Retail

Sirclo offers companies an online store dashboard and other services. (Screenshot from Sirclo YouTube page) 
16 February 2023
Young customers flock to a bakery cafe at a site that was once a small handbag factory. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Retail

'Brooklyn of Seoul' attracts brands chasing the young and hip

Seongsu-dong industrial area emerges as 'MZ Gen' magnet after unaided revival

12 February 2023
Dalian Wanzhongyuncang's store will take advantage of China's duty-free program for cross-border e-commerce. (Photo by Shin Watanabe)
Companies

China e-commerce startup to open big box store for Japan, other imports

Dalian company partners with foreign regional banks to find products

11 February 2023
Shoppers line up outside a Shanghai store of French luxury brand Celine at a reopened mall during the pandemic.
Retail

China's luxury market tumbles after five-year hot streak

Demand for pricey watches, handbags and cosmetics shrank 10% in 2022

10 February 2023
A worker at an Aeon store in Chiba prefecture stocks the fish counter. Aeon's retail operations include supermarkets, malls and drugstores.
Retail

Japan retailer Aeon to hike part-time wage by 7% for 400,000 workers

Retailer increases pay more than inflation to counter labor crunch

2 February 2023
DALI says that the Philippines is among the highest food-spending and disposable-income markets in Asia. (Source photos by screenshot from DALI Stores' website) 
DealStreetAsia

Malaysia's Creador invests $55m in Philippines-focused DALI Stores

Fund's founder says country will be among its most active investment markets

1 February 2023
Crowds in Shanghai on the first day of the Lunar New Year. China's economy is forecast to rebound after Beijing dropped its zero-COVID policy.
Economy

China posts tourism and spending jump over Lunar New Year

Holiday travel spending soars 30% after Beijing dismantles zero-COVID curbs

27 January 2023
Prices at Meiyijia tend to be cheaper than at rivals, propelling rapid growth of the chain. (Photo by Takashi Kawakami)
Retail

China's convenience store king Meiyijia eyes 50,000th shop by 2027

Retailer wants better ready-to-eat offerings as it combats low daily sales

27 January 2023
Shoppers visit a Uniqlo store at the Hudson Yards development in New York.
The Nikkei View

Uniqlo's jumbo wage hike will spur business innovation

Fast Retailing provides wake-up call for inward-looking Japanese companies

25 January 2023
Tadashi Yanai, the president and chairman of Fast Retailing, speaks to Nikkei in Tokyo on Jan. 20. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)
Retail

Uniqlo boss hopes big raises shake up stale corporate culture

Fast Retailing's Tadashi Yanai to lure digital talent from U.S. tech giants

20 January 2023
Fans take photos of a display featuring members of K-pop girl band Twice at Tower Records in Tokyo's Shibuya district. (Photo by Yutaka Miyaguchi)
Media & Entertainment

Idol fandom keeps Japan's Tower Records humming

Legendary music store adapts and thrives in the streaming era

15 January 2023
Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing reported first-quarter earnings that fell short of analysts' expectations. (Photo by Masayuki Terazawa) 
Retail

Uniqlo owner sees China recovery after reporting 9% profit drop

Fast Retailing to raise wages to match service it expects: CFO

12 January 2023
A Uniqlo store in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district. Fast Retailing's employees in Japan currently make less than those in places like the U.S. (Photo by Shihoko Nakaoka)
Retail

Uniqlo operator to boost annual pay in Japan by up to 40%

Fast Retailing expects its labor costs in the country to rise by 15%

11 January 2023
Customers shop at a Musinsa store in Seoul. The unicorn integrates brick-and-mortar shops with its mostly digital operation. (Photo by Kotaro Hosokawa)
Startups

K-fashion startup Musinsa goes global, starting with Japan

CEO Han Mun-il looks to ride next cultural wave after K-pop and K-dramas

9 January 2023
After opening its first stores in Malaysia and Singapore in 2022, Nitori is investigating opportunities in the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and South Korea, according to President and COO Toshiyuki Shirai. (Source photos by Sayumi Take and Tsukasa Hadano)
Retail

Japan's Nitori eyes opening stores in Philippines, Thailand

Furniture retailer leverages strong supply chains for Asia expansion: president

6 January 2023
China's JD.com has invested heavily in its delivery infrastructure. (Photo by JD.com)
Companies

JD.com REIT wins approval to list on Shanghai exchange

Alibaba rival aims to offset heavy investment in e-commerce infrastructure

28 December 2022
An Apple store in Tokyo. 
Retail

Apple Japan hit with $98m in back taxes for missing duty-free abuses

Stores failed to flag suspicious bulk iPhone purchases by foreign shoppers

27 December 2022
This Win minimall in Hanoi includes a bank, a coffee shop and a pharmacy, along with grocery items. (Photo by Tomoya Onishi)
Retail

Vietnam retail king Masan bets on one-stop stores as foreign rivals converge

Alibaba-backed group seeks to capture nation's growing middle class

25 December 2022
SSI Group, the Philippines' largest retailer of luxury brands, is headed for a banner year as consumers free of pandemic restrictions resume shopping. (Photo by Yuichi Shiga)
Retail

Philippine luxury retailer eyes record sales on revenge spending

SSI Group sells brands from Armani to Zara but fears inflation, recession

22 December 2022
Foot Locker expanded into the Philippines by opening a store in Manila's Glorietta shopping mall.
Retail

Philippines' first Foot Locker sneaker store opens in Manila

U.S. chain follows Nike into market full of basketball fans

17 December 2022
Japanese-style oden has proved a hit at Lawson outlets in Indonesia run by Sumber Alfaria Trijaya. The operator of Alfamart convenience stores plans to add up to 1,000 branches of the Japanese chain next year. (Photo by Bobby Nugroho)
Interview

Indonesia's Alfamart operator to open 1,000 Lawson stores in 2023

Country's growing middle class is becoming growth driver for convenience sector

14 December 2022
Raymond Managing Director Gautam Hari Singhania expects a spending spree at the company's network of around 1,400 clothing showrooms as India's wedding season kicks in. (Photo courtesy of Raymond)
Interview

India conglomerate Raymond expects boost from record wedding season

Clothing, textiles remain at company's core but also branching into other sectors

12 December 2022
ShopBack offers cashback, other rewards for a variety of brands. (Screenshot from ShopBack website)
DealStreetAsia

Singapore's ShopBack bags $30m from Australia's Westpac

Cashback platform has been bolstering its leadership team

9 December 2022
This IKEA store near Manila is the company's largest worldwide in terms of floor space. (Photo by Yuichi Shiga)
Retail

Nitori, IKEA battle over Asia's growing furniture market

Big-name chains gain foothold in China, Southeast Asia as incomes rise

8 December 2022
Jim Thompson CEO Frank Cancelloni poses for a portrait at the Jim Thompson Museum in Bangkok. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca)
Business Spotlight

Thai silk icon Jim Thompson vows COVID comeback as global brand

Household name in silk can be Asia's version of Ralph Lauren, says CEO

2 December 2022