Costco to Launch E-Commerce Biz in Japan

June 15, 2018

Tokyo- Costco Wholesale Japan Ltd. plans to launch an e-commerce service in Japan in 2019, officials have said.

The unit of major U.S. big-box retailer Costco Wholesale Corp. aims to take advantage of the growing popularity of online shopping services in Japan.

An annual membership fee of 4,752 yen is likely to be charged for individual customers for the e-commerce service, the same as the fee for shopping at membership-only Costco warehouses in Japan.

Costco Wholesale Japan, based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, will decide details of the new service, such as product lineups and the launch schedule, the officials said.

The company has distribution bases in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, and Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo. It plans to expand its distribution network to prepare for the e-commerce operations.

The company also plans to increase the number of its physical retail outlets in Japan to 50 from the current 26 by 2030. Jiji Press