Japan’s 10 major supermarket operators will close a record 92 outlets in this business year, according to a report in business daily Nihon Keizai cited by the AFP news agency.
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The paper said the number of store closures will exceed openings for the first time in three years.
The supermarket operators will open a total of 83 outlets in the year to March 2006, mostly focusing on food, the report said.
They aim mainly to close stores that are 20-30 years old and located in city centres because many businesses have relocated to suburban areas, the report said.
The firms believe those stores are doing poorly because they have failed to focus on certain types of goods in a way that appeals to consumers.
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By GlobalDataAeon is considering closing down 15 outlets, a figure comparable to the number of stores it shut in the year to March 2005.
Ito-Yokado Co. will shut down four stores in the year while Maruetsu Inc. will almost triple the number of outlets it plans to close to 13.
Daiei is negotiating with landlords to close down a total of 53 stores, the most since 33 were shut in the year to March 2003.
These companies previously expanded the number of stores handling a wide range of products. But their sales have been hit by the opening of an increasing number of speciality stores and of commercial complexes housing these outlets.
