New Japanese store to set Singapore aglow

Established Japanese fashion retailer Lumine opened its first store outside Japan in Singapore on with a grand opening last weekend.

The approximately 10,000sqft space on the second floor of Clarke Quay Central offers chic Japanese fashion brands with a focus on versatility, style and comfort.

The boutique specialty lifestyle store keeps an eye on a range of trendy, contemporary wardrobe must-haves and specially-curated top-quality Japanese products.

Naokazu Kozakai, managing director of Lumine Singapore, said the company needs to “go beyond simply being a place where customers can purchase products. We must become a place that stimulates their sensibilities [by] creating shops, products and communities filled with originality.”

The Singapore store will replicate the shopping experience that is offered by the brand in Japan. With a simple and modern interior design to create a comfortable and relaxed environment, the store aims to target local women who are young professionals, as well as tourists and expatriates.

Speaking to Retail Asia, Nao Miyawaki, business development manager of Lumine Singapore noted Singapore is the hub of South-east Asia in terms of information, infrastructure and transport, making it easy to set up and facilitate a business. In addition, Singapore enjoys a high GDP, indicating a high spending market.

She added: “Lumine founded a local subsidiary company in Singapore, Lumine Singapore in January 2016 and has been doing research on retail in ASEAN countries. We observed that there is an attractive market of women who are highly ambitious and curious about quality new brands. The current shopping malls in Singapore and many ASEAN countries are experiencing a homogenisation of retail tenants, resulting in the existent of same brands in many of the malls. Lumine, on the other hand, is providing another aspect of shopping experience here. This is definitely crucial in expanding business opportunities in Singapore and the other ASEAN countries.”

Representing a premium urban lifestyle destination, Lumine was set up in 1966 and it currently has16 branches in Japan, including Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Yurakucho and various other locations.