Retail in Asia

In Markets

Japan firms face hurdles as “service” culture taken overseas

At Uniqlo stores worldwide, staff greet every customer with "Welcome to Uniqlo!" They briskly walk around on a clean, white sales floor, refolding and restacking clothes, rarely talking to customers or each other unless approached.

It’s a Japanese style of customer service based on a strict manual and which is praised for its politeness and efficiency. But as Japanese companies increasingly branch out overseas, they are faced with the dilemma of staying true to this retail philosophy while adapting to local service habits.

Whether to stick with the Japanese style or to incorporate the local way of communicating with customers is a balancing act for retailers and differs to challenges faced by manufacturers.