Business · Companies · 7 hrs ago
Yutori shifts from launching brands to growing its strongest labels
Japanese apparel company Yutori is changing its growth strategy, moving away from launching brands quickly and toward investing more in labels that are already growing.
The company, which operates youth-focused brands including 9090, has expanded through acquisitions and partnerships since it went public in December 2023.
Yutori now has 35 brands, fewer than its earlier target of 70.
The company says it has become harder to build a new brand by gaining attention on social media.
Growth in Taiwan has raised the potential for its main brands, because shoppers there buy them both locally and when visiting Japan.
Yutori now believes a brand could reach annual sales of 5 billion yen, including purchases by visitors, rather than the 1 billion yen it previously had in mind.
The company says it will focus on scaling its strongest brands, while its latest first-quarter results set records for both sales and net profit.
Yutori has shifted from rapidly creating new brands to investing more heavily in its strongest labels, President Takahiro Kataishi said.
The company’s group now has 35 brands, after expansion that included acquisitions and partnerships.
Kataishi said leading brands could target sales of ¥5 billion each, up from the company’s earlier goal of ¥1 billion, by reaching Asian markets and benefiting from purchases by visitors to Japan.
Yutori’s first-quarter results for the fiscal year ending March 2027 set records for both sales and net profit.
Co-founder Kazuma Senoguchi, who had served as executive vice-president, left the company in June.
- Who
- Yutori and its president, Takahiro Kataishi.
- What
- The company is shifting from launching many new brands to investing in brands that are already growing.
- When
- Kataishi described the strategy in an interview published on November 2, 2026.
- Where
- Yutori is expanding its brands in Taiwan and sees potential across Asia.
- Why
- Kataishi said new brands are harder to launch successfully and that established labels have room to grow.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Yutori went public, a little over five years after it was established.
Co-founder and executive vice-president Kazuma Senoguchi left the company.
Yutori recorded its highest-ever sales and net profit.
Toyo Keizai published its interview with president Takahiro Kataishi.
- Group brands
- 35
- Earlier brand-sales target
- ¥1 billion per brand
- Potential brand-sales target
- ¥5 billion per brand, including sales to visitors to Japan
- Taiwan
- Yutori’s leading brands, including 9090, have opened there
- Listing
- December 2023
What people are saying
When we went public, we were in a phase of creating new brands one after another, but now our strategy has changed to investing properly in brands that are growing and helping them grow further.
If there is room for existing brands to grow, then we should grow them further.