This book highlights the major institutional changes in the development of the Japanese retail industry after the bubble economy. The Japanese retail structure has been transformed from an abundance of small retail stores to chain stores by notable institutional changes with continuous variations in the post-1990s. It provides an insight into the impact of retail density on the household economy in the stagnant economy of Japan. The issues highlighted in this book include the background of the advent of 100-yen retail stores and strategic approach of the stores during the stagnant economy, a comparative analysis of Japanese 100-yen shops and dollar stores in United States, employment compliance of 100-yen shops and dollar stores in developing countries, factors that contributed to change the Japanese distribution channels after the 1990s, and determinants of retail density in Japan. The stagnant economy in the post-bubble period, along with changes in the large-scale retail store law, led consumers to shift from the most popular department stores to supermarkets and the cheapest retail alternatives. With its recent data and theories, this research work will be of interest to business and economics students and researchers in Japanese retailing and relevant areas.

Md Arifur Rahman is from Bangladesh. Currently, he is an associate professor in the Department of Management Studies in the Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was awarded a Ph.D. in economics by Ritsumeikan University, Japan, in 2020, and his research work has focused on the retail density of Japan and its impact on the country’s household economy. He has made significant research contributions to the development of Japanese retailing during his Ph.D. work. In addition, he has studied retail employment and employee productivity in the South Asian retail industry. His research interests include the distribution system, internationalization of retailers, retailing in terms of technological innovation, changes in the retail formats in the context of regional economic development, and development of the retail workforce.