K video communications was conducted along Tokyo’s Odaiba waterfront.…
Two Tokyo snack brands are setting up shop in Singapore, one opening today and the other in eight days’ time. Established in 2013, The Maple Mania is ready to roll out the red carpet at Ion Orchard. It is known for its maple butter cookies, maple baumkuchen…
A new Japanese drugstore, Welcia-BHG, offers brands previously not available in Singapore. It is a JV between Japanese pharmacy and drugstore chain Welcia and BHG Holdings, a department store chain that has seven outlets in Singapore. On level one of the BHG…
Japan’s NTT DoCoMo has claimed two new world first with recent 5G trials, including the first successful outdoor trial of 5G technologies for ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC). The trial, conducted with Huawei in the 4.5-GHz bands, involved a…
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