Japanese fashion brand Lowrys Farm is to close its Singapore stores.

The fashion label launched in Singapore less than three years ago and now has eight stores under its own brand and one under its secondary Global Work banner.

Its stores are in shopping centres, including 313@Somerset and Suntec City. The Global Work store is in Jurong East’s Westgate Mall.

The Straits Times newspaper reports that the stores will close on February 18.

The stores’ operator is Adastria Holdings whose spokeswoman Mika Takano told the newspaper the business was shutting up shop because Singaporeans had different fashion tastes to Japanese and the apparel was not suited to the local climate.

Singapore Polytechnic senior retail lecturer Sarah Lim cited high overheads and tough competition for Lowrys Farm’s demise.

“The brands are targeting young adults, a market flooded with new international entrants like H&M and Stradivarius, which are very aggressive in their sales.”

Lowrys Farm and Global Work stock casual wear including long skirts, cardigans and scarves – all items which aren’t exactly in high demand amongst Singapore’s locals.

“Their positioning is not clear. Lowrys Farm is pricier than H&M, so youth don’t buy from them, but working adults want something more formal,” Lim told the Straits Times.