Sales at Japan’s four major department stores in February 2025 were up for all four companies compared to the same month last year. Among the major department stores, Isetan Mitsukoshi saw sales increase by 2.3%, Takashimaya by 1.7%, Daimaru Matsuzakaya by 4.6%, and Hankyu Department Store by 0.6%. The increase is believed to be the […]
Sumitomo Mitsui Card has released a report on credit card spending trends by foreigners visiting Japan. According to the report, the amount of credit card payments by foreigners visiting Japan from January to November 2024 increased significantly, up 50.4% from the same period in 2019 before the Covid-19 Disaster and up 55.3% from the same […]
Matsuya Ginza, a department store operator in Ginza, Tokyo, announced on November 27 that it has launched a new e-commerce site, “matsuyaginza.com” to realize OMO (Online Merges with Offline). The new digital platform will allow customers to access a luxury product lineup from around the world, including brands that have stores in Matsuya Ginza as […]
According to preliminary November sales figures released by four major department store operators, all of them posted year-on-year increases. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. posted a 10.4% y-o-y sales increase, J. Front Retailing (total of department store operations) a 7.6% increase, H2O Retailing (total of all Hankyu Hanshin department stores) a 5.8% increase, and Takashimaya stores […]
The “Black Friday” sales that have been introduced in supermarkets in Japan are now being introduced in department stores as well. “Black Friday” was originally a large-scale sale held toward the end of November in the U.S., but in recent years, Japanese retailers have begun to introduce the concept as well. Sogo & Seibu, one […]
Komehyo, a major reuse company which deals with luxury brand products, will open a new store along Ginza Chuo-dori on January 19. KOMEHYO Ginza Store, which has been operating in Ginza 5-chome since 2011, has been relocated. By opening a store in an area where many luxury brand flagship stores are located, the company aims […]
All four major department stores in Japan announced significant increases in same-store sales for September. Overall sales were boosted by the easing of covid-19 action restrictions this year, as well as continued strong demand for luxury brands and jewelry. Sales of fall/winter clothing were also strong for both men and women. Isetan Mitsukoshi HD posted […]
An official retailer of the Swiss watch brand Rolex opened in Korinbo, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, on September 17. Rolex had been operating as a tenant shop in a department store in this area, but this is the first indipendent boutique on the Sea of Japan coast. Rolex’s boutiques have been located mainly in metropolitan […]
Department stores are rejuvenating their customer base for what they call “Gaisho” services for the wealthy. At the Isetan Shinjuku main store, the amount of purchases by Gaisho customers 44 years old and younger expanded fivefold before the Covid-19 disaster. At Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store, 60% of Gaisho members via the newly established online counter […]
Japanese consumers are increasingly interested in beauty, influenced by their life with face masks for the Covid-19 disaster, and are increasingly choosing hair care products that emphasize functionality. Drugstores’ best-selling shelves are lined with high-priced shampoos featuring plant-derived and hair-beautifying ingredients. The selling price of hair care products has risen over the past five years. […]