Supermarkets and department stores are churning out low-priced clothing, actively taking part in the planning and production phases to become manufacturing retailers.
"With this price, coming all the way here paying train fares is worth it," said a man in his 60s who traveled from Tokyo to the Jusco Tsudanuma store in Narashino, Chiba Prefecture. The store is run by the Aeon Co. group.
He visited the store to buy three pairs of jeans priced at ¥880 each produced in August by Aeon Topvalu Co. and marketed by Aeon Co. They were put on the market to counter the ¥990 jeans marketed this spring by stores under the wing of Fast Retailing Co.