Japanese Department Store Getting Major Reno

Japanese department store operator Sogo & Seibu Co. Ltd. (Tokyo) has started a full-scale renovation on its Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store. The 10-level store (two underground floors/eight above grade) will reopen in stages starting next January, with a grand re-opening set for the summer.

Incorporating the theme of “inclusion,” the store in Tokyo’s Toshima Ward will move away from the traditional department store which was segregated by different floors for men and women. Instead, Seibu Ikebukuro will serve all customers in unifying spaces where friends, couples, and families can shop and enjoy time together.

Overall, each floor of the store will be designed with the architectural concept of “maison” (“house” in French) to create spaces that embody three elements befitting high quality: class, sophistication and art.

The luxury section will bring together about 60 of the world’s top brands and will be presented in mixed men’s and women’s shops (with sales floor area 1.3 times larger than the current size). The cosmetics section will offer about 60 domestic and international brands, including unisex brands that customers can shop for with their partners (with sales floor area 1.7 times larger than the current size). The basement’s popular deli section is scheduled to feature about 180 shops, including several new brands.