On May 4 JR Osaka Isetan Mitsukoshi opened its doors for business. It is the first Isetan department store in Osaka, and its opening means the department store wars have begun. With summer approaching shoppers will flock to these large shopping centers to escape the intense heat Kansai is known for.
Here is a list of some new store opening in Kansai:
- March 3 Takashimaya Osaka (finished renovation increased floor space by x1.4)
- April 19 Daimaru Umeda (increased floor space by x1.6)
- April 16 Shibuya 109 opening a store in Abeno, along with Q’s Mall
- April 27 Kyoto Marui in Shijou Kawaramachi opened
- May 4 JR Osaka Isetan Mitsukoshi opened
In spring of 2012 Hanyku Department Store in Umeda plans to increase its floor space by 1.4 times. Also, Kintetsu Department Store’s Abeno renovation plans to increase floor space is scheduled to complete in spring of 2014. In the next three years the total size of department stores will increase fourfold, surpassing Tokyo’s Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Shibuya combined!
With the opening of these new stores, consumer spending in the Kansai region s expected to flourish in the near future.
