Fifth Avenue; Location of the World’s Largest Uniqlo – Until Spring 2012

On Monday I wrote about Fast Retailing opening up the largest Uniqlo in Asia – located in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Now, with the opening of Fast Retailing’s Second Uniqlo store on Fifth Avenue on 14 October, it will the largest Uniqlo in the world – that is until Uniqlo’s largest store opens in Shinjuku, Tokyo next spring, then the Fifth Avenue Uniqlo store will be the second largest in the world while the Shinjuku store will be the largest in Asia…and the world.

The Fifth Avenue Uniqlo will be 4,620sqm. While the Shinjuku, Tokyo store will be about 5,000 meters.

In addition to the Fifth Avenue store Fast Retailing is not wasting anytime and will open their third store in New York on 21 October at 34th Street. At 4,290sqm this store will be the second largest in the world…until next spring when it becomes the third largest.

When and where do you think Fast Retailing will open their an even larger Uniqlo store?

Information Fast Retailing Co.

American Eagle Outfitters Plans 2nd Japan Store

With their first store not even open for business yet, US-based American Eagle Outfitters has already planned their second location – in the center of Ikebukuro.

The second American Eagle Outfitters store with a winter 2012 tentative open date will be located in the Mitsui Ikebukuro shopping center in East Ikebukuro 1 Chome and will span three floors; one underground and two above ground.

The first American Eagles Outfitters is slated to open in Harajuku in the spring of 2012 at the now under construction Omotesando Project at the intersection of Omotesando Dori and Meiji Dori.

Fun Fact: Other tenants also rumored to be part of the Omotesando Project are Tommy Hilfiger, Hollister and even Urban Outfitters.
Information American Eagles Outfitters

The Largest Uniqlo in Asia!

Coming to you in the summer of 2012, Fast Retailing will open the largest Uniqlo store in Asia.

Based in Shinjuku in the Mitsukoshi Alcott building which will stop operations in March of 2012, the new store will cover three floors (1-3 above ground) and span over 5,000sqm.

Fun Fact: Shanghai West Nanjing Road currently boasts the largest Uniqlo in Asia at 3,600sqm

Information Fast Retailing Co. & Nikkei

Social Media Thursdays 15 September

Once again Tokyo Fashion Daily presents Social Media Thursdays.
The next Social Media Thursdays is scheduled for Thursday 15 September, and the topic will cover “What some of the various social media tools are and how to use them”.

As always at each meeting I will discuss a topic in Social Media and open the floor for discussion. It may be a new campaign, a Social Media Marketing tool a new video on YouTube or branded short movie.

To attend all you need is an interest in Social and Digital Media Marketing and your meishi. The presentation will be conducted in English and discussion can be in both English and Japanese.

The Social Media Thursday event on Thursday 15 September will begin at 7pm and finish at 830pm. The location is Bar Taru http://www.bar-taru.com/access in Ginza. There is no sign-up or entry cost only what you drink.

This session’s topic is “What some of the various social media tools are and how to use them”.

Please let me know if you are able to attend so I may take an accurate head count.

If you have any questions please contact me at…

Tokyofashiondaily.blogspot.com

Twitter @tokyofashndaily

Social Media Thursdays will be held the second Thursday of each month.

Tom Ford Japan

On 15 October the Tom Ford label will open their fourth retail door in Japan at the soon-to-be newly renovated Yurakucho Hankyu Men’s.

The other Tom Ford stores in Japan are in Hankyu Men’s at Umeda Hankyu, Isetan Men’s in Shinjuku, and the most recently opened Mitsukoshi in Ginza.

Tom Ford a favorite designer of mine is best known for his turnaround of the Gucci fashion house and the creation of the Tom Ford label before directing the Oscar-nominated film A Single Man, but can his success as a designer and director transfer to that of a retailer in Japan?

With the stagnated Japanese economy and the shift away from luxury brand labels to fast-fashion still continuing are there really enough customers in Japan to support four Tom Ford stores? After all how many people in Japan are really buying off-the-rack suits for 500,000 yen and bespoke suits from 1 million yen?

Marunouchi, Madison Avenue and the LLQ

After a successful partnership with Madison Avenue BID in New York, the commercial district of Tokyo’s Marunouchi has fashioned a new collaboration with the London Luxury Quarter.

Marunouchi believes the credibility of partnering with Savile Row and Bond Street will improve its notoriety abroad and attract more tourists at home.

The details of the partnership are ongoing and will center around collaborative advertising and branding as well as the use potential use of a point card to be used between all three locations; Marunouchi, Madison Avenue and LLQ.

Fun Fact: The meaning of Marunouchi 丸の内 is inner circle which derives from its location within the Imperial Palace’s outer moat.

Information Nikkei

Yurakucho Hankyu Men’s

With the opening of the renovated Yurakucho Hankyu department store less than two months away H20 Retailing is already forecasting 12 billion yen in sales for the first fiscal year.

Opening in October the renovated store will be 11,000sqm and be modeled after Hankyu Men’s in Umeda in Osaka and will be aptly named – Hankyu Men’s. The new Yurakucho Hankyu Men’s will target wealthy male customers and the women who shop for them offering RTW, ACC, Shoes, SLG and more among their numerous luxury tenants.

Fun Fact: Hankyu Department Store was founded in Osaka, Japan on 7 March 2007

Information H2O Retailing and NQN

Shimamura to open in Nagoya

Fast-fashion apparel company Shimamura Co. will open their newest store next month in Nagoya. The 666sqm store is keeping with their strategy of opening newer, smaller stores in urban locations throughout Japan. The new Nagoya store will carry about 70% of the merchandise the general Shimamura stores carry including women’s RTW, ACC and shoes we as well men’s and women’s undergarments.
There are currently 1200 Shimamura stores in Japan with less than 200 in urban locations. Shimamura plans on doubling the number of retail doors in urban locations while increasing their total number of stores to 2,000.

With the new smaller (up to 60% smaller) Shimamura stores located in urban centers and with a higher average SRP, Shimamura is forecasting sales of 300 million yen for the new Nagoya store as well as the new stores of similar size.

Information Shimamura Co.

Bershka, Bershka, Bershka

Even before Inditex opened the first store of their Bershka brand in Shibuya this past April, they were already busy planning their next store, and the next one after that, and the next one…you get the idea.

Inditex, parent company of Zara is the largest global apparel manufacturer and retailer. After the huge success in Japan that is Zara they set their sights on Bershka, opening the Shibuya flagship store followed by Aeon Mall in Koshigaya, Saitama the same month and then Funabashi, Chiba this past June. Next month they will open their Bershka brand in Fukuoka and this store will be 330sqm spread out over one floor. Following the Bershka Fukuoka store opening, Inditex will open their next store in spring 2012 in the new Odaiba complex managed by Mitsui where they will be in the friendly company of Forever 21, H&M and the first Old Navy store in Japan brought to you by the GAP.

Inditex has a huge sales success in Zara Japan, do you think Bershka can match and even exceed Zara’s success?

Information Inditex

Five Straight Years of Losses

In 2010 department stores in Japan experienced their fifth straight year of sales declines. Sales for department stores in Japan decreased 2.5% to less than 6.30 trillion yen for the 2010 fiscal year. A significant loss though not as large as the 9.6% decline in sales department stores experienced in the 2009 fiscal year.

Only two department stores experienced an actual increase in revenue in 2010 - Takashimaya in Osaka and Sogo & Seibu’s Ikebukuro location.

Information Nikkei Inc. Survey

Onitsuka Tiger Pounces on Asia

Kobe-based Asics Corp. is expanding their Onitsuka Tiger brand into Asia with an aggressive push aimed at increasing its geographic market share and sales – up to 31 billion yen by 2015.

Currently with over 150 retails doors in China located in first-tier cities like Shanghai and Beijing, Asics plans on opening up stores in second and third tier cities throughout China.

Beyond China Asics plans on selling their merchandise including shoes and apparel in South East Asia including Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, all by 2012.

In 2010 Asics reported 224.4 billion yen in revenue with 17.6 billion yen in operating income and 8.3 billion yen in net income.

Fun Fact: The Onitsuka Tiger brand is named after the founder of Asics, Kihachiro Onitsuka.

Information Asics Corp & Nikkei

Isetan Mitsukoshi has a strong Q1

Off to a strong start for the first quarter of the fiscal year, Isetan Mitsukoshi posted 5 billion yen in operating profits for the first quarter ending 30 June, an over 50% increase from this time last year. Total operation profits for Q1 were almost 17 billion yen compared to a 795 million yen loss in Q1 2010.

With sales rising 0.2% for the quarter Isetan Mitsukoshi reported almost 290 billion yen in sales, and is optimistic for the year ending 31 March 2012 revising their forecast to 33 billion yen in net profits, 16 billion yen in operating profits and 1.22 trillion yen in sales – a drop of 0.4%.

With the current fluctuations in the economy can Isetan Mitsukoshi also have a strong showing for Q2?

Information Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings & WWD

H&M's Ambitious Plans for Japan

With twelve successful stores currently in Japan, fast-fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz plans on more than doubling their retails doors to thirty by the end of 2012. Boasting the highest sales globally per square meter in Japan, H&M sees a significant benefit in sales and business growth to increasing their stores as well as potentially introducing new brands to Japan.

With stores currently in Shibuya, Haraujuku, Ginza and more, H&M will open their next stores in Fukuoka, Osaka and Fujisawa by the end of this year. Moving forward H&M will focus their store openings in suburban shopping malls and the ever competitive train stations as well as their traditional geographic target of urban shopping locations with a focus on the Kansai area.

Since H&M entered Japan three years ago their retail doors as their sales have steadily grown. For the fiscal year ending 2010 H&M posted 21.5 billion yen in sales.

H&M was established in 1948 by Erlin Persson in Sweden.

Fun Fact: At the time H&M was established it only sold women’s RTW and was named only “Hennes” which is Swedish for “Hers”.

Information Hennes & Mauritz AB & Nikkei

Reminder: Social Media Thursdays Tonight!

This evening Tokyo Fashion Daily presents Social Media 2nd Thursdays.

The purpose of Social Media 2nd Thursdays is to discuss the Social and Digital Marketing trends in Japan and globally, in fashion and other industries.

At each meeting I will discuss a topic in Social Media and open the topic for discussion. It may be a new Social Media campaign, a Digital Media Marketing tool or a branded short movie.

To attend all you need is an interest in Social and Digital Media Marketing and your meishi. The presentation will be conducted in English and discussion can be in both English and Japanese.

The Social Media Thursday event on Thursday 11 August will begin at 7pm and finish at 830pm. The location is Bar Taru http://www.bar-taru.com/access in Ginza. There is no sign-up fee or entry cost only what you drink.

This session’s topic is “How Do You Balance the Exclusiveness of Luxury with the Mass Audience of Social Media?”

Please let me know if you are able to attend so I may take an accurate head count.

If you have any questions please leave a comment to this post or contact me through twitter @tokyofashndaily

Social Media 2nd Thursdays will be held the second Thursday of each month.

G-Star x Kitson

Dutch denim brand G-Star and Los Angeles-based retailer Kitson are collaborating on a capsule line. The limited edition collection launching in Japan next week will have six pieces of women’s RTW & ACC including a t-shirt, denim jeans and shorts, a tote, sweat pants and denim vest with prices from 5,000 yen to 20,000 yen.

Fun Fact: G-Star was originally named Gap Star

Information G-Star

Maybelline to Sponsor Japan Fashion Week

The sponsorship of Japan Fashion Week by Mercedes-Benz is already paying off as JFW has just signed Maybelline as their official makeup sponsor for Japan Fashion Week.

The deal will see Maybelline of the L’Oréal Group be the official makeup brand for the next three years beginning this year’s spring/summer collection.

The Mercedes-Benz Japan Fashion Week will begin Sunday 16 October and run until Saturday 22 October – One week of viewing the fantastic designs of Japan’s top designers.

Information L’Oreal Group & WWD

Aoyama Trading Comany's Big Plans for China

Expanding their presence in China and becoming first in the market among their competitors Aoyama Trading Co. (the company bringing you American Eagle Outfitters) is planning on expanding from their current 3 stores by opening an additional 100 new stores in China by 2017. If this proves to be as lucrative as Aoyama forecasts – about 5 billion yen - they will also add another new 20 stores a year moving forward.

The new Aoyama stores in China will be mostly located in shopping malls and be about 100 sqm in total retail sales space with suits priced similar to Japan, selling from 24,000 yen to 78,000 yen.

Fun Fact: Aoyama Trading Co. is the first of Japan's men’s retailers to enter the China market

Information Aoyama Trading Co. & Nikkei

Levi's Made in Japan

Taking advantage of the famous and high quality denim industry in Okayama, Levi Strauss will open a design office in Japan. This new Tokyo design office will open as early as the end of this year and will design jeans for the mid-to-high end jean market with prices starting at 10,000 yen.

The Levi Strauss Japan design office will be responsible for designing jeans based off current fashion trends in Japan and using Japanese denim and will not only be sold in Japan but also in the rest of the Asia markets.

As Levi's strategy, distribution and prices have had little to no consistency or direction do you think this new Tokyo design office will help Levi's in Japan?

Information Levis Strauss & Co. and Nikkei

Uniqlo Sales Jump in July

Fast Retailing’s Uniqlo experienced an increase in same-store-sales for the second consecutive month. Buoyed by strong sales of summer apparel due to the heat and the Cool Biz campaign encouraged by the government and corporations alike (this time) Uniqlo reported a healthy 11.2% increase in July sales. The good news in July comes after a 3.9% same-store-increase in June after a previous decrease of 1.5% in May, and a 1.9% a decrease for the March to May quarter.

Fast Retailing also reported an increase in their same-store-customer visits of 7.0%, also up for the second consecutive month after June increased 0.4%.

Sales at Uniqlo were expected to increase during the summer, especially with the super cool biz campaign, and I am curious on how August sales will do after Uniqlo already introduced their Heattech line to all 823 stores.

Do you think it is too early to buy Heattech?

Information Fast Retailing Co.

The Biggest Uniqlo in Tokyo

Not that there are not enough Uniqlo stores in Japan (823 as of 1 August 2011) but what makes the Uniqlo store in Ikebukuro different and unique is it will be the largest Uniqlo store in Tokyo. Sizing up at a hefty 3,000 sqm the Uniqlo Ikebukuro store will take up three floors of the Ikebukuro Tobu Departments Store after renovations are complete in September and will carry the full merchandise line of women’s, men’s and kids.

Information Fast Retailing Co.

Japan Department Stores Show Signs of Life in July

For the most part Japan departments stores had a positive month in July. I say for the most part as only four of the big five department stores reported a sales increase starting with Mitsukoshi Isetan where sales increase 3.8%, followed by Daimaru Matsuzakaya where sales were up 3.7%, after that Sogo & Seibu reported a 3% increase and even Takashimaya showed an increase of July albeit a slight increase at 0.9%.

The only one of the “Big Five” Japanese department stores to not grow sales in July was Hankyu Hanshin which reported a 4.4% decrease.

Sales of apparel and high-priced items which up until recently have not being selling well at department stores also showed an increase in sales for July.

Information Japan Department Stores Association

Hands Be

Tokyu Hands is betting their smaller retail stores will be a strong strategy moving forward, so much so they are investing 5 billion yen to increase their number of smaller retail stores by three times by the spring of 2014.
Hands Be, as the smaller retails stores are known by currently have a retail space as large as 450 sqm and as small as 100 sqm and sell mainly beauty supplies including cosmetics, make-up and skin care products. With the new investment of 5 billion yen Tokyo Hands plans on increasing the retail space in the new stores to 600 sqm up to 1,000 sqm.

Tokyo Hands is forecasting a 15% increase in sales (from 2010) of 87 billion yen for fiscal year 2013.

Do you think Tokyo Hands’ strategy of increasing their Hands Be store will be a success?

Information Tokyo Hands Inc. & Nikkei