Japanese Drugstore Chain Boosts Duty-Free Counters on China Bets
- China’s lifting of group-tour ban stokes optimism on tourism
- Concerns about Chinese economy may hurt outbound travel demand
A drug store operated by Welcia in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo.
Photographer: Soichiro Koriyama/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Welcia Holdings Co., Japan’s largest drugstore chain, is more than tripling the number of stores with duty-free counters as it anticipates the return of Chinese group tours for the first time in more than three years.
The company plans to offer duty-free services at 1,000 stores, up from about 260 currently, and it expects tourists to travel beyond Japan’s major cities, a spokesperson for the company said by phone.