JUSCO
Encyclopedia
Hypermarket
In commerce, a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full groceries lines and general merchandise...
) and the largest of its type in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The various JUSCO companies are subsidiaries of ÆON Co., Ltd.
ÆON
, commonly written AEON Co., Ltd., is the holding company of Æon Group. It has its headquarters in Mihama-ku, Chiba, Chiba Prefecture.It operates JUSCO supermarkets directly in Japan.Æon is the largest retailer in Asia...
.
The JUSCO name was adopted in 1970 by a company originally founded as a kimono silk trader in 1758. Renamed ÆON in 1989, it operates stores throughout Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
under JUSCO and other names and also has a presence in Malaysia, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, mainland China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(永旺 Yǒng wàng), and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Overseas venture
In 1985 the first JUSCO overseas store was opened, in Plaza Dayabumi, Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia, as a jointly-owned company with Cold Storage
Cold Storage (supermarket)
Cold Storage is the second-largest supermarket chain in Singapore behind NTUC FairPrice, owned by Dairy Farm International Holdings.It operates 3 supermarket brands in Singapore and Malaysia; Cold Storage , Market Place and Shop N Save .-History:Established in 1903, Cold Storage started as a small...
and three local companies. It was the first time that a Japanese company had entered into a significant joint venture in the Malaysian retail industry. JUSCO assumed total operational control of the chain in 1988. Currently 18 JUSCO stores and supermarkets are in operation in Malaysia with another 4 confirmed openings and three planned stores by 2010.
The ÆON Bandaraya Melaka Shopping Centre in Malacca in Malaysia is the largest JUSCO in Malaysia and Southeast Asia with over 1358000 square feet (126,162.3 m²) of built-up area and 5,000 car park bays.
Currently the oldest (though not the first) JUSCO store in Malaysia is JUSCO Taman Maluri, near Cheras
Cheras, Kuala Lumpur
Cheras is a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. The township is located to the south-east of Kuala Lumpur. Cheras is also adjacent to Ampang to the north and Kajang to the south, both of which are major cities within the metropolitan area of Kuala Lumpur.-Origins:Originally,...
, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
. It opened on 30 October 1989.
JUSCO in Malaysia is notable for being among the first general merchandise chains to introduce biodegradable poly bags made from sweet potatoes.
JUSCO, renamed AEON Stores (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd. subsequently, was established in Hong Kong in November 1987 with the first shop at Kornhill Plaza
Kornhill
Kornhill and Kornhill Gardens are apartment buildings on the northern slope of Mount Parker, in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Kornhill is of private housing estate and Kornhill Gardens is of Private Sector Participation Scheme...
, Quarry Bay
Quarry Bay
Quarry Bay is an area beneath Mount Parker in the Eastern District of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. The western portion of the area was also formerly known as Lai Chi...
. It was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Hong Kong Stock Exchange
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in Hong Kong. It is Asia's third largest stock exchange in terms of market capitalization behind the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange and fifth largest in the world...
in February 1994.
The largest JUSCO (also the largest single-building shopping center in Japan) opened in 2005 in Mito
Mito, Ibaraki
is the capital of Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan and has a central location, moderately offset towards the coast in that prefecture. As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 263,748 and a total area is 217.45 km², giving a population density of 1,212.91 persons per km²...
.
All except 2 JUSCOs, Srinakarin Rd and Sukhumvit Soi 71, have been closed down in Bangkok, Thailand. ÆON Co., Ltd.
ÆON
, commonly written AEON Co., Ltd., is the holding company of Æon Group. It has its headquarters in Mihama-ku, Chiba, Chiba Prefecture.It operates JUSCO supermarkets directly in Japan.Æon is the largest retailer in Asia...
is re-expanding there under the MaxValu name instead.