Reporting and analysis on retail, e-commerce, and consumer trends in Japan, updated continuously by our newsroom.
FamilyMart Philippines convenience-store chain, partly owned by the Ayala and Tantoco groups, is up for auction. With about 70 stores, the Japanese chain has been offered to prospective investors in the past few months. Ayala Land and the Rustan’s group, via…
State-affiliated Cool Japan Fund says it will launch comprehensive Japanese food outlets overseas featuring restaurants, shops and cultural experiences. Its first such outlet will be in London early next year through a JV, Ichiba UK, with Japan Centre Group,…
To promote the alcoholic drinks being sold on its platform, Amazon Japan will launch a promotional pop-up bar in Tokyo. In Ginza, the 78-seat Amazon Bar will run for 10 days from October 20, serving cocktails, sake and wine. The online retail giant says some…
Fast Retailing’s Uniqlo says it plans to open a “denim concept shop” in Los Angeles soon. “We take so much inspiration from Los Angeles,” says Uniqlo head of US marketing Marisol Tamaro. The brand has been increasing its commitment to LA and its latest autumn…
Japanese convenience store chain Lawson is expecting a 4 per cent growth in net profit for its half-year to August, defying a projected 7 per cent decline. Lawson Japan attributes the swing to strong sales of salads and other private-label items. Lower costs…
Honda Motor plans to end production at its Sayama plant in Japan by 2022, cutting domestic capacity by around 24 percent as it shifts focus to electric cars (EVs) and other new technologies. The automaker has seen stagnant domestic sales and said on Wednesday…
Cool weather and strong advertising campaigns helped boost sales for Uniqlo Japan last month. It says same-store sales, including online sales, increased by 6.3 per cent year on year, while sales at its own stores grew by 5.5 per cent. Total sales increased…
Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo’s Hana Tajima range is being exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. The exhibit, “Items: Is Fashion Modern?”, is the first that MoMA has dedicated solely to fashion design since 1944, and highlights 111…
hinmei, which owns Japanese restaurant chain Genki Sushi, will buy a one-third stake in bigger rival Sushiro Global Holdings from European private equity firm Permira. Permira has agreed to sell its stake in Sushiro Global, which it bought from Japanese…
Japan’s Panasonic said on Friday it will start producing automotive batteries at its former television screen plant in Japan, accelerating its battery drive to meet anticipated demand for electric vehicles. Panasonic, the exclusive battery cell supplier for…
Japan’s SoftBank and ZTE have achieved a peak data rate of 956Mbps during a trial of TDD Massive MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) technology on a commercial network. The trial in Nagasaki involved 24 terminals simultaneously downloading FTP data at the…
Described as a multifunctional retail and education space, Sake Central has taken over a chunk of Soho’s PMQ to celebrate Japanese culture through food and drink. The Central project is being led by a trio of F&B entities versed in Japanese culture, Elliot…
Toshiba has been stuck in tortuous negotiations over selling the segment, which could raise as much as $20 billion. At a train station used by hundreds of workers at struggling Japanese electronics giant Toshiba, an advert is apparently trying to poach staff…
Milanese concept store 10 Corso Como is returning to Japan tomorrow, with two outlets. The two new retail outlets, 30 sqm each, will be located inside Seibu Ikebukuro and Seibu Shibuya department stores, and will each display 10 Corso Como-branded products.…
Japanese used-book retailer Bookoff Corporation, through its subsidiary Bok Marketing, will open a second Jalan Jalan Japan outlet in Kuala Lumpur. Opening at 1 Shamelin Mall on September 30, it is the brand’s second Southeast Asia store. Also known as “JJJ”,…
Swiss watch brand Hublot has opened a boutique in Kyoto on 26 August 2017, taking up residence in the former space occupied by Hermès. Located in an old machiya-style townhouse in Kyoto’s famous Gion district, the shop features custom Japanese ‘washi’ paper…
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