Report by JapanConsuming

Top stories from this month’s issue of JapanConsuming include: 1) Seven & I has finally sold Sogo Seibu - it will be pleased to have offloaded a loss-making format it never really understood, but at a cost, it will write off ¥90bn+ in loans. 2) Tsuruha is the latest retailer to come under attack from an activist investment fund. 3) ABC Mart expands its lead in footwear. 4) 3Coins, a variety store run by Pal Group, looks to have a strong future. 5) Frozen Foods becoming mainstream. 6) JapanConsuming’s FOCUS article discusses how the country is witnessing the emergence of a new elite group of department stores who are far ahead even of their big city peers.