Queen's grocers to open Japanese stores

British upmarket retailer Fortnum and Mason is to open its first overseas outlets, it was announced today.

The famous London store, which supplies the Queen with her groceries, will stock 250 quintessentially British goods in two new shops in Japan.

The stores will include a tea shop offering a range of its famous luxury blends along with cream scones and an assortment of cakes.

Fortnum and Mason has teamed up with Japanese retailer Mitsukoshi for the new venture and will open its first outlet in the Asian firm’s Tokyo food hall in October.

A second Fortnum and Mason Concept Shop, selling the same range of biscuits, jams, mustards and pies, will open its doors in Nagoya next spring.

The retailer has seen profits slump 80% since peaking eight years ago and is hoping the new venture will boost its overseas turnover.

Earlier this year Fortnum’s announced it was to stop distributing its products overseas through local wholesalers.

Under the new strategy the retailer will sell goods directly through a retailer – giving Fortnum’s a greater control over how products are marketed and sold overseas.

Stuart Gates, Fortnum’s managing director, said he was confident the shops would prove to be a hit in Japan.

“International sales have always been a key element of Fortnum’s business and we are very pleased to be launching our international strategy in Japan – our strongest export market.

“We look forward to becoming the leading UK retailer of quality branded foods in Japan.”

Alongside the goods exported from Fortnum’s Piccadilly store, the shops will also include a bakery and a take-away lunch service. A range of Japanese goods will also be stocked.

If the experiment proves successful, Fortnum and Mason, which celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2007, could open stores in other countries such as the USA.