NEWSWORTHY
Finally in cross-hairs of Trump's tariffs, U.S. retailers sound alarm
After surviving a year mostly unscathed in President Donald Trump's trade war, retailers are finally sounding the alarm bell — and loudly. Home Depot Inc. estimated Tuesday the hit to product costs could be $1 billion a year. J.C. Penney Co. said further escalation — ...
Tough online competition forces Isetan Mitsukoshi to shutter one of its Singapore outlets
Leading department store operator Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. will shut one of its five outlets in Singapore due to tough competition from online retailers. Its local subsidiary, Isetan (Singapore) Ltd., said Monday it will not renew its lease with JB Trustee Pte., landlord of the ...
Japan store operator Cainz to set up fund to invest in AI tech in Silicon Valley
Do-it-yourself store operator Cainz Corp. will set up a fund in Silicon Valley to invest in startups with artificial intelligence and other technologies, according to President Masayuki Takaya. "We'll create a foothold in the U.S. West Coast to tap technologies of local startups," Takaya said ...
Preparations for 2020 Tokyo Olympics transforming capital into 'global standard' city
Foreign-language signs are increasingly common along streets, cashless payment is becoming available at more shops and restaurants and ashtrays are vanishing from public spaces. Change is afoot in Tokyo. The capital is rapidly transforming into a "global standard" city with these moves ahead of the ...
Moves are afoot among major convenience store chains to review the uniform 24-hour operation of their stores, the standard industry practice since Seven-Eleven Japan Co. started it a year after it opened its first outlet in 1974. The sustainability of 24-hour operations came under ...
Fast Retailing cuts profit estimate as slowing Uniqlo sales in Japan offset brisk business abroad
Fast Retailing Co. said the brisk performance of its Uniqlo casual clothing brand in overseas markets helped lift the group's profits in its first half, but the firm also downgraded full-year estimates due to slowing sales at home. For the six months through February, its ...
Amazon Japan to withdraw controversial reward point plan after FTC launched probe
Amazon Japan G.K. will withdraw its plan to provide customers with reward points worth at least 1 percent of purchase amounts for all items on its shopping site, company sources said. According to an announcement by the unit of U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc. in ...
Yodobashi to buy outdoor goods shop operator ICI Ishii-Sports
Major electronics retailer Yodobashi Holdings said Wednesday it will acquire outdoor goods shop operator ICI Ishii-Sports as early as the end of this month. The operator of Yodobashi Camera stores will buy all outstanding shares in ICI Ishii-Sports including those held by investment fund Advantage ...
Lawson to install self-checkout service in all stores across Japan amid labor crunch
Lawson Inc. will introduce self-checkout systems in all 14,000 of its convenience stores by October to cope with Japan's chronic labor shortage and ease the burden on existing employees, company sources said Monday. Customers across the nation will process their purchases by scanning barcodes themselves ...
Culture meets convenience as Japan's konbini stores bet that books go down well with a bento
With increased competition from online stores and digital alternatives, bookstores in Japan are belatedly following their overseas brethren out of business, so convenience store chains are stepping in to cater to readers who like to peruse a page or two before they buy. Of the ...
Struggling furniture retailer Otsuka Kagu forms tie-up with Yamada Denki
Otsuka Kagu Ltd. said Friday the struggling furniture retailer has reached a basic agreement to form a business tie-up with major electronics retailer Yamada Denki Co. The two companies will provide each other with know-how on selling furniture and home appliances while cooperating on human ...
Japan's H2O Retailing expands push into Taiwan bread market with joint venture
Japanese department store operator H2O Retailing Corp. will set up a joint venture in Taiwan to meet growing consumer demand for freshly baked bread. H2O will upgrade its partnership with PX Mart Co., a local supermarket chain, to sell more freshly made bread in Taiwan. The ...
