NEWSWORTHY
Aeon rolls out real-time video interpreting service for non-Japanese customers in 10 languages
In light of an increasing number of foreign customers, supermarket giant Aeon Co. on Friday launched a real-time video interpreting service. Shop clerks at about 550 Aeon stores now carry smartphones or tablet devices that can access interpreters through video chat software to assist non-Japanese ...
Walmart may be on the cusp of making its final checkout from the Japanese retail market
With speculation rife that Walmart Inc. is seeking to offload Seiyu, its Japanese subsidiary, the U.S. retail behemoth's possible failure may be interpreted as the result of this country's ultracompetitive retail market. After all, other global supermarket operators, such as Britain's Tesco PLC and France's ...
SoftBank Group Corp., Aeon Co. and Yahoo Japan Corp. are considering launching a joint online shopping business to catch up to U.S. online retail giant Amazon.com Inc., a source close to the matter said Friday. The three companies are discussing a joint venture to sell ...
Retail giant Aeon evolves to engage Japan's aging customer base
The company has renovated 13 outlets across the country to cater to seniors, offering earlier opening hours and services that encourage asatomo (morning friends) get-togethers.
Retail giant Aeon to stop selling pornographic magazines at its 7,000 outlets in January
Major Japanese retail chain Aeon Co. will stop selling pornographic magazines at its 7,000 outlets across the country in January in response to complaints from customers about sexually explicit front covers on store shelves. Ministop Co., a convenience store chain under the umbrella of Aeon, ...
Shopping malls promising despite growing e-commerce in Jakarta
Despite the growing trend in online retailing, shopping malls remain a promising business in Jakarta, as few entertainment options are available for families vacationing in the Indonesian capital, according to a U.S.-based global real estate service company. Twelve shopping centers with a total floor space ...
Aeon to launch tourism venture aimed at helping Japan's quake-hit Tohoku region
In a bid to boost the Tohoku region's recovery from damage caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, retail giant Aeon Co. will launch a venture offering tourism and other activities in affected areas. The major supermarket and shopping mall chain has ...
Retailers turn deaf ear to Kuroda's inflation pledge
While Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda's vow to overshoot the Bank of Japan's 2 percent inflation target caused a stir among monetary policy watchers in September, it's yet to have an impact among retailers. Stores as diverse as supermarket operator Aeon, Mister Donut and Wal-Mart have all ...
As Japan grays, retailers covet youthful masses in Vietnam
These days, Thu Huong no longer shops at the fresh produce market near her home, opting instead to hop in a taxi and head off to Aeon Co.'s 9-month-old mall in Hanoi. There, as she shops for her family of five, she can bask ...
Shoppers tighten purse strings, making Japan retailers see red
Japan's discount-seeking shoppers drove some retailers into the red last quarter as an uncertain economic outlook persuaded consumers to tighten their purse strings. Supermarkets and clothing stores will probably cut prices more to spur sluggish sales, which caused Aeon Co., the nation's biggest retailer by ...
Lean beef sees surge in popularity among Japan's health-conscious
Demand for lean cuts of beef is rising in Japan as consumers become increasingly health-conscious. "When I find savory-looking lean beef at a supermarket, I cannot resist buying it," Yukiko Otsuka, a 40-year-old housewife in Yokohama said. "As the fat content of lean beef is low, ...
Stores fire up their networks to quickly send aid to flood areas
Following torrential rain that triggered massive flooding in the northeast and led to the evacuation of thousands of people, major retailers and convenience store operators rushed to deliver supplies for those affected by the disaster. When news broke Thursday that the collapse of the banks ...
