No-frills fashion. Cheap and cheerful. Call it what you will, Shimamura Co. has a money-making formula for selling clothes in Japan's moribund economy.
Growth in operating income at the country's second-largest clothing chain has outpaced bigger rival Uniqlo-owner, Fast Retailing Co., for the past five quarters. The reason may come down to the 63-year-old retailer's simple approach.
Shimamura employs no fashion designers or celebrity models. Most of its 2,000 outlets are in residential neighborhoods, rather than on upscale shopping strips. Its merchandise — including ¥1,140 ($10) cardigans and ¥900 skinny pants — are mainly sourced from low-cost manufacturers overseas.