Onitsuka Tiger, Laneige, Adidas and Lacoste Open Four Asian Flagships
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Four major retail brands, Onitsuka Tiger, Laneige, Adidas Originals, and Lacoste, opened flagship stores across Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, and Hong Kong in August 2026 to expand their physical footprints in Asia.
The rollouts include an 1,837-square-metre store for Onitsuka Tiger in Shinjuku and an 18-month redevelopment for Laneige in Seoul featuring on-site robotic product compounding.
Automation in Seoul and Scale in Tokyo
In Tokyo, Onitsuka Tiger opened its largest global flagship across four levels in Shinjuku. Designed with Milan architecture firm Studio Dini Cataldi, the building features a Tiger Yellow concrete facade and houses the label’s complete lineup, including the Heritage, Contemporary, and The Onitsuka formal footwear ranges under a unified roof.
Laneige reopened its Seoul flagship with automated manufacturing built directly into the sales floor. Shoppers use artificial intelligence diagnostics to generate custom skincare and complexion formulations. A robotic dispenser produces personalized cushion foundation from 150 shades, while custom Cream Skin toners are blended on site from 25 base formulations in roughly 20 minutes.
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“In Tokyo, Onitsuka Tiger opened its largest global flagship across four levels in Shinjuku.”
Heritage Streetfronts in Bangkok and Hong Kong
Adidas Originals took over a two-storey godown on Song Wat Road in Bangkok, creating its first standalone street location in Thailand. The ground floor integrates trading district props such as pushcarts alongside a Maker Lab for apparel customization, while the upper level holds Southeast Asia’s first combined Adidas and % Arabica coffee outlet overlooking the Chao Phraya River.
Lacoste established a flagship in Hong Kong’s Central district inside the Grade I historic Pedder Building. The interior repurposes the structure’s classic arches into dedicated zones for menswear, womenswear, and sport, incorporating art by Alvin CK Lam and furniture built from recycled tennis balls by Belgian designer Mathilde Wittock.
The Direct-to-Consumer Calculation
These large-footprint flagships show operators trading sales floor density for operational theatre. By bundling customization labs, in-store cafes, and robotic assembly lines into physical spaces, brands are treating flagships as media channels rather than simple inventory distribution points. The approach increases fit-out costs and staffing requirements, but it insulates physical locations against pure e-commerce erosion by selling products that cannot be purchased online.
For landlords across prime Asian high streets, the shift favors tenants that can generate sustained foot traffic without relying entirely on wholesale distribution. The risk rests in long-term maintenance: high-concept production zones and customized hardware require ongoing operational discipline once initial opening publicity fades.
The Shinjuku opening follows an August restructuring announcement from parent group Asics, which approved a plan to carve out the Onitsuka Tiger business into a wholly owned unit named OT Group. That operational transfer takes effect on January 1, when the brand begins trading under the dedicated subsidiary.
Questions & Answers
Q.What is the purpose of these new flagship stores for the brands involved?
What is the purpose of these new flagship stores for the brands involved?
The brands are using these large-footprint flagships as media channels, rather than just inventory distribution points. They are bundling customisation labs, in-store cafes, and robotic assembly lines into these physical spaces.
Q.How does Laneige's new Seoul store utilise technology to enhance the customer experience?
How does Laneige's new Seoul store utilise technology to enhance the customer experience?
Shoppers use AI diagnostics for custom skincare and complexion formulations. A robotic dispenser produces personalised cushion foundation from 150 shades, and custom toners are blended on site from 25 base formulations.
Q.What are the potential downsides or risks associated with this flagship store strategy?
What are the potential downsides or risks associated with this flagship store strategy?
The approach increases fit-out costs and staffing requirements. There is also a risk in long-term maintenance, as high-concept production zones and customised hardware require ongoing operational discipline.
Q.What recent structural change has occurred for Onitsuka Tiger?
What recent structural change has occurred for Onitsuka Tiger?
Following an August restructuring announcement, Onitsuka Tiger's parent group, Asics, approved a plan to carve out the business into a wholly owned unit named OT Group, effective January 1.