Known for fancy food halls, luxury items, impeccable service and, in their heyday, rooftop attractions to entertain families, Japan's department stores have been in a long slow decline as shopping habits change. Even before this year's woes, Japanese department stores have struggled to stay relevant, selling items such as $10,000 kimonos and posh tableware to maintain their cachet even as consumer tastes have turned towards more informal items. Some of the country's 203 department stores have also drastically shrunk floor space by bringing in other tenants. EVERYTHING HAS CHANGEDIn Yamagata, the future of the Onuma department store remains unclear. Although Yamashita's company is keen to keep the store going, creditors could opt to sell to a higher-paying bidder.

Source: bd News24 September 07, 2020 02:37 UTC