Costco Wholesale Japan, which operates 32 Costco membership retail stores across Japan, is planning to open a new store in Okinawa. The store, which is set to open in Nanjo City in August 2024, is expected to bring changes to the commercial environment in Okinawa, given Costco’s unique positioning that combines cost-effectiveness and a sense of entertainment. Costco operates large warehouse-like stores where they sell a wide range of food and household goods in bulk at discounted prices. With its headquarters in the US, as of mid-July, the company operates 855 stores in 14 countries and regions around the world.
In Japan, where it entered the market in 1999, it has 32 stores. The new store in Okinawa will become Costco’s southernmost store in Japan, taking the title from its current location in Kumamoto. The new Costco store will be built on a site measuring 59,000 square meters, about 1.3 times the size of the Tokyo Dome, with a one-story building covering 14,000 square meters. The store will also include a gas station, a food court, a pharmacy, and parking for over 800 vehicles.
The store plans to employ between 300 and 400 people, 80-90% of whom will be hired locally. The hourly wage will be set at the same rate as other stores in Japan, between 1,500 yen. More than half of the employees will be hired as full-time employees. Source: Ryukyu Shimpo
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