JAPAN. Lotte Duty Free is planning to open its first downtown duty free store in Japan, in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district. Lotte executives confirmed the plans, first revealed at this month’s IDutyFree Conference in Incheon, last week to The Moodie Report in Seoul on an embargoed basis, saying there were certain local sensitivities to be worked through. The story now though has broken in local Japanese media.
The new store will open in the Ginza shopping district in the second half of Lotte’s fiscal year 2015 (likely to be calendar year 2016). Customers will be able to purchase duty free goods that they can then collect at Narita or Haneda airports on departure.
The company will occupy two floors of an 11-storey building being developed by Tokyu Land, according to local news reports.
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Overseas expansion push: Lotte recently opened an impressive retail arena at Guam’s AB Won Pat International Airport, including a nine-store luxury boulevard |
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Lotte’s entry into Indonesia came at Jakarta Airport last year |
The move follows the company’s entry into the Japanese market at Osaka Kansai Airport T1, following a deal with New Kansai International Airport Company. The Kansai airside store, of approximately 330sq m, opened recently and operates with the trading name Lotte Duty Free by KAA, under a concession until March 2020.
Lotte Duty Free has been aggressively seeking expansion into overseas markets in recent years.
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Martin Moodie met Lotte Duty Free management last week in Seoul, including the long-serving, highly respected JS Kim (Managing Director Merchandising Division 1 – Merchandising Strategy, Luxury Fashion, Perfume & Cosmetics) |
