As expected Burberry will cancel its main licenses in Japan next year. Headlines quoted plans to quadruple sales in Japan but the actual sales referred to were Burberry’s existing direct operations in Japan, not licensees. There is nevertheless a clear intention to invest heavily in growing the Japanese market, especially retail investment. Sanyo Shokai is […]
It is already widely accepted that Burberry will not renew its key Japanese apparel license with Sanyo Shokai and master license with Mitsui Bussan next year. Given that the UK brand accounts for as much as a third of Sanyo’s sales and significant royalty income for Mitsui, it will be a blow for both firms. […]
Major cosmetics brands enjoyed large sales boosts in March as customers rushed to stock up on product before the price increase – this despite the fact that some in the industry had said to expect little impact given that ‘customers only buy when they need cosmetics’. The same executives are expecting a short sales lull, […]
Look has increased its share of the premium imported brand market in apparel, accessories and footwear through assiduous signings and investment in the last five years. It now plans to expand its own retail brands into Marui and the better shopping centres, acquiring womenswear retailer Laisse Passe last month to accelerate the process. Look, the […]
Itochu Shoji is master licensee for a myriad of brands, but some are more successful than others. One of its biggest hits in the last few years has been Lanvin, which it signed in 2002 and which it has built up from a ¥15 billion a year business to ¥37 billion largely through a successful […]
The Yen may have weakened from ¥100 to ¥140 to the Euro but enthusiasm for European brands continues unabated. Yagi Tsusho signed three brands in the last six months, including Kenzo. Kenzo Paris has signed a joint venture deal with Yagi Tsusho for distribution of the Kenzo brand in Japan. Yagi Tsusho, which has joint […]
Guess left Japan more than eight years ago but is now back with its first store opening this month. Last time it licensed its brand to a local firm, but this time around Guess is following the market leaders with its own direct operation. Guess will re-enter the Japanese market this month with a store […]
IKEA has been operating in Japan since 2006, but went on a short hiatus, opening no new stores between 2008 and 2012. Following the opening in Fukuoka in 2012, it will now add a further four stores over the next two years – the same one or two stores a year pace that it sets […]
