Shimamura
Shimamura Co., Ltd. · Japan
Shimamura is a Japanese value clothing retailer, headquartered in Saitama and listed as Shimamura Co., Ltd. It runs the Fashion Center Shimamura chain together with Avail, Birthday, Chambre and Divaro, mostly in suburban locations.
| Founded | 1923 (as Shimamura Kimono Store) |
|---|---|
| Company | Shimamura Co., Ltd. |
| Headquarters | Saitama City, Japan (since January 2021) |
| Main chain | Fashion Center Shimamura |
| Other formats | Avail, Birthday, Chambre, Divaro |
| Website | shimamura.gr.jp |
What is Shimamura?
Shimamura Co., Ltd. is a Japanese fast fashion retailer focused on low priced clothing in suburban and roadside sites. Its flagship chain is Fashion Center Shimamura. The company also operates the Avail, Birthday, Chambre and Divaro store brands, and a Taiwan only chain called Simmuller.
History
According to Japanese Wikipedia the business began in 1923 as Shimamura Kimono Store in Ogawa, Saitama. It was incorporated in 1953 and renamed Shimamura Co., Ltd. in 1972. Avail was formerly a subsidiary and was absorbed into Shimamura in 2009. In January 2021 the company moved its headquarters to Omiya, Saitama City, from Higashimatsuyama, and in 2020 it closed all of its Shanghai stores.
Business model and distribution
Unlike specialty store private label retailers such as Uniqlo, Shimamura buys from apparel makers and resells their products rather than designing everything in house. As of 20 February 2019 the source lists 1,428 Fashion Center Shimamura stores, 318 Avail, 284 Birthday, 97 Chambre, 18 Divaro and 47 Simmuller. Online, it sells through ZOZOTOWN and its own website.
Why it matters
Shimamura is one of the largest clothing chains in Japan by store count and shows an alternative to the vertically integrated model of Uniqlo. Its suburban, price led approach serves family customers outside the main city shopping districts. Current store numbers and financial results should be checked against the company's latest filings, as this profile uses the dated figures in the cited source.
Frequently asked questions
What is Shimamura?
Shimamura is a Japanese value fashion retailer with a large chain of suburban stores called Fashion Center Shimamura. It also runs Avail, Birthday, Chambre and Divaro.
Where is Shimamura from?
Shimamura is from Japan. It began in 1923 as a kimono shop in Ogawa, Saitama, and is now headquartered in Saitama City.