Hong Kong Outlook The Retreat of Japanese Department Stores By VIVIAN CHIU	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
日系デパートの撤退 景気下降と日本人観光客の減少で、香港の大手日系デパートは苦戦を強いられています。すでに撤退した「ヤオハン」や「三越」に続き、「大丸」も今年12月に撤退すると発表。一方で「そごう」は、戦略を変えて成功し、拡張を続けています。今月は香港の日系デパートの現状をお伝えします。

Chiu Kit-yan had been looking for a sofa bed for a long time and finally found the right one in Yaohan department store. She paid the full amount, HK$1,760 (¥31,310), before having it delivered to her home, which would take three weeks.

On a Monday morning in November 1997, she received a phone call from Yaohan asking her to come get a refund. The sofa bed could not be delivered. Ms. Chiu thought she would go on the weekend but when she went home on Thursday, she saw that the Yaohan store near her home was shut down. The next day, Yaohan announced it had to close its six branches in Hong Kong, leaving 2,700 workers jobless. Ms. Chiu lost her $1,760 payment.

"I always liked to shop at Yaohan, which was cheaper than other Japanese department stores," Chiu said. The store was known for its friendly atmosphere and its mix of local and inexpensive, quality Japanese products.

The closure of Yaohan heralds the shut down of a string of Japanese department stores. The biggest effects can be seen in Causeway Bay, where Daimaru, Matsuzakaya, Mitsukoshi, Seibu and Sogo once used to prosper.

The retail slump claimed its most recent victim, Matsuzakaya, Aug. 31. The store closed its doors after 23 years in Hong Kong, leaving 155 workers jobless.

The Nagoya-based Matsuzakaya store — regarded by Hong Kong people as an upmarket Japanese department store and a favorite of Japanese tourists hunting for brand name goods — blamed weak consumer demand for a 1997 ¥9.7 billion net loss, that met predictions.

The Hong Kong Retail Management Association said department stores had been hit hardest due to their large floor space. Based on mid-1997 prices, Hong Kong had the highest retail rents in the world, according to property specialist Healey & Baker. On average, the rent for a shop on Fifth Avenue, New York, was US$4,306 (about ¥580,000) per square meter per year and $2,431 in the Ginza, Tokyo. In contrast, Hong Kong's retail rent was a whopping $8,280.

On the last-day sale at Matsuzakaya, porcelain and crystal department assistant Chan Sui-ying said she felt nostalgic, having worked at Matsuzakaya ever since it opened in 1975.

"I always tried to do my best. I felt so good when a customer would say she was just looking and not planning to buy anything, but then after I showed her the products, she ended up spending HK$10,000 (¥177,900)," said Ms. Chan, who is now working for a porcelain supplier.

In June, Daimaru also announced it would close its doors in December. Established in 1960, Daimaru is the oldest Japanese retailer in Hong Kong. While predicting hardship in finding other jobs in the retail sector, some of the 400 staff members facing the axe said they were grateful that the company had given them six months' notice.

"They have always treated the workers well. This is just another example of the company's management style," said a saleswoman.

A customer said: "It's a pity. This store has been here for so long. It's older than Sogo and the food is cheaper. I've been coming here for 30 years."

In trying to justify the closure of Daimaru, a manager of the business promotion section said: "It's not as though the company decided on the spur of the moment to give up on the Hong Kong market. It tried to hang on for some time, but the competition became too stiff, the rent is high and the recent economic downturn and drop in tourists also hurt sales."

Retail sales plummeted 16.4 percent in June compared with the same month last year. Department stores were hardest hit.

Sogo, however, is going on an expansion binge in spite of the continuing downturn in the retail industry. The company will soon open new stores in Whampoa Garden and Tuen Mun Town Plaza. It will also embark on the construction of the largest department store in the mainland.

Sogo has adopted a fundamental and sound business policy of buying instead of renting premises for its long-term operations.

Another reason for Sogo's success is its localization policy. Sogo shifted its target to local customers in 1993. For the past few years Japanese have made up less than 10 percent of all customers.

As for the future of Causeway Bay, retail experts believe malls will replace department stores. While Japanese department stores still have appeal, they now face much greater competition. Near Daimaru and Matsuzakaya are The In Square, Fashion Island, Excelsior Plaza and World Trade Centre malls.

If medium-sized retailers had the choice of renting a space in a department store or a mall, they would probably opt for the latter. While rents in malls may be slightly higher, the retailer actually owns his own shop and is not controlled by the department store's management and does not have to share its staff.

While Causeway Bay will no doubt strive to retain its title as Hong Kong's shopping hub, shopping arcades built near new housing estates are likely to lure customers away.

People today can choose to visit places like Plaza Hollywood and East Point City, which are much closer to homes in Kowloon. Such trends pose new worries for Causeway Bay retailers in the years ahead.

Shukan ST: Oct. 2, 1998

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