Sogo
Encyclopedia
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...
. It once owned stores in locations as diverse as Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, located on the Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of Wan Chai and Eastern districts. The Chinese name is also romanized as Tung Lo Wan as in Tung Lo Wan Road...
in 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...
, Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Medan
Medan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
, Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
& Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, 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...
in Malaysia, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
in 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...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, but most of these international branches are now operated by independent franchises
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
.
History
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
by Ihei Sogo as a retailer of used kimono
Kimono
The is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
.
In July 2000, the company faced financial troubles caused by the reckless real estate investment policy of the former chairman, Hiroo Mizushima, and the collapse of Japanese real estate prices since the mid-1980s. The group collapsed under a debt mountain of US$17 billion, owed principally to Industrial Bank of Japan
Industrial Bank of Japan
The , based in Tokyo, Japan, was one of the largest banks in the world during the latter half of the 20th century.It combined with Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank and Fuji Bank in 2002 to form Mizuho Financial Group.- History :...
. Sogo applied to Osaka District Court under the Civil Rehabilitation Law on July 12, 2000. It has had to divest itself of unprofitable business lines, as well as valuable assets such as several stores in Japan (e.g., Kokura and Kurosaki) and some overseas stores, including ones in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Taipei.
Other overseas Sogo stores survived under independent franchises, through which the Japanese company has also managed to raise capital.
In Japan, Sogo is a subsidiary of Millennium Retailing (now renamed as Sogo & Seibu
Sogo & Seibu
is a Japanese retail company that operates 4 retail franchises: Loft, Robinson Department Store, Sogo, and Seibu Department Stores. It is a subsidiary of Seven & I Holdings Co.....
).
Beijing
Sogo also has two main stores in BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. The store located in Beijing's southern district is one of the largest and most prestigious department stores in the city.
In 2004, Jiuguang Department Store
Jiuguang Department Store
Jiuguang Department Store is a joint venture between Chongguang Department Store, belonging to Lifestyle International Group , which continues Sogo's operations in Hong Kong after Sogo's bankruptcy, and Jiubai Group of Shanghai, China...
in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
was opened as a joint venture between Lifestyle International Holdings of Hong Kong, the owner of Sogo Hong Kong
Sogo Hong Kong
Sogo Hong Kong is one of the largest Japanese-style department stores in Hong Kong. It originally belonged to Japan's Sogo, but is now owned by Lifestyle International Holdings , a company held by Hong Kong billionaire brothers Joseph Lau and Thomas Lau...
and the state-owned Joinbuy Group of Shanghai. The department store is located in the fashionable Jing'an District
Jing'an District
Jing'an District is one of the central districts of Shanghai. It has an area of 7.62 km². With 305,300 inhabitants it is one of Shanghai's most densely populated districts....
adjacent to the Jing'an Temple
Jing'an Temple
Jing'an Temple is a Buddhist temple on West Nanjing Road, in Jing'an District, Shanghai, China.-History:The first temple was built in 247 AD, at the time of the Kingdom of Wu, during the Three Kingdoms period. Originally located beside Suzhou Creek, it was relocated to its current site in 1216...
, on West Nanjing Road. The store operation is a clone of the Sogo in Hong Kong including the high-end supermarket Freshmart
Freshmart
Freshmart is a chain of supermarkets based in Ontario, Canada. It is a unit of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor.Freshmart stores are typically operated by a franchise owner...
and Beaute @ Jiuguang (instead of Beaute @ Sogo).
The store also brought in some very exclusive designers, a lot of which had their first counter in China or Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
such as Thomas Pink
Thomas Pink
Thomas Pink is a retail clothing business started in London in 1984, by three Irish brothers James, Peter and John Mullen. The company was named for an 18th century London tailor who was known for making much sought-after red hunting jackets....
, Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood
Dame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:...
.
Hong Kong
The Causeway BayCauseway Bay
Causeway Bay is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, located on the Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of Wan Chai and Eastern districts. The Chinese name is also romanized as Tung Lo Wan as in Tung Lo Wan Road...
store on Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
, also known colloquially as "Jumbo Sogo," opened in 1980.
Following Sogo Group's collapse, the business of Sogo Hong Kong, including the 40,500-square-meter retail property located in Causeway Bay, was sold for US$453.6 million to two local billionaires, Thomas Lau
Thomas Lau
Thomas Lau Luen-hung is a Hong Kong entrepreneur and billionaire. He is the younger brother of Joseph Lau Luen-hung, the chairman of Chinese Estates Holdings. He is the managing director of Lifestyle International Holdings.-References:...
of Chinese Estates and Henry Cheng
Henry Cheng
Dr. Henry Cheng Kar-shun ; born 1946, Hong Kong), GBS, is a Hong Kong entrepreneur and billionaire.The elder son of Dr...
of Chow Tai Fook Enterprises
Chow Tai Fook Enterprises
Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Ltd. is a diversified, Hong Kong-based company engaged in the property development, hotel, casino, transportation, jewelry, port and telecommunications businesses....
when the Japanese Sogo went bankrupt. They took Sogo public by injecting this asset into Lifestyle International in 2004.
Sogo Hong Kong Co. Ltd, the Sogo franchisee, now operates one additional store in Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...
, which opened on September 30, 2005, marking the 25th anniversary of Sogo in Hong Kong. The Causeway Bay store has had an extension built, which opened on November 22, 1993, and carries items in all product categories within a 15-story building. It recently opened the Sogo Club and Sogo Book club as well as a new annex building named Beauté by Sogo. The Tsim Sha Tsui branch focuses on designer fashions.
Taiwan
In TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, as a subsidiary of Far East Group, Pacific Sogo operates 17 stores: eight in Taiwan and nine in China (three in Shanghai, one in Beijing, two in Chengdu, two in Chongqing and one in Dalian, as of August 2007).
In 2006 Pacific Sogo found itself in the midst of a corruption scandal over gift certificates involving the family of Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
's former President Chen Shui-Bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
. In October 2006, Wu Shu-chen
Wu Shu-chen
Wu Shu-chen or Wu Shu-jen , Taiwan, Republic of China) is the wife of former President of the Republic of China Chen Shui-bian. Wu is the first and only First Lady of Taiwan to have been charged and convicted of a crime; she was sentenced to a one-year prison term for perjury regarding political...
(the former President's wife) was cleared by court of accepting vouchers from Pacific Sogo in return for her influence.
Indonesia
Sogo IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, is operated by PT. Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk. All stores are located in high-end shopping malls Plaza Senayan
Plaza Senayan
Plaza Senayan is an upscale shopping mall located in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The mall is only a few minutes by car from the Semanggi area...
, Pondok Indah Mall
Pondok Indah Mall
Pondok Indah Mall is a large shopping complex located in wealthy Pondok Indah suburb of South Jakarta, Indonesia. The Pondok Indah Mall, or referred to by Jakartans by its acronym: "PIM" complex: is actually two large malls, the older 3-storey PIM1 and the newer 5-storey PIM2, interconnected via a...
2, Mal Kelapa Gading
Mal Kelapa Gading
Mal Kelapa Gading opened on 1990, is a modern shopping and entertainment center located in Kelapa Gading, Jakarta, Indonesia. It is one of the largest shopping mall in Indonesia with over 130,000 m² of floor space and 600+ stores.-History:...
3, Emporium Mall and Central Park in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
; Plaza Tunjungan
Plaza Tunjungan
Plaza Tunjungan or Tunjungan Plaza or TP is the largest and most complete shopping center in Surabaya, Indonesia. It has an area of no less than 111,700 m2, which houses more than 500 retail outlets including boutiques, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, bookstores, supermarkets and children's arcade...
and Mall Galaxy Extension in Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
; Bali Collection and Discovery Shopping Mall in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
; Sun Plaza
Sun Plaza
Sun Plaza is a shopping mall in Bucharest, Romania, developed by EMCT Romania and Sparkassen Immobilien AG, under the design of the Spanish architect Chapman Taylor.The mall has:* 1 hypermarket Cora * 1 DIY Baumax...
in Medan
Medan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
; and Paris van Java in Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
.
Sogo Supermarket are featured in most stores except in Bali Collection, Discovery Shopping Centre, Central Park Jakarta and Emporium Mall. The use of Sogo Supermarket has been phased out progressively with the introduction of the Sogo Foodhall as a modern supermarket concept. The first new concept store opened in 2005 in conjunction with Pondok Indah Mall
Pondok Indah Mall
Pondok Indah Mall is a large shopping complex located in wealthy Pondok Indah suburb of South Jakarta, Indonesia. The Pondok Indah Mall, or referred to by Jakartans by its acronym: "PIM" complex: is actually two large malls, the older 3-storey PIM1 and the newer 5-storey PIM2, interconnected via a...
. Foodhall supermarket are also located in Senayan City
Senayan City
Senayan City is a mixed-use development located in Senayan area, Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The complex comprises a seven-floor high end shopping mall, an office tower , an apartment tower, and a five-star hotel operated by Sofitel. Senayan City is built on a land area of 48,000 m² owned by the...
(as part of Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
department store), Grand Indonesia
Grand Indonesia
Grand Indonesia is a mixed-use complex including a shopping mall and the Hotel Indonesia covering an area of about , located on the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Jakarta in Indonesia.-History:...
(as part of Seibu
Seibu
Seibu may refer to:*Saitama Seibu Lions*Seibu Department Stores*Seibu Kaihatsu*Seibu Railway*Sogo & Seibu...
department store) and Plaza Indonesia
Plaza Indonesia
Plaza Indonesia is located in central Jakarta and is often referred to as PI. Plaza Indonesia is the first high end shopping centre in Indonesia....
.
Most stores also houses Planet Sports, Kidz Station and all stores in Jakarta houses a Chaterbox Cafe. Books Kinokuniya
Books Kinokuniya
is a Japanese bookstore chain operated by , founded in 1927, with its first store located in Shinjuku, Tokyo.It means "Store of Kii Province". The company has its headquarters in Meguro, Tokyo.-History:...
is housed in the upper level of Plaza Senayan
Plaza Senayan
Plaza Senayan is an upscale shopping mall located in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The mall is only a few minutes by car from the Semanggi area...
Sogo flagship store.
The first Indonesia Sogo store was opened in 1990 at Plaza Indonesia
Plaza Indonesia
Plaza Indonesia is located in central Jakarta and is often referred to as PI. Plaza Indonesia is the first high end shopping centre in Indonesia....
. The store was later closed in February 2006 for the renovation of Plaza Indonesia
Plaza Indonesia
Plaza Indonesia is located in central Jakarta and is often referred to as PI. Plaza Indonesia is the first high end shopping centre in Indonesia....
while Sogo Supermarket stayed in operation, later renamed The Food Hall Gourmet. The Sogo flagship store and management office were moved to Plaza Senayan
Plaza Senayan
Plaza Senayan is an upscale shopping mall located in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The mall is only a few minutes by car from the Semanggi area...
, currently the largest store with six levels.
Malaysia
SOGOSogo
Sogo Co., Ltd. is a department store chain that operates an extensive network of branches in Japan. It once owned stores in locations as diverse as Beijing in China, Causeway Bay in Hong Kong, Taipei in Taiwan, Jakarta, Medan, Bandung & Surabaya in Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Singapore,...
, 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...
(also known as KL SOGO) is a large single department store in Malaysia. It is located at a site formerly occupied by Suleiman Courts
Suleiman Courts
Suleiman Courts was the first high-rise apartment building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The building was constructed at the direction of Malaysia's first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who intended the Courts to provide affordable housing....
apartments located at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, one of the main shopping streets of 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...
. KL SOGO commenced business on 18 January 1994.
Singapore
Once located at one of the most busiest and strategic shopping centres, Raffles CityRaffles City
Raffles City is a large complex located in the Civic District within the Downtown Core of the city-state of Singapore. Occupying an entire city block bounded by Stamford Road, Beach Road, Bras Basah Road and North Bridge Road, it houses two hotels and an office tower over a podium which contains a...
, the Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
flagship store was closed in 2000 due to the bankcrupcy of Sogo Japan. The space has since been occupied by Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's Robinsons
Robinson & Co.
Robinson & Co. Limited is a retail company which has department stores in Singapore and Malaysia. The company owns the Robinsons department store, John Little in Singapore and has franchise outlets of Marks and Spencer in both countries. The company has grown into one of the country's most renowned...
.
Sogo Supermall
See also
- Seibu Department StoresSeibu Department Storesis a Japanese department store. The first store to trade under the name opened its doors in 1949. Seibu is typical of Japanese department stores with a wide variety of stores doing business on several floors. The company is now a subsidiary of Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd..-Japan:The Seibu...
, another subsidiary of Millennium Retailing - Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd.