Jalan Jalan Japan launches in KL

Secondhand goods retailer Bookoff has opened an outlet in Kuala Lumpur, its first Southeast Asia store outside Japan.

The 2322 sqm Jalan Jalan Japan store sells about 200,000 items of used merchandise directly imported from Japan. While the retailer sells mainly used books, DVDs and electronic games in Japan, its Malaysian lineup includes apparel, household products, sporting equipment, musical instruments, toys, furniture and comic books.

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Bookoff is aiming to target low-income groups who appreciate used but high-quality Japanese goods, says Toru Inoue, GM of the group’s new business-planning office.

He says the plan is to open up to 10 stores across Malaysia in the next five years.

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Jalan Jalan Japan, which means “take-a-stroll” in Malay, is a 70:30 JV between Bookoff and Japanese logistics company Koike Corp and its Malaysian unit with an investment of 3.8 million ringgit (US$855,384).

Bookoff has 869 stores in Japan, of which 55 per cent are based on a franchise model. It also has outlets in France and the US.

Further ahead, the company plans to expand into Cambodia and Thailand.

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