Japan's department store operator Heiwado has announced plans to open a new department store in Changsha, provincial capital of Hunan, in the summer of 2013.
According to reports in Chinese local media, the new Heiwado department store in Changsha will have an area of 46,200 square meters and it will have about 350 stores covering apparel, cosmetics, and daily commodities as well as a food mart.
The new department store is Heiwado's fourth outlet in China. Prior to this, the Japanese company had already opened two stores in Changsha. The first store was opened in 1998. With an area of 47,000 square meters, the store's annual sales in 2011 were reportedly about JPY15 billion.
Heiwado mainly operates comprehensive supermarkets and food supermarkets in Japan. However, its Chinese strategy focuses on the development of department stores, aiming to attract wealthy consumers in China.
