The food emporium at Hokkaido’s Shin Chitose airport is unsurpassed. No wonder packaged goods brands are elbowing in to reinvigorate street cred!
Want to see a master class in agricultural marketing? Visit Hokkaido’s shin-chitose airport
Branding
Tokyu Hands changes hands; enter stage left Home Centre giant Cainz
Tokyu Hands was one of the first stores I visited when I came to Japan. I vividly recall their store in Tokyo with many more floors (and staircases) than I can remember; and then there’s the eclectic range of premium merchandise. Want something you can’t find elsewhere? Go to Tokyu Hands, said my colleagues. Founded …
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Inspired by Ekiden, Asics eyes North American turn around to challenge Nike
Unless you live in Japan you probably don’t know the Ekiden (literally ‘station to station’). It’s an inter university relay race held early in the New Year from Hakone near Mt Fuji right into the centre of Tokyo. This January, Aoyama Gakuin won the 98th Ekiden with a record time. In my mind, it’s a …
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Hermès, NFTs and MetaBirkins. Who will handbag the cyber squatters?
How can you protect your IP in the Meta-verse? Hermès is a brand worth over $2b with a portfolio that covers scarves, shoes, bags, belts and fashion jewellery. The Birkin bag is a Hermès signature item, handmade from leather and named after Jane broken, an English actress. Leather is a core brand attribute. Scarcity has …
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Huel, an edgy food nutrition start-up, going global advocate, puts itself on the IPO dinner table
Huel is an acronym for HUman FuEL. The company sells powder based meal replacements diluted with water. The ingredients are 100% vegan and include oats, pea, rice, flaxseed, coconut, and sunflower. It’s a brand for active and wealthy millennials, a target group similar to Peleton or even Go-Pro. Like the latter, it has a similar …
Ajinomoto stock soars far above rivals. But is it due to MSG or the lesser known ABF?
Although the Nikkei has danced to new highs recently (+30% at time of writing), not everyone has been doing so well. That’s especially the case for food & beverage stocks. Yakult and Morinaga’s share price has not grown whilst Ezaki Glico, Nissin Foods and Calbee are down (-7%, -8% & -14% respectively). Alcohol giants Asahi …
Ajinomoto stock soars far above rivals. But is it due to MSG or the lesser known ABF? Read More »
Facing strong headwinds, Shiseido offloads three business to private equity – at a significant loss.
Shiseido is one of the oldest cosmetic companies in the world. Listed on the Tokyo stock exchange it has over 33,000 employees and sales of US$8.6b. However last year Shiseido produced a loss, a sharp contrast to the previous 4 years. The reason: higher than expected sales and general expenses. The company has always had …
Vodka burners are go; private equity takes a full swig of Stock Spirits
Last week UK-listed Stock Spirits accepted a take over from private equity’s CVC who agreed to pay a 44% premium. Over 50% of Stock Spirits business is in Poland, other key markets include Italy, Slovenia & Croatia. Its core brands are Eastern European Vodka, Vodka based liqueurs and Limoncello. The company has been under pressure …
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