BizCast Japan #7: Retail, Uniqlo, Condo Prices, Nova, Mobile Price Wars and the State of the Japanese Workplace
BizCast is back from summer break and ready to tackle a host of issues. Co-hosts Albrecht Stahmer and Ken Worsley begin their review of recent headlines by discussing the ongoing battle between Toyota and General Motors and consider how these firms’ strategies are translating into profit.
From there, the discussion moves on to the news that Abercrombie & Fitch intends to move into the Japanese market sometime in 2009. We have heard similar announcements from foreign retail brands such as H&M, and we consider what seems to be a pre-launch marketing campaign that A&F appears to be waging on the streets of Tokyo.
After that, it’s on to condo prices. This week, we learned from the Real Estate Economic Institute that Tokyo condo prices have risen 12.6% against last year to a 15 year high. At the same time, Tokyo condo sales were down 10% in July, and in Osaka they fell 22.6%.
Then we move on to news that the Ministry of Trade, Economy and Industry has suspended sales operations at the Venus chain of beauty salons. Albrecht and Ken discuss the similarities that this case has to what has happened with English school Nova, and discuss METI’s ongoing attempts to stand up to firms that show a blatant disregard for consumer rights. Finally, some predictions are made concerning how long Nova will last.
In the Quick Picks section, Ken chooses to discuss the escalation of price wars in the mobile phone industry, and Albrecht elects to focus on Uniqlo’s failed bid for Barneys New York.
Finally, in the Focus Issue, we take a look at the Japanese workplace and how changes there have been portrayed in the media. In particular, a recent Time magazine piece entitled Relax, Japan — the Company’s Buying is discussed. We discuss why the foreign media is often wrong in its assessment of corporate Japan, and how the reality often differs from what is reported outside Japan.
Related Posts:
- State of the Trans-Pacific Radio for October
- BizCast Japan #9: Toto, Muji, Uniqlo, Mobile Phone Advertising, Construction, Sony Financial, Fingerprinting, and the State of Japan’s English Language Teaching Industry
- Abe’s Resignation, Aso, Fukuda, and the race to be PM, the Death Throes of Nova, and Wii: TPR News for Saturday, September 15, 2007
- State of the Trans-Pacific Radio for August
- TPR’s Ken Worsley Discusses Nova on Radio New Zealand: With Audio File
