Star Jewelry, the Japanese jewellery retailer, is set to expand into Mainland China under a partnership with Primo Global Holdings, opening its first standalone store in the country next year. 

The first store will be opened in Shanghai, followed by five stores in China within the next three years, mainly in Tier 1 cities. 

The Shanghai store design will follow the Star Jewelry Omotesando Hills store as a global standard model. The China expansion will also include the Star Jewelry online store launch. Founded in 1946, Star Jewelry has 57 stores in its home country, offering a wide range of fashion accessories and bridal jewellery. 

As of November, Primo Global Holdings operates 128 stores across five markets – Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mainland China and Singapore. 

The announcement of Star Jewelry’s China expansion comes at a time when the ongoing Covid-19 situation in the country has forced brands to plan their way to shut operations in the market. Last week, Japanese eyewear brand Aigan was reported to plan to withdraw from China after experiencing losses for years in this market.