Fortnum & Mason Open In Tokyo

Fortnum & Mason has opened its new flagship store-within-a-store in Tokyo. This has resulted from the joint venture between the upmarket London store and Mitsukoshi, Japan's leading quality retailer, first announced earlier this year. The new venture sees the launch of Fortnum & Mason Concept Shops in Japan. This first shop is located in the food hall of Mitsukoshi's newly extended flagship Nihombashi store. Plans are confirmed to open a second within the Mitsukoshi Nagoya store in the spring of next year.

This week's opening marks the first stage of Fortnum's international development strategy, devised to strengthen and grow its export business. The new approach will see Fortnum & Mason operating a smaller number of exclusive arrangements in its key markets, maximising brand impact and penetration, improving cost effectiveness and efficiency, and enabling Fortnums to sell a wider range of products abroad.

The new store, which adapts Fortnum & Mason's brand values for the Japanese market, will supply around 250 products, including teas, preserves, condiments and groceries, imported from the Piccadilly store. The new shops will also diversify the Fortnum offering to include a tea shop, bakery and take-away lunch service, as well as stocking products locally licensed and manufactured in Japan.