Mercari plans Tokyo store to tempt more into its online marketplace
Online flea market operator Mercari Inc. said Thursday that it would try its hand at brick and mortar operations in hope of reaching tens of millions of untapped users in the Japanese market, allowing them to sell their used goods on the spot and ...
Community and deals at the Oi Racecourse Flea Market
Oi Racecourse Flea Market is a mismatch of stalls and sellers that is a surprisingly exciting insight into a different side of Tokyo.
As seniors worry about leaving the burden of unwanted possessions to relatives upon their death, more are learning to use flea market apps to declutter early.
Flea market apps transforming Japan's thrift culture
When strapped for cash before his next paycheck, Ryo Takezawa would trudge over to the nearest Bookoff, the nation's largest chain of secondhand bookstores, to sell his novels and CDs. But the buyback rates were meager: The 37-year-old temporary worker was lucky if he was ...
Throwback time for fashion leads to innovation
As regular followers of Japanese fashion can attest, the industry can be seen as somewhat flirtatious, dallying with new debutantes, another sister brand, another collaboration, another short-term "limited shop" or another retail concept that makes the news but doesn't really change the game. It is ...
It's a buyer's market as smartphone apps mimic auction sites
People are increasingly turning to smartphone applications to sell used clothes and goods free of tax. Shohei Fujii, 28, from Tokyo's Suginami Ward, took a picture of a T-shirt that no longer fitted him and within three minutes uploaded it to Mercari. It took only ...
Festival flea markets are a treat
The Japanese have a knack for putting hard-to-describe feelings into words. A good example is the word "mottainai," used when expressing regret over wasting a resource or opportunity. It's an expression that's getting good use recently, as society makes a push to be more ...
