Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
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Uniqlo’s retail expansion seems like it’s happening at the wrong time. Bookstores are closing, the Gap just announced it’s closing 189 stores, but Uniqlo is thinking about doing 12 billion in sales in the US. Why are they doing exactly what the others aren’t? This article explains it a little bit. A) Good Pricing B) No Gaps C) Big Store Experience. It’s happening and perhaps it works because of their base that’s not in the US. (Portfolio – Uniqlo)
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Matsumoto City, Japan, isn’t that big. It only has about a quarter of a million people. But it does boast two rather beautiful castles. One dates from the early 16th century and is a fine example of a Japanese hirajiro flatland castle. The other one dates from 1950 and sells secondhand books. The bookstore is named Seikando, and its owner made a point of building it to look like nearby Matsumoto Castle when that structure underwent five years of major renovations sixty years ago. Other than that, details about the place in English are pretty sparse. But it is a very interesting and cool discovery, and a great example of the wonderful things to celebrate about the differences between other countries and our own. And it may start you wondering if your ordinances and local zoning laws would allow such unusual construction. (Japanese Castle Explorer – Castle For Used Books) A brief description of the bookstore and its history can be found on this independent tourism site.
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