Furniture and home interior company Nitori Holdings opened its 13th store in Thailand on April 24 at Emsphere, a commercial complex in Bangkok. The company said it plans to add at least one more store within the year. Over the medium term, it aims to build an 80-store network by 2032 and to raise its pace of openings to 10 stores a year.
The new store is on the second floor of Emsphere and covers 600 square meters. It carries about 3,500 items, mainly household goods, and has the highest share of new products among Nitori’s existing stores in Thailand.
A 44-year-old Thai woman who visited on opening day told NNA, “It’s my first time at a Nitori store, and there were many affordable and attractive products, especially small items that stood out. I was satisfied because I also trust Japanese brands.”
Nitori Holdings President Toshiyuki Shirai described Emsphere as “an important commercial hub with strong potential in terms of location, customer base and brand strength.” He said the site draws shoppers with high purchasing power and sits along the BTS Skytrain line, making it well positioned to attract customers from a wide area, adding that the company had been considering opening there for some time.
Swedish furniture retailer IKEA also has a store on the complex’s third floor. Shirai said a competing store could increase overall foot traffic and that an environment where customers can compare products and choose is positive. He also cited as a challenge that product functionality and convenience have not been fully communicated to Thai consumers, and said the company wants to strengthen its appeal.
Looking ahead, Shirai said Nitori wants to pursue a strategy of concentrated openings in specific areas of Bangkok while also expanding into provincial cities. He said a return to profitability within the year is possible, but indicated the company will prioritize expanding its store network over securing profits for now because investment burdens come first with new openings.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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