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July 24, 2026
 

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Helen Reid
A man shops in a supermarket in Chanverrie, France, on Oct. 16, 2024. When prices of food and other essentials rise, the first thing people cut spending on is fashion, says consultancy Simon-Kucher.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 10, 2026
Europe¡¯s struggling retail sector looks ill-prepared for new energy price shock
The sector has barely recovered from the inflation cycle triggered by spiking gas prices after Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine.
Garment workers make clothing in the sewing section of a factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh
BUSINESS
Mar 7, 2026
Fast fashion garments pile up in South Asia as Middle East conflict grounds planes
South Asia is a clothes manufacturing powerhouse and fast fashion brands around the world rely on factories in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
A Puma SE store in Shanghai, China, on Tuesday
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 29, 2026
Puma¡¯s long slide: the rise and fall of a German sports icon
Puma has struggled to win consumers to its sportswear and sneakers, widening a sales gap between it and brands like Adidas.
The LVMH group of brands spanning handbags to watches and champagne ?is expected to report a 0.3% decline in fourth quarter sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 27, 2026
LVMH investors still cautious about luxury fatigue and Chinese growth
LVMH stock rebounded last year, sparking an $80 billion luxury sector rally, but has lost most of those gains, sliding 9% since the ?start of ?this year.
Frederic Merlin (left), founder of Societe des Grands Magasins, and Donald Tang, executive chairman at Shein, outside the Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville (BHV) department store as shoppers queue for the opening of the company's first permanent retail store in Paris on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 6, 2025
France moves to suspend Shein over sex dolls and weapons as Paris store opens
The discovery of the dolls on Shein¡¯s website by France¡¯s consumer watchdog on Saturday fueled an outcry and heightened the pressure on Shein, already under fire over its store.
A branch of Danish jewelry maker Pandora in central Copenhagen on Feb. 6, 2024. Pandora CEO Alexander Lacik said the company is debating whether to raise prices globally or more in the U.S.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 21, 2025
Global retailers¡¯ tariff strategy risks spreading pain beyond U.S. consumer
Raising prices elsewhere to avoid big hikes in the U.S. risks fueling inflation in those other markets.
U.S tariffs on Vietnam would force Nike, one of several sportswear brands heavily reliant on the Southeast Asian nation as a production site, to absorb higher costs or hike its prices at a time when it is already discounting some items to clear inventory.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 2, 2025
U.S. tariffs on Vietnam would be a blow to Nike and other sportswear brands
Vietnam is a hub for high-tech running shoes, sportswear and outdoor apparel, with brands seeking to reduce exposure to China.
Even before U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office this month, uncertainty motivated businesses to rush shipments.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Jan 31, 2025
Companies race to ship goods to the U.S. ahead of potential tariffs
Even before Trump returned to office, uncertainty motivated many businesses to rush shipments to the U.S.
Factory workers make jeans in Dhaka in March 2023.
BUSINESS
Dec 9, 2024
Extreme heat puts garment factory workers at risk, study shows
New European Union regulations make retailers selling in the bloc legally liable for conditions at their suppliers.
In the United States, Temu has bid on keywords including "Walmart Black Friday deals," "Kohls Black Friday," and "Bed Bath Beyond." Shein has bid on keywords including "Walmart clothes," "Zara jeans," and "Mango dresses."
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 28, 2024
Online marketing costs jump amid bidding war by Temu and Shein
Both platforms¡¯ aggressive bids on search keywords used by competitors make it more costly for other retailers and brands to reach shoppers on Black Friday.
Puma launches a new brand campaign with Olympic athletes in Paris on Wednesday.
OLYMPICS
Apr 10, 2024
Puma hones focus on speed in Olympic battle with Adidas and Nike
As Puma tries to win over more everyday and serious runners, its sponsorship of Jamaica¡¯s Olympic team helps to associate the brand with speed.
A Zara clothing store in Brussels on November 2022. Inditex is an outlier among big clothing retailers in not publishing details of the factories from which it sources.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 12, 2024
Zara owner Inditex faces pressure from investors on supply chain disclosure
Regulators and investors want transparency from clothing retailers, to prove supply chains are free of forced labor and workers are paid decent wages.
The Galaxy Leader cargo ship is escorted by Houthi boats after being hijacked in the Red Sea in this photo released on Nov. 20.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 21, 2023
Exporters explore flights to avoid deepening Red Sea bottleneck
Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have stepped up attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since Nov. 19.
Lionel Messi jerseys, in Inter Miami¡¯s distinctive pink color, for sale at the Adidas store in Manhattan in September. In the span of three months, the soccer superstar has made Inter Miami¡¯s eye-catching pink jersey the hottest piece of sports merchandise on the planet.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 2, 2023
Adidas and Puma eye ¡®sports culture¡¯ market as soccer courts fashion
The Women¡¯s World Cup showed huge unmet demand for soccer-related merchandise for women, with the trend extending to fashion-conscious fans of both sexes.
A joint study by consultant McKinsey and data firm NielsenIQ earlier this year found that 78% of U.S. consumers say a sustainable lifestyle is important to them.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Sep 8, 2023
Shoppers say they want sustainable goods, but won¡¯t pay more
When push comes to shove, manufacturers sometimes find consumers aren¡¯t buying their sustainable products.
A clothing packaging warehouse near Barcelona last month
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Sep 1, 2023
Fast fashion firms prepare for EU crackdown on waste mountain
Fast fashion, or making and selling cheap clothes with a short lifespan, is ¡°highly unsustainable,¡± the European Commission said in July.
Workers at a garment factory in the Hlaing Tar Yar industry zone in Yangon, Myanmar, in 2010. Fast fashion retailer H&M says it is following up on 20 alleged instances of labor abuse at Myanmar garment factories.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 16, 2023
H&M probes Myanmar factory abuses as pressure intensifies
The move comes after top rival Zara owner Inditex said it is phasing out purchases from the Southeast Asian country.
England goalkeeper Mary Earp has criticized team outfitter Nike over failing to produce replicas of her uniform for sale.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 15, 2023
Adidas and Nike navigate bumps in retail demand as WWC breaks records
As the market for women¡¯s soccer grows, marketers have to juggle the fan base¡¯s ever-changing demands.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 20, 2022
War and energy crisis fires global hunt for coal, sparking investment in polluting fuel
Buyers in Europe and beyond are now vying to pay top dollar for coal, often from remote places that until now hardly even shipped the fuel.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Apr 2, 2022
In Zimbabwe, coal power project seeks other backing after China¡¯s U-turn
China¡¯s recent about-face on foreign coal financing is forcing developing nations across Africa and Asia to rethink their energy plans.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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