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Tag: shinjuku

  • Ikea Japan Bids Farewell to Harajuku and Shinjuku Outlets: A New Chapter in Urban Retail Strategy

    Ikea Japan Bids Farewell to Harajuku and Shinjuku Outlets: A New Chapter in Urban Retail Strategy

    IKEA Japan is set to shut down its Harajuku and Shinjuku city-format stores later this month. This brings an end to the retailer’s brief yet notable venture in two of Tokyo’s bustling shopping districts.

    Details of the Store Closures

    The renowned Swedish home furnishings group has confirmed that operations at both locations will cease on February 8, with doors shutting at 6 pm. This decision is part of a larger examination of IKEA Japan’s urban store network and its multichannel strategy.

    The Harajuku store was inaugurated in 2020, followed by the Shinjuku store in 2021. IKEA’s objective was to engage with younger, urban consumers by introducing smaller-format stores.

    IKEA’s Future Plans

    Despite the closures, IKEA has expressed plans to further solidify its presence in central Tokyo. The IKEA Shibuya will serve as the main city store, supplemented by larger suburban stores and its digital platform.

    In addition to these changes, IKEA also declared last month that it plans to close seven stores in China as of February 2. The list includes one suburban Shanghai location, another in Guangzhou, and multiple others in the second-tier Chinese cities of Nantong, Xuzhou, and Harbin.

    Questions & Answers

    When are the IKEA stores in Harajuku and Shinjuku closing?
    The stores are scheduled to close on February 8, with operations ending at 6 pm.

    What is the reason behind IKEA’s decision to close these stores?
    The decision to close the Harajuku and Shinjuku stores is part of a comprehensive review of IKEA Japan’s urban store network and omnichannel strategy.

    What are IKEA’s plans for its presence in Tokyo following these closures?
    IKEA plans to enhance its presence in central Tokyo, with the IKEA Shibuya serving as the main city store. This will be supplemented by larger suburban stores and the company’s online platform.

  • Tower Records Tokyo chooses vinyl

    Tower Records Tokyo chooses vinyl

    The Tower Records Tokyo store in Shinjuku is cashing in on the Japanese market’s resurgence of interest in vinyl records.

    While Tower has sold records for a long time, the Tower Vinyl brand is seizing on the global vinyl revival that has seen consumers worldwide take a preference to the physical discs, with all the nostalgia they represent, over the more ephemeral and invisible distribution of digital music. The store now holds 70,000 records in stock – the majority of which are second hand.

    The vinyl revival is blossoming just as streaming technology hits a new peak in the territory.

    When the Recording Industry Association of Japan announced that streaming platforms overtook digital downloads last year, however, the association’s conclusions were criticised for failing to take into account any information regarding physical sales of music media and presenting an incomplete picture of Japanese music consumption.

    Vinyl records have been making a major comeback in Japan for some time, with HMV also launching a vinyl-album store in Shibuya in 2014 – having been absent for the district for several years, and now having expanded its operations since that time. Japanese artists have recently been releasing their music on vinyl, and – rather anachronistically – some 90s-era CDs have been reissued on vinyl record.

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