8 Department Stores Set to Close During 2010

The closing of the Seibu Yurakacho store will be the 8th department store set to close in 2010 which compares to the peak of 11 closures recorded in 2000.

Tough competition from "fast fashion" retailers, such as H&M of Sweden and Uniqlo, which offer fashionable clothes at relatively low prices was blamed for its decline with H&M which opened a large outlet, its first in Japan, in Ginza, near Yurakucho, in September 2008 and Uniqlo's Ginza shop expanded its floor space by 50 percent last October.

According to the Japan Department Stores Association, total domestic sales fell 10.8 percent to 6.58 trillion yen in 2009, dipping below the 7 trillion yen mark for the first time in 24 years.

In May 2009, Mitsukoshi's Ikebukuro and Kagoshima outlets closed, followed by Sogo's Shinsaibashi main store in Osaka in August.

Marui Imai's store in Muroran, Hokkaido, shut down on Jan. 20, and Matsuzakaya's Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, outlet will follow Sunday.

Isetan Co. will close its Kichijoji store in western Tokyo on March 14.

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201001270401.html