THE JAPAN NEWS


 

HO CHI MINH CITY (Jiji Press) — Takashimaya Co. opened a store in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, becoming the first Japanese department store operator to have an outlet in Vietnam after the end of the Vietnam War.

Takashimaya aims to lure middle-class and wealthy consumers in the Southeast Asian nation with a population of more than 90 million.
Ho Chi Minh Takashimaya is the third existing overseas store for the company, after those in Singapore and Shanghai. It plans to open another in Bangkok next year.

Expecting the consumer market in Japan to shrink on the back of the country’s aging and dwindling population, Takashimaya has been reinforcing its strategy to expand into growth markets in Asia.

 

The newest store, having a total sales floor space of 15,000 square meters, opened in a large commercial complex in central Ho Chi Minh City.
The store handles goods under Japanese, European and U.S. brand names, including products of cosmetics maker Shiseido Co. and underwear manufacturer Wacoal Holdings Corp.

In addition, it became the first department store in the largest commercial city in Vietnam to launch full-fledged “depachika” (department store basement) food retailing. Specifically, customers can buy perishables and Japanese sweets there.