Japanese Retailers Nitori and Donki Speed Southeast Asian Push

(Nikkei Asia) — Japanese furniture retailer Nitori and discount store chain Don Don Donki are expanding in Southeast Asia, offering affordable, hard-to-find quality products to win the heart of consumers here.

Their push comes as department stores — long known as the face of Japanese retail — scale back operations in the region.

“I found out about Nitori through my daughter’s Instagram. I like their quality and design,” said a 50-year-old customer who walked into Nitori’s new store in Kuala Lumpur right after its grand opening. Having recently renovated his kitchen, the shopper enthusiastically browsed the store’s private-label products, which account for more than 90% of its offerings.