Iittala Store Network Expands in Japan
Iittala’s popularity in Japan continues. The Iittala Store opened on September 9, 2011 in the Sano shopping mall is already Iittala’s eighth retail store in the Japanese market. In addition, there are 10 Iittala departments in high-class department stores in Japan. The Japanese stores are all operated by Iittala’s local partner.
The Sano shopping mall is a Retail Park, which consists of high-class stores selling quality brands. Retail Parks have become hugely popular in Japan. Iittala’s neighbors include Ralph Lauren, Furla, and Coach. Sano is about a 90-minute drive from Tokyo and has good transport connections.
Large crowd at the opening
The official opening of the Sano shop was held on September 9, 2011, and was attended, for example, by Jaakko Autere, President of the Fiskars Home business area, and Jari Gustafsson, the Finnish Ambassador in Japan. Autere was positively surprised by the enormous crowd at the opening:
“It is gratifying to see concretely how popular Iittala and Arabia are in Japan. The Japanese really appreciate Finnish design and its high quality. Consumers are also looking for visual experiences in our stores, and new ideas about the diverse purposes of use for our products”, Autere comments.
The expansion of the Japanese store network is part of the internationalization strategy of Fiskars Home. The newly opened 120 m2 store is elegantly furnished in the style of Iittala stores, and it showcases, among other things, the exquisite pixel wall, which presents Iittala glass products against an illuminated background. Besides the normal selection, the store provides special lots and bargains that draw in consumers from far away.
Photos from the opening are available in Fiskars Home’s image bank.
A friend of Finland lecturing at Aalto University
The popularity of Finland in Japan is also seen in the active cultural exchange between the two countries. A significant friend of Finnish design, Emeritus Professor Makoto Shimazaki, is currently visiting Finland and on Thursday afternoon, September 15, 2011, he will give a lecture at the University of Industrial Arts, in Aalto University. The lecture is part of the glass industry workshop and conference organized by Professor Kazushi Nakada, named in honor of the Kaj Franck year as ’Next 100 Years’. Iittala is a sponsor of the event.
Additional information
Tuija Aalto-Setälä, Head of PR, Fiskars Home
tel. +358 204 3910, tuija.aalto-setala@fiskars.com.
www.iittala.com
Fiskars is a leading global supplier of consumer products for the home, garden and outdoors. The group has a strong portfolio of respected international brands, including Fiskars, Iittala and Gerber. Founded in 1649 and listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Fiskars is Finland’s oldest company. Fiskars recorded net sales of EUR 716 million in 2010, and employs some 3,600 people in over 20 countries. www.fiskarsgroup.com