JAPAN. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings is to open its first online store on Tmall Global this week (25 November). The e-commerce website is operated by Alibaba Group.
Japanese department store and duty free operator Isetan Mitsukoshi said its primary aim was to develop new Chinese customers and reach those that had shopped in its stores in Japan. Chinese shoppers account for approximately 70% of its duty free sales.
Overall duty free sales in the first half of 2016 were approximately 3.7 times those in the corresponding period of 2013, it said.
Isetan Mitsukoshi said the launch would position its “digital strategy as the core of its business, and integrate cyberspace and the real world to develop new values, customers and business projects”.
The company will mainly sell high-quality Japanese products in its Tmall Global store, which it said were becoming increasingly popular in China.
The products to be sold will help Isetan Mitsukoshi differentiate itself from other companies that mainly deal with daily necessities, it noted.
Products will range from fashion clothing, miscellaneous goods, cosmetics and foodstuffs to daily necessities. The scope of goods sold will then subsequently be expanded.
Initially, the company will focus on its own brands and seasonal products. It will gradually add Japanese brands to the line-up. In spring 2017 and beyond, the company said it would run campaigns in collaboration with designers while adding new brands and items.
Isetan Mitsukoshi will offer after-sales services, including repair and additional processing. It will also set up pop-up stores showcasing its products using its store network in China.
The company said the Tmall Global launch would help to facilitate an alliance between its Chinese and Japanese stores and allow it to “accumulate know-how” on marketing in China.
