One of Japan's most venerable department stores, Isetan stocks everything you'll ever need. We hit the shop floor to find out the secret of its success.
Tokyo’s Isetan department store has found success by treating its customers like royalty and turning shopping into an experience. Monocle hands over its credit card to a kimono-clad sales associate.
In Japan’s department-store sector an overhaul of the big-box retailer is under way. In March the country’s biggest department-store operator Isetan Mitsukoshi plans to open Isetan Haus, a new mid-sized shop in Nagoya…
Japan’s biggest department store group, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, is heading into the food business by teaming up with the Tokyo café and restaurant operator Transit General Office. The new company, called Mitsukoshi…
Starbucks opened its first café in Russia in September, after a decade of trying. Last year, the company won a court case that finally gave it the right to use its trademark, which was bought up by a crafty Moscow lawyer…
Here at Monocle we’ve long believed that far from being on its way out, physical retail is essential and here to stay. Across these pages we present our manifesto on what good bricks-and-mortar has to offer for cities,…
From regularly refreshed department stores to dedicated dog buggies, Japan revels in the retail details. Tyler Brûlé explains why nobody does it better and looks ahead to our next Quality of Life Conference.
Specialist scents, made by small artisanal producers, are beginning to make a big splash with retailers and consumers alike, as Monocle discovers on a visit to a Milan trade fair for the niche market.
Department stores have been around for 150 years but their standing has slipped of late. Yet, as the best of their kind still show us, it’s a versatile format that can deliver the goods.
Mühlbauer in Vienna creates headwear in the age-old way. The business was saved from the brink of collapse by the brother and sister owners and their designs are now sold internationally.
‘House Vision’ is an exhibition that invites creative thinkers to explore new possibilities for urban living. Welcome to the future of the Japanese house – delivery-friendly outdoor fridge and handy pull-down bath included…
The Monocle Retail Survey is back. For this year’s selection, we’ve scoured the globe for the best new shops, the smartest developers and the most-anticipated additions to the retail landscape. From a department store in…
This month we launch a new travel edit with a focus on great service and put the spotlight on some of Bavaria’s finest new hostelries. Plus, overleaf, there’s dining in Tokyo, a Zürich café that plays musical chairs and a…