Retail

Demand for e-commerce deliveries by Amazon has exploded during the pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Amazon Japan)
Retail

Amazon to add 5 more last-mile delivery stations in Tokyo region

Stay-at-home demand drives expansion of logistics workforce

21 July 2021
PatPat delivers baby clothes and matching family outfits to consumers across over 100 countries and regions. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
DealStreetAsia

US-based babywear startup raises $510m from Chinese investors

Online retailer PatPat to expand into Middle East and South America

20 July 2021
Muji parent Ryohin Keikaku will mark this coming September as a "second founding" to turn around operations.
Retail

Uniqlo founder's former right-hand man to helm archrival Muji

Nobuo Domae is latest in Yanai's dream team to find his groove elsewhere

19 July 2021
Earlier this month, it was found that French prosecutors are investigating Fast Retailing and other global apparel makers suspected of concealing crimes against humanity in China's Xinjiang region. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Companies

Uniqlo says no forced Xinjiang labor used in making its products

Fast Retailing reports 67% rise in third-quarter net profit

15 July 2021
Cosmetics company Perfect Diary is among those benefiting from Chinese shoppers' preference for domestic brands. (Photo by Naoki Matsuda)
Retail

Chinese youth snub foreign brands in favor of 'China chic'

Local companies offering quality at reasonable price reap benefits

15 July 2021
Traffic in Kuala Lumpur. iCar Asia operates an automotive listing and content platform across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, the same markets where Carsome provides end-to-end solutions for car buyers and dealers, from vehicle inspection to ownership transfer and car financing.
DealStreetAsia

Malaysian trading startup Carsome to acquire iCar Asia in $200m deal

Deal creates the largest digital automotive marketplace in Southeast Asia

14 July 2021
Masayoshi Son's Softbank Group is back after previously selling its stake in India's Flipkart. (Source photos by Masaru Shioyama and AP)
Startups

SoftBank returns in Flipkart's $3.6bn funding round

Appetite for Indian startups strong as Chinese tech comes under scrutiny

12 July 2021
American singer Tinashe featured in an online music festival in May sponsored by Chinese online clothing retailer Shein. 
Business Insight

China's Shein has taken the womenswear world by storm. Now what?

Speed, innovative marketing and smart technology not enough to scare Amazon.com

12 July 2021
Shares of Suning.com jumped by the maximum 10% on July 6, as trading resumed after a three-week halt. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
China debt crunch

China's Suning.com gets bailout from local governments and Alibaba

Suppliers join in rescue of debt-strapped retailer of appliances and electronics

6 July 2021
These 3D knitting machines from Shima Seiki at Uniqlo's Innovation Factory turn out fabric around the clock. (Photo by Makoto Okada)
Retail

Uniqlo jumps into in-house production with new 'made in Tokyo' line

Factory near headquarters enables fast-fashion company to move even faster

2 July 2021
Shinsegae aims to use its purchase of eBay Korea to boost its own e-commerce business. (Photo courtesy of Shinsegae)
Retail

Shinsegae makes $3bn bet on online retail with eBay Korea buy

Winning bid puts group head-to-head with Naver and Coupang

26 June 2021
Japanese-owned convenience store and gas station chain 7‑Eleven said in May that the Speedway acquisition would bring its total North American portfolio to about 16,000 stores.
Business deals

7-Eleven settles with US antitrust watchdog on $21bn Speedway deal

FTC orders retail-and-gas chain to sell some 300 sites, a fraction of its network

26 June 2021
South Koreans are venting their anger at local e-commerce giant Coupang after a logistics center warehouse blaze left a firefighter dead. (Source photos by Yonhap/Kyodo and EPA/Jiji)
Retail

South Korea's Coupang faces consumer wrath over warehouse fire

E-commerce giant's latest problem so far fails to derail investor interest

25 June 2021
An employee of Suning piles up reusable boxes to be delivered at a logistics center.
China debt crunch

Founder of debt-laden Chinese retailer Suning eyes stock sale

Owner of Inter Milan soccer club rejects claims group will be bought by Alibaba

24 June 2021
Bukalapak, an e-commerce company whose shares have risen 56% from their IPO price, is the first Indonesian unicorn to go public.
IPO

Indonesia e-commerce unicorn Bukalapak plans to go public in July

Loss-making startup focused on small shop digitalization plans Jakarta listing

23 June 2021
Dingdong Maicai has raised $1.3 billion from investors including SoftBank Vision Fund II, Tiger Global Management and General Atlantic.
IPO

Chinese online grocery startups bulk up to fight bigger players

Missfresh and Dingdong seek more than $850m from New York IPOs

23 June 2021
Zozo is using its measurement technology to analyze skin tone for users looking to purchase cosmetics.
Retail

Japan apparel platform Zozo merges fine fashion with high tech

Company eyes new direction after departure of charismatic founder Maezawa

20 June 2021
Kim Bom-suk, founder of South Korean e-commerce group Coupang, stands outside the New York Stock Exchange in March. (AP via Kyodo)
Retail

Coupang founder drops all South Korean posts to focus on global push

Kim Bom-suk plans to expand abroad using funds raised by Wall St. debut

19 June 2021
Home decor chain Francfranc turned in record earnings last fiscal year after closing stores.(Photo by Keigo Yoshida)
Retail

7-Eleven parent to cut stake in home goods chain to focus on core

Japanese group makes first reversal of post-2000s diversification strategy

18 June 2021
Chairul Tanjung is aiming to modernize CT Corp, the Indonesian conglomerate he founded more than three decades ago, by taking it public. (Photo by Dimas Ardian)
IPO

Indonesian conglomerate CT Corp embarks on journey toward IPO

Founder Tanjung wants group spanning banking and retail to be 'global champion'

17 June 2021
The benchmark food price index published by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, which tracks the prices of meat, dairy, cereals, vegetables oils and sugar, has hit the highest level in nearly 10 years. 
Market Spotlight

Decade-high food prices hit Asian consumers and businesses

Bread and mayonnaise costs surge in South Korea and Japan as Thai farmers gain

14 June 2021
Shiseido is answering its customers' concerns regarding the pandemic and other matters, partly with a digital in-store shopping experience and refill stations. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Business Spotlight

Shiseido bets on luxury skin care and China's fickle consumers

CEO Uotani adapts to changing customer preferences amid COVID pandemic

11 June 2021
Since February, visiting Chinese shoppers have been able to buy goods duty-free in Hainan, then have them packaged and delivered to their homes.
Retail

Alibaba to capitalize on Hainan duty-free shopping boom

Cainiao logistics unit to improve infrastructure to speed handling of purchases

10 June 2021
Uniqlo has struggled in Southeast Asia and Japan while the company behind Zara has turned earnings around thanks to eased economic restrictions in its main markets. (Source photos from Uniqlo and Zara)
Retail

Uniqlo slips further behind Zara as Asia vaccine drives stumble

Reopening of Western economies spurs divergence in market value

10 June 2021
The benchmark price for gold slipped below $1,700 an ounce in New York at the end of March, a nine-month low and a 3% drop from the beginning of the year.
Market Spotlight

India's appetite for gold dulled by COVID lockdown

After missed opportunity, jewelers hope for November wedding boost

7 June 2021