Apparel retailers entered FY2014 with a good deal of worry about just how long consumers would stay away from stores after splurging before the consumption tax increase. The good news was that for many the second half of the year was positive, and by the end of the year, losses had been recouped. As a […]
Parco has a renewed sense of purpose, not to mention a decent budget, since being taken over by J Front Retailing. It will close its Chiba building, a good thing, and build a vast new tower in Shibuya. It will also open more Zerogate mini shop buildings in order to maximise its presence in key […]
TSI Holdings is one of Japan’s most establishment apparel houses, with links across government and industry, providing a support network that has helped it through the tumultuous years of merger and rationalisation. These links became more transparent last month when the Development Bank of Japan acquired a stake and became its key advisor on future […]
Retail results for FY2014 show just how well corporate retailing weathered the impact of the consumption tax increase in April 2014. Market share for the largest companies continues to grow, as does the percentage of sales taken up by private brands, but dynamism is also reflected in the emergence of new success stories. These are […]
Calendar year results for the three big format sectors, department stores, GMS and supermarket chains, and convenience stores, provide a quick hint of what to expect from results at the end of the financial year. Although 2014 was a difficult year given the increase in prices from tax hikes and higher cost imports, on the […]
The mountains of little used clothing and accessories piling up in the back of closets across Japan is suddenly an area ripe for exploration in the new online sharing boom. A new start up aims to help people clean-up, while another is offering rental services based on expert advice from stylists. There is even a […]
Mash Holdings has been the fastest growing fashion retailer for the last two years, and has ambitious plans to expand further both at home and overseas. However, while it will double store openings this financial year, it expects sales to rise just 20%, not bad, but half the growth rates of 2012 and 2013. Japan’s […]
GMS share of the apparel market shrank last year, with sales down yet again. There is some glimmer of hope as the top chains expand private brand ranges, design better apparel floors, and in many cases, hand over space to specialty tenants, with some even making a profit. General Merchandise Store (GMS) chains continue to […]
Thanks to its Chinese shareholders, Baroque Japan is now gearing up for a new life as a multinational fashion retailer. Last month it showcased four new apparel brands aimed at both increasing market share at home and accelerating expansion in Asia, while also launching a new footwear chain. Baroque held a trade exhibition for its […]
Ace is Japan’s biggest home-grown luggage firm, despite losing both Samsonite and Tumi over the last decade. As well as signing replacements, it is also investing heavily in its own brands with plans to globalise distribution over the next few years with the help of US subsidiary Zero Halliburton and Italian partner Pelletteria Clio. Ace, […]
GU has grown from scratch to sales of ¥83 billion in seven years and expects to hit ¥100 billion this year. It continues to expand store numbers rapidly while working on new, more fashionable merchandising as it begins to expand overseas. GU, Fast Retailing’s second chain, is forecasting sales will hit ¥100 billion for the […]
Japan has a host of fast growing fashion retailers. One of the most consistent is Trinity Arts which is using the large cash pile of new parent Adastria to rapidly expand existing chains and launch new ones, including for overseas markets. Trinity Arts looks set to continue its rapid growth of recent years. In FY2012 […]
Cross Company still delivers rapid growth but it is reaching a scale that could well slow it down if it doesn’t expand beyond the current model and narrow market. It knows this, and for the last two years has been working on a plan to create a new kind of fashion chain, one that is […]
The results for specialty apparel retailing in FY2012 were even better than 2011, reflecting higher spending on premium fashions as well as a general uplift in consumer demand. The top specialty apparel retailers outperformed the market, averaging 9.1% growth and now account for 35% of the entire apparel market – the top 20 alone own […]
