Retail

30 October 2025
People visit a Starbucks booth during the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing in July.
Mr. D.I.Y. Holding (Thailand) earned record revenue in 2024 as its wide-variety, low-price strategy resonated with hard-hit consumers. (Mr. D.I.Y. Holding)
IPO

Thai arm of Malaysia's Mr D.I.Y. launches IPO to raise $173m

Retail chain operator plans to add 500 stores through 2027

24 October 2025
Maker Pop Mart's inability to expand Labubu into content areas like animation may be contributing to its waning popularity. (Photo by Kenichiro Kamata)
Consumer

Labubu doll frenzy starts to fizzle as resale, stock prices fall

Boom-or-bust business model offers cautionary tale to Japanese companies

24 October 2025
Neolix's self-driving robovans make their way through Shenzhen's Futian railway station. (Photo by Wataru Suzuki)
Tech Asia

China races ahead in robovans even as autonomous delivery challenges remain

Neolix says it has deployed 10,000 of the self-driving vehicles in industry milestone

22 October 2025
ASICS Chairman and CEO Yasuhito Hirota, left, appears at the Oct. 18 opening of the company's first directly managed store in India. (ASICS)
Interview

ASICS looks to boost India sales by 40% next year: CEO

Japanese sneakers maker to open 5 brand-owned stores in India by 2030, Hirota says

21 October 2025
Louis Vuitton opened this ship-shaped store in Shanghai, as luxury brands face intense competition to attract Chinese shoppers in a cooler economy.
Consumer

Luxury brands in China strive to shine under economic, demographic shifts

Lower-tier cities could be bright spot for growth, execs tell Nikkei-FT forum

21 October 2025
Customers shop at Aeon's newest location in Tan An during a soft opening late last month. (Photo by Yuji Nitta)
Retail

Aeon seeks big gains in Vietnam through smaller shopping centers

Japanese retailer kicks off midsize-store blitz to triple network by 2030

18 October 2025
Forever 21's last brick-and-mortar store in Japan, at a shopping mall in an eastern suburb of Tokyo, closed permanently on Oct. 13. (Photo by Nikkei)
Retail

Forever 21 makes third exit from Japan, unable to find right fit

US operator's collapse amid rise of Temu and Shein dealt another blow

18 October 2025
An artist's impression of Central Pattana's new mall, The Central. The company is investing 21 billion baht for the facility located in northern Bangkok. (Illustration by Central Pattana)
Retail

Bangkok's 'prime' northern district to host Central's $640m megamall

Developer targets affluent locals and tourists with easy access to airport

16 October 2025
In August, the price of some food items rose by 6.5% on the year, according to government data. (Photo by Satoko Kawasaki)
Business trends

Japan's retailers see profit jump amid price squeeze on consumers

Customers increasingly turn frugal as wage hikes fail to outpace inflation

16 October 2025
Customers at a Muji store in Tokyo. Parent company Ryohin Keikaku plans to take Japanese-style large-format stores to Europe. (Photo by Makoto Okada)
Retail

Muji plots next growth milestone with European expansion

Lifestyle brand to open Paris flagship store in quest for 1tn yen in revenue

11 October 2025
A Uniqlo store in Saitama prefecture, Japan. Annual sales by Uniqlo stores in Japan exceeded 1 trillion yen for the first time in the 12 months through August. (Photo by Makoto Okada) 
Retail

Uniqlo operator takes Trump tariffs in stride, sees continued growth

Fast Retailing logged fifth straight record profit in fiscal 2025

9 October 2025
Consumer goods multinational Procter & Gamble will be leaving another South Asian country: Pakistan. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Companies

Pakistan shunned by one multinational after another as P&G also exits

American consumer giant earlier announced it will quit Bangladesh in global restructuring

9 October 2025
Japan's auto industry is one of the country's industry sectors hoping for supportive polices from Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi upon her expected election as prime minister later this month. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Marina Inoue and AP)
Japan leadership race

Japan Inc.'s high hopes for Takaichi tempered by governing concerns

Business leaders say stable politics required amid need to help consumers

8 October 2025
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te visits the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition in Taipei on Sept. 19.
Your Week in Asia

Taiwan president's speech, Malaysia budget, NBA preseason in Macao

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

6 October 2025
Matsuya department store says it can price its prototype ring with artificial diamonds at 3.5 million yen ($23,500), about a tenth of what it says jewelry with natural stones would cost. (Photo by Haruka Kadooka)
Retail

Tokyo department store seeks global market with custom diamonds

Matsuya offers lab-grown stones for more affordable jewelry in ritzy Ginza district

5 October 2025
Fashion retailer Shein's logo is seen at a pop-up store in London on Sept. 26.
Retail

Shein plans first permanent stores in France, sparking backlash

Shops to be opened inside department stores in Paris, five provincial cities

2 October 2025
Tourists climb a dune at Mingsha Mountain in Dunhuang, China, on Oct. 15, 2024. Chinese officials hope this year's holiday travel will boost household spending.
Economy

China banks on 'super golden week' to boost slowing consumption

Officials expect 2.36bn trips over eight-day break, backed by $46m in subsidies

30 September 2025
Commercial complex 11 Skies is set to be one of the largest malls in Hong Kong. (Photo by Kensaku Ihara)
Property

Hong Kong's $13bn airport city plans squeezed by developer's cash crunch

New World Development, deep in debt, may be looking to sell centerpiece 11 Skies mall

30 September 2025
Dusit Thani CEO Chanin Donavanik at a news conference in Bangkok on Sept. 12. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)
Travel & Leisure

Shareholders in Thailand's Dusit Thani block ouster of founder's son

Estranged sisters' attempt fails at extraordinary meeting amid family feud

29 September 2025
Japan's Saizeriya restaurant chain is gaining traction in China with low-priced dishes. (Photo by Mizuho Miyazaki)
Retail

Japan's Saizeriya aims for 1,000 restaurants in deflation-hit China

Operator of Sushiro conveyer belt sushi chain also looks to accelerate openings

22 September 2025
The Craft Japan, which opened in August at Narita International Airport near Tokyo, features traditional Japanese handicrafts. (Photo by Rinano Katsu)
Travel & Leisure

Japanese handicraft shops open for business at Narita, Haneda

Operators hope to attract wealthy tourists from abroad

20 September 2025
Goldwin's Kyoto storefront, opened in May, incorporates stone for a unique look that suits the brand. (Goldwin)
Consumer

Onitsuka Tiger and Hoka go all in on splashy storefronts in Japan

Outdoor wear, sportswear retailers lead rush for limited square footage

20 September 2025
L Catterton is stepping up investment in Japan. (Source photos obtained by Nikkei)
Business deals

LVMH-backed L Catterton to acquire Japanese furniture wholesaler

US firm to help Seki Furniture expand commercial and corporate sales in Tokyo area

17 September 2025
Masayoshi Yanase, corporate officer at PayPay, speaks during a press conference in Tokyo about the digital payment business's overseas expansion,  Sept. 16. (Photo by Shintaro Ino)
Technology

SoftBank-owned PayPay set to kick off overseas expansion

Japan payment service will be accepted in Alipay+ partner stores in South Korea

16 September 2025
A SM Group shopping mall in Davao, Philippines: The company will spend $2.6 billion between 2026 and 2030 to build new malls in the Philippines and revamp existing ones. (Photo by Yuki Fujita)
Retail

Philippines' SM Group to open mall in China's Xiamen in October

Retail giant eyes expansion in the country, more investment at home

15 September 2025
Sainsbury's said it had ended talks with Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com over the sale of Argos.
Business deals

UK's Sainsbury's ends talks to sell Argos to China's JD.com

Supermarket group says e-commerce giant wanted to revise terms

15 September 2025
JD.com is China's largest online retailer.
Business deals

China's JD.com in talks to buy UK retailer Argos from Sainsbury's

Chinese online retailer seeks to expand outside home market

14 September 2025
The Uniqlo Ginza store in Chuo Ward, Tokyo. The 1 trillion yen sales mark was crossed 41 years after the first store was opened. (Photo by Junya Hemmi)
Retail

Uniqlo's Japan sales exceed 1tn yen -- a 1st for an apparel company

Benchmark hit after parent Fast Retailing utilized larger stores and big data

14 September 2025
More than 2,000 people lined up to enter the NEWoMan Takanawa shopping center in Tokyo on Sept. 12. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
Retail

Tokyo mall reinvents shopping with Mount Fuji views, rooftop gardens

NEWoMan Takanawa complex seeks to offer experiences in ultramodern setting

13 September 2025