Japanese drugstore operator Matsumotokiyoshi will expand into Hong Kong and Vietnam as increasingly health-conscious consumers in these markets are expected to fuel demand for Japanese nutrition supplements and cosmetics, Nikkei reported.
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"Vietnam is an emerging market, so there's plenty of room to open new stores," a representative of the Japanese company was quoted by Nikkei as saying.
Meanwhile, Matsumotokiyoshi will set up a local arm in Hong Kong by turning a market-research business established in 2007 into a wholly owned subsidiary. It will buy the entire stake from Matsumotokiyoshi President Kiyoo Matsumoto by the end of July.
While acknowledging that Hong Kong is a mature market, the drugstore operator still sees promise, given the number of customers from greater China who seek out Japanese products.
Matsumotokiyoshi gave no specific time frame for store openings in Hong Kong and Vietnam but said the impact on earnings for the fiscal year ending March 2020 will be minimal.
Matsumotokiyoshi has been pursuing overseas expansion as its home market shrinks. The chain had 33 stores in Thailand and three in Taiwan as of the end of June.
