Sushiro is expanding overseas, mainly in China, while maintaining a policy of generally operating its domestic stores directly. It surpassed 100 stores in China in less than 5 years after entering the market, reaching 135 stores as of the end of September.
Sushiro's stores in China surpassed 100 in less than 5 years after entering the market, reaching 135 as of the end of September. The customer-drawing power of the commercial facility housing its first Beijing store has been key to opening new locations, and its ability to negotiate invitations from malls and store-opening terms is also growing. Although external headwinds include the COVID-19 pandemic and the suspension of imports of Japanese seafood, store openings have continued steadily.
At an earnings briefing, Executive Vice President Kato (加藤) explained that although Sushiro receives invitations to open stores from many malls, it selects locations carefully after assessing the availability and training of personnel. In its overseas expansion, it has maintained a policy of generally operating stores directly rather than leaving operations to local franchisees or local subsidiaries.
As Uniqlo and Muji withdraw from unprofitable malls in their expansion into China, Sushiro is believed to have a favorable position in negotiating store-opening terms, as its value as a key customer draw for malls is recognized. It has emphasized its commitment to reproducing the format and taste of its Japanese stores overseas through direct operation.
The approach to opening stores is conventional. Its first overseas expansion was into South Korea in 2011, with full-scale expansion beginning in Taiwan in 2018. It opened stores in Hong Kong and Singapore in 2019, then entered mainland China in 2021. It has used Taiwan and Hong Kong as gateways, expanding gradually into mainland China.