Secondhand shop operators in Japan are focusing on developing channels to procure luxury and other branded goods as demand from foreign visitors surges amid the yen’s historic weakness.
Some are teaming up with major department stores to improve their product offerings, while others are beginning to use artificial intelligence to evaluate goods brought in by customers.
According to the trade publication Reuse Economic Journal, Japan’s secondhand goods market has been expanding year by year, totaling ¥3.1 trillion in 2023, up 7.8% from the previous year. Of the 2023 total, branded goods accounted for ¥365.6 billion, up 19.4%.
