JAPAN. Lagardère Travel Retail has made its debut in Japan with a retail and food outlet at railway hub Tokyo Station. The 105sq m ‘Made in Pierre Hermé’ retail and F&B concept opened on 3 August.
It is the first of several openings planned jointly by Lagardère Travel Retail and Pierre Hermé, a contemporary F&B concept created by the renowned pâtissier of the same name.
The Paris-based retailer said: “The launch also marks a milestone in Lagardère Travel Retail’s development in Asia with its entry into Japan, a travel retail market with great growth potential.”
Made in Pierre Hermé showcases products from different regions of Japan and offers “creative and uncommon” recipes. It is based on a collaboration between Pierre Hermé and producers of quality food and produce from around Japan.
The concept offers a wide range of prepared and packaged food, speciality drinks and a variety of branded gift and retail items from different prefectures under the ‘Made in Pierre Hermé’ signature. The concept is intended to appeal to commuters, local and foreign visitors, and neighbouring office workers.
Made in Pierre Hermé’s values are the support of local agriculture, the promotion of artisanal food production and a strong sense of responsibility to the environment and society through sustainable sourcing practices. Lagardère Travel Retail said that this approach aligns with its commitment to introduce local and ethical products in the stores it operates, as part of its CSR strategy.
The partnership builds on the strength of the Pierre Hermé brand in Japan, led by the ‘Made in Pierre Hermé’ flagship boutique in Tokyo’s Marunouchi district.
Lagardère Travel Retail Chief Executive Officer for North Asia Eudes Fabre said: “We are very pleased with the successful launch of this outstanding brand in Tokyo Station and are grateful to our partners at Pierre Hermé and the East Japan Railway Company for their support in turning this vision into reality. We believe this is the beginning of a strong partnership. We expect this first step in Japan will create new opportunities for Lagardère and its partners in this exciting market, which has attractive growth prospects.”
Pierre Hermé Paris Japon Chief Executive Officer Richard Ledu commented: “Pierre Hermé has been present in Japan for over 20 years, and it is part of our mission to help French companies to develop here. There are significant synergies between Pierre Hermé and Lagardère so this is a fantastic opportunity with further openings already planned.”
Tokyo Station is one of the busiest railway stations in Japan with around 500,000 daily departures. The new store is in the newly opened North Entrance area, accessing all commuter, long-haul and Shinkansen (high-speed) rail lines.
