By SATOSHI SHINDEN/ Staff Writer
January 3, 2025 at 17:40 JST
Shoppers check out New Year’s lucky bags at the Takashimaya department store in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district on Jan. 3. (Takeshi Komiya)
Most major department stores gave workers a rare day or two off at the start of the year, and they likely welcomed the extra rest to prepare for the crowds of eager shoppers.
On Jan. 3, the first business day of 2025, thousands of bargain hunters lined up in front of the Takashimaya department store in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district before doors opened at 10 a.m.
A woman in her 50s, who took the first train from Yokohama, said she wanted to grab a lucky bag containing a meal voucher at a long-established “sukiyaki” restaurant.
Only 60 bags were on offer, priced at 11,000 yen ($70) each.
Takashimaya Co. closed its 13 department stores nationwide on Jan. 2, in principle, for the first time in 23 years.
Takuya Nakamura, deputy manager of the Nihonbashi outlet, said the store expects to better serve customers by giving employees two days off at the beginning of the year.
“We can improve employees’ motivation and also more easily make shift schedules,” Nakamura said.
Until last year, most department stores opened their doors on Jan. 1 or 2.
This year, Takashimaya and many other operators started business on Jan. 3 to secure days off for employees and deal with staff shortages.
For example, Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co. delayed the first business day from Jan. 2 to Jan. 3 at its 15 outlets nationwide for the first time in 25 years.
Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores Inc. also opened 10 of its outlets on Jan. 3.
Sogo and Seibu Co., which had opened all its department stores on Jan. 1 since 2013, closed four of them, including the Seibu Ikebukuro Main Store, on the first day of the year.
On the other hand, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Inc. opened its department stores on Jan. 2, unchanged from the previous year.
The company said it pushed back the first business day until Jan. 3 at eight outlets in the Tokyo metropolitan area in 2016 but brought it forward to Jan. 2 again in 2020 following requests from customers.
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COVID-19 puts a damper on traditional New Year practices
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New Year’s sales at department stores surge with few COVID curbs
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Shimane’s last department store closes its doors after 65 years
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