Marimekko buckles down in Japan

The Finnish design company is ramping up its business in Japan. As its most important market in the region, Japan will see the opening of a new store in the Greater Tokyo area at the end of September. Marimekko’s flagship store in the Japanese capital was recently remodelled, based on a new store concept designed by the Pentagram design agency.

“The revamped flagship store now opening in Tokyo enables us to expand and deepen the strong awareness and loyal fan base we already have in Japan,” explains Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, president and CEO of Marimekko. “We believe that our home-inspired store concept reflecting genuine, sustainable and cheerful values will offer an even more fascinating holistic customer experience to both existing and new friends of Marimekko.”

Marimekko reporteda net sales increase of 16 per cent in the first half of 2018. This was primarily due to increases in wholesales, which grew by 20 per cent in Japan and 22 per cent in the Asia-Pacific region.

“In the first half of the year, signs were visible that the new direction for our collections and our brand was working well,” states Alahuhta-Kasko. “The key drivers of our growth are e-commerce, partner-led retail in Asia, and boosting sales per square metre in Marimekko stores.”

Towards the end of the year, Marimekko is aiming to open 10 to 15 new stores globally and continue to enhance its existing network of 156 stores.