Just as foreign companies have accelerated reorganization of financial and automobile industries, powerful foreign chain stores are now gearing up to expand in the general merchandising market in Japan.
As foreign retailers steadily gain ground in the domestic market, some experts even predict the traditional distribution system and retail landscape may drastically change in the near future.
Costco Wholesale Japan Ltd. and Carrefour Japan Co. plan to open stores this year in Makuhari, a developing business district adjacent to middle-class commuter towns near Chiba Prefecture.