井筒屋 of Kitakyushu is developing a new business model that goes beyond the conventional department store framework. Centered on a select shop showcasing local attractions and a regional trading business, it is expanding from B2C into the B2B sector.
井筒屋, which operates the only department store in Kitakyushu, is developing a new business model that goes beyond conventional retail. Its core businesses are the select shop "きたきゅうコロンブス," which showcases local attractions, and its "regional trading business," which develops and wholesales local products in collaboration with government and business organisations.
The new initiative involves entering the B2B sector, including product development and the development of new sales channels, rather than being limited to sourcing and selling products. It is attracting the attention of industry participants as an effort to create a mechanism for circulating value within the local economy.
井筒屋 is located in a busy shopping district about a 10-minute walk from JR Kokura Station and continues to operate as Kokura 井筒屋. It previously operated stores in Hakata, Kurume and Iizuka, among other locations, but a series of store closures following the 2008 Lehman shock has left only the Kokura main store and Yamaguchi store.
The new business model aims to circulate value within the local economy through the development of local products and new sales channels, indicating a direction in which the organisation is expanding its role beyond its conventional B2C-focused operations.