KYOTO - A large discount retailer Don Quijote has opened its first inbound-focused specialty store in the Kansai region in Kyoto City, aiming to better serve the growing number of overseas visitors.
The newly opened Don Quijote Shijo-dori store began operations on the morning of February 10th, responding to increasing congestion at other Kyoto locations driven by a surge in inbound tourism, and is the first dedicated store in Kansai to focus on products popular among foreign visitors.
The store offers a range of items including sweets made with matcha, a symbol of Kyoto, and popular character merchandise, while the chain’s signature handwritten promotional signs have been redesigned with larger foreign-language text to make shopping easier for international customers.
A visitor from Mexico said she purchased beauty products to take home, adding, "I'm very happy!" When asked whether he liked Don Quijote, a visitor from the United States replied, "Of course! The music in the store is catchy, too."
Store manager Kota Wanibe of Don Quijote Shijo-dori said the goal is to attract many customers not only as shoppers but also to visit the location as a tourist destination, and the company plans to continue expanding specialty stores aimed at inbound visitors.
Source: YOMIURI
