How Japan has become a launchpad for reviving global brands

On a quiet street in one of Tokyo’s trendiest neighborhoods, a floral terrier mascot stands beneath a pastel signpost that reads “London,” forming part of the entrance to a Cath Kidston store. Cath Kidston is a British brand that has disappeared from the U.K. high streets but is now enjoying a revival in Japan. The British retailer known for its vintage-inspired floral prints entered administration during the pandemic and closed all 60 U.K. stores. But the brand is thriving in Japan for a second time thanks to the country’s deep affection for British nostalgia and aesthetics. The brand resonates deeply with Japanese consumers drawn to soft romanticism and Anglophilia. “I think they see potential in Japan. I'm not sure about the numbers, but I think Cath Kidston in Japan is pretty big compared to other franchise partners. We will have like six stores in a year, and that's a lot,” says Tiara Simmons, the brand director for Cath Kidston Japan. Unlike past booms for luxury brands, today's Western companies, often overlooked at home, are being reborn here through local partnerships and a focus on quality. Global brands like Gap and Ikea are learning that to do well in Japan, where consumers demand a level of quality that borders on perfection, requires more than good marketing or translation skills. Barneys New York was a cultural icon in the 1990s and early 2000s but folded in 2019. Now owned by Authentic Brands Group, it has a partnership with Laox Holdings in Japan, with 10 retail outlets. “Barneys was something that appeared in many different places, like lines in movies, dialogue in TV dramas, or parts of novels. It was a brand that was truly loved by a wide range of celebrities and influential people,” says Barneys Japan president Penny Luo. “So, in that sense, Barneys New York really became a kind of cultural icon. And so, when it came to Japan, there were a lot of customers who were genuinely thrilled: ‘It’s that Barneys; it has come to Japan!’ I believe that the image and status that Barneys developed in New York is something that people in Japan can still understand and appreciate.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.