PPI leans on food to sustain its retail winning streak

Pan Pacific International Holdings (PPI), owner of Don Quijote and Uny, reported record interim sales of JPY 1.21 trillion and double‑digit growth in net profit at its latest results announcements. Yet operating profits in the core discount format disappointed, squeezed by higher taxes even as inbound duty‑free sales surged. Management’s answer is experimentation, trialling a new format called Re:Price, and with plans to open a food‑enhanced Don Quijote format, pushing localisation. It also hopes that low prices in Asia will boost profitability abroad.