Retail

Irish whiskey is new in Asia, but distillers believe the region could become their largest market in a decade. (Photo courtesy of Hyde)
Food & Beverage

Irish whiskey makers eye Asia as COVID hits key US market

Brexit also pushes distillers to expand business to China, Singapore and Japan

10 January 2021
Ito Yokado's grocery trucks allow consumers the opportunity to pick up and inspect perishables before deciding whether to buy. (Photo by Yoshiyuki Tamai)
Retail

Ito-Yokado expands grocery truck business across Japan

Big retailer answers COVID restrictions that are keeping people at home

8 January 2021
Shares in retailers, restaurant chains and railway operators have begun the year on a slide as the Tokyo area prepares to come under a state of emergency. (Source photos by Arisa Moriyama and Kohnosuke Urata)
Markets

Japan's second COVID emergency sinks retail and transport stocks

Investors retreat as greater Tokyo's infections spiral out of control

6 January 2021
Singapore's Jewel Changi Airport features a 40-meter waterfall at the center of a dome-shaped facade. (Photo by Kentaro Iwamoto)
Retail

Singapore's new icon 'Jewel' wins 2020 Nikkei award

Sleek complex burnishes airport image and lures locals amid COVID pandemic

5 January 2021
The Mitsui-Tencent joint venture under discussion would produce and promote e-commerce shops on the WeChat social media platform on behalf of the clients of Japanese companies. (Source photos by Kosaku Mimura and Reuters) 
Companies

Tencent and Mitsui to help Japan companies market in China

SMEs to sell goods losing sales from lack of Chinese inbound tourists on WeChat

4 January 2021
Fast Retailing CEO Tadashi Yanai speaks to Nikkei on Dec. 15 in Tokyo. (Photo by Makoto Okada)
Interview

Asia will lead spending recovery, Uniqlo CEO Yanai says

Economizing consumers will prefer reliable, quality everyday clothes

1 January 2021
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, left has formed a partnership with Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook, a deal that critics call anti-competitive. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)
Comment

Reliance copies Facebook's playbook, including antitrust fears

Global tech-giant scrutiny casts shadow on Ambani's growth tactics in India

30 December 2020
Uniqlo has started selling fresh flowers in its stores, including this one in Tokyo's Ginza district.
Retail

Uniqlo makes 'social infrastructure' its new mantra

Japan's leading apparel company sees role changing during coronavirus pandemic

30 December 2020
Rice balls line the shelves at a Seven-Eleven Japan store. The chain sells over 2 billion of them each year. (Photo by Yoichi Iwata)
Retail

Seven-Eleven hopes long-fresh rice balls take bite out of waste

Japan's top convenience store chain wants onigiri that sticks to shelves longer

30 December 2020
Fresh produce once was a largely untapped part of China's e-commerce ecosystem, but online demand for such items is robust as more digital-savvy shoppers adapt to the trend.
Retail

China's community group-buying fever meets Beijing's snub

New battleground for internet giants threatens small businesses

29 December 2020
The retailer will add more #Workman Girls stores, which specialize in outdoor gear for women. 
Retail

Move over Uniqlo: Edgy rival Workman targets 2,000 stores

Vendor of construction worker attire plans to push outdoor outfits for women

28 December 2020
A 7-Eleven employee collects products ordered by customers online. (Photo by Akikazu Ishii)
Interview

COVID pushes 7-Eleven to take on Walmart online, president says

Convenience store chain aims to go beyond brick-and-mortar business model

24 December 2020
The State Administration for Market Regulation said it is investigating alleged Alibaba practices, such as requiring vendors to exclusively list their products on its platforms.
China tech

China launches antimonopoly probe against Alibaba

Financial regulators call in Ant Group executives for talks

24 December 2020
Japan's Tsutaya Books has expanded over the last decade, establishing itself as a venue where people can hang out. Now the company is looking to China for new growth opportunities.  (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Business trends

Tsutaya, Japan's biggest bookstore chain, bets on China growth

Retailer confronts digital era by offering experiences and 'lifestyle suggestions'

22 December 2020
An employee of Suning piles up reusable boxes to be delivered at a logistics center in Nanjing, Jiangsu province.
Retail

Suning stumbles as brick-and-mortar expansion backfires

China's retail giant finds little synergies with robust online sales

20 December 2020
People take pictures on their phones at a screening of the Prada Spring/Summer 2021 Womenswear Fashion Show at Prada's Rong Zhai residence in Shanghai in September. 
Retail

China's global share of luxury spending nearly doubles amid COVID

Travel restrictions and online retail boost domestic purchases of high-end items

16 December 2020
Sony may further distance itself from hardware over the next five years. (Photo by Masayuki Kozono)
16 December 2020
While the number of people shopping in stores is decreasing, those buying online are increasing, and consumer purchasing trends are changing dramatically.
The World Ahead

Overall pace of current shopping trends to speed up by 2025

Remote buying easier, but fast fashion to slow down as Generation Z comes of age

16 December 2020
Shandong Ruyi Technology Group's Trinity unit owns about 200 stores under the brands Cerruti 1881, Gieves & Hawkes, Kent & Curwen and D'Urban, mostly in greater China.
China debt crunch

StanChart seeks to liquidate unit of China's Shandong Ruyi

Troubled fashion group seeks strategic investor and debt extension

15 December 2020
Uniqlo's Seoul flagship store, which once enjoyed nearly $2 million in sales a day, is shutting down. (Photo by Sotaro Suzuki)
Japan-South Korea rift

Uniqlo's Seoul flagship to close as Japan boycotts smolder

'Selective' shunning hits cars and beer, but PS5 and Tamagotchi unscathed

14 December 2020
Experts have created a collection of aged sake to commemorate the founding of the Tokisake Association, a body that promotes premium aged sake. (Photo by Hiroki Obayashi)
Food & Beverage

Japanese brewers define metrics for labeling 'vintage' sake

Only products 10 years or older qualify as group tries to revive national drink

13 December 2020
Lawson convenience stores in Japan have added a whole new dimension to part-time work: one-time shifts for as little as a few hours. The work helps keep the chain open 24 hours a day during the pandemic.
Retail

Have a few hours to kill? Lawson offers one-off, part-time jobs

'Matchbox' services allow convenience chain to cover shifts hours before start

13 December 2020
Passers-by watch Nike Japan’s controversial new ad outside its flagship store in the Harajuku area of Tokyo.
Business trends

Nike shrugs off Japan boycott threats after controversial ad

Brand places faith in young fans of tennis star Naomi Osaka

11 December 2020
Shopify's headquarters in Ottawa: Japanese consumers were big spenders on the platform in the Black Friday-Cyber Monday period, with an average purchase of $106.
Retail

Shopify scores biggest growth in Japan, with 'room to grow'

E-commerce platform boosts transactions 350% during Black Friday-Cyber Monday

10 December 2020
Beauty products from Japan are highly popular in China. 
Retail

Alibaba links Japan's small makeup brands to Chinese shoppers

@cosme store on Tmall Global will make exporting easier

9 December 2020