Household appliance giant Bic Camera and its subsidiary Kojima will open Japan’s first Bic Camera-Kojima store in Kokura-minami-ku, Kitakyushu on June 8. The store is located about 2km from the store Bic Camera used to operate jointly with its former partner Best Denki, and there is a Yamada Denki, the parent of Best Denki, nearby, so competition among the retailers will likely intensify. The Bic Camera-Kojima store is housed in a remodeled Kojima shop, and it will use Bic’s distribution channels to double the number of items to about 50,000. In addition to electronics, it will also sell tools, bicycles and wristwatches. A Bic official said he hopes the new store will “attract customers who frequented our old joint venture”. The company plans to transform 20 to 30 Kojima stores located in Japan’s urban centers into Bic Camera-Kojima stores. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, June 5
