Well known Japanese retailer Aeon has entered the Myanmar market by setting up a store in Yangon, the commercially most important city of the country, through a joint venture with Creation Myanmar Group of Companies, a local conglomerate running 14 supermarkets in Myanmar under the Orange brand.
Located in North Okkalapa Township in northern Yangon with a 613 square metres of sales-floor space, the new supermarket was opened under the name of Aeon Orange. Among the fresh offerings by the store for local customers is the option of Japanese-style food shopping by which the shoppers are able to buy in small amounts only as much as they need, refrigerated food items such as sliced fruit, meat and fish being available in small packs. Another novelty to local consumers is prepared food such as boxed meals which are not familiar in supermarkets and convenience stores in Myanmar.
Aeon becomes the first foreign retailer to operate a store in Myanmar since the nation started opening up with a transition to civilian rule in 2011. Including in the items available at Aeon Orange are products from Aeon’s private brand Topvalu, with other merchandise coming from Myanmar and neighbouring countries like Thailand.
The Aeon group strives to contribute to the modernisation of Myanmar’s retail industry and the creation of peaceful and prosperous lifestyles for local customers by developing the retail market and offering new values to local shoppers, the official statement for launching of the Aeon Orange supermarket said.
The store is a milestone in transplanting the Japanese values of convenience, security and safety in Myanmar, said Yoshimitsu Kuwato, the president of Aeon Orange which aims to establish more than 10 stores in five years. Headquartered in Chiba city in eastern Japan, Aeon is the largest retailer in Asia, operating various shopping providers spanning from convenience stores and supermarkets to shopping malls and supercentres within a broad-ranging retail network.
