Japanese Home Goods Chain NITORI Thrives in Hong Kong After 2 Years, Exceeds Profit Expectations, Plans New Stores to Capture Market Share

Since entering Hong Kong in 2023, Japanese home furnishing chain NITORI has opened two stores in Kowloon Bay and Lok Fu, followed by its largest flagship store outside Japan in Wan Chai in December last year. In an exclusive interview with Bastille Post, Tadashi Omori, Managing Director of NITORI Hong Kong, revealed that all three stores exceeded profit expectations. He highlighted Hong Kong consumers' sophisticated tastes, high standards for product aesthetics, and robust mall foot traffic as unique advantages driving the brand's success. NITORI now aims to accelerate its expansion beyond the initial goal of 20 Hong Kong stores by 2032.  

Japanese home retailer NITORI’s flagship store in Wan Chai. (Photo by Bastillepost)

The Wan Chai flagship (Store No.3) spans over 50,000 sq. ft—double the size of the first two stores—and offers approximately 7,000 products. It features expanded color options, room displays, and exclusive items like ceiling fans and custom furniture not available elsewhere.  

The Wan Chai store has added ceiling fans and custom furniture not available in other stores. (Photo by Bastillepost)

The Wan Chai store alone offers an extensive variety of curtain fabrics. (Photo by Bastillepost)

Tadashi Omori, Hong Kong Managing Director, Nitori Holdings. (Photo by Bastillepost)

As of March this year, NITORI operates 1,048 stores globally. Mainland China is a critical market with 100 stores, while Taiwan has 68 and Hong Kong now hosts 3. Omori noted that while NITORI long planned to enter Hong Kong, it prioritized building supply chain reliability in Mainland China first. With that secured, the brand launched here in 2023. All three Hong Kong stores are performing "better than expected," attributing success to local consumers' discerning preferences and high mall traffic.  

Tadashi Omori stated that NITORI's home products are designed to be visually accessible and physically tangible. (Photo by Bastillepost)

The three Hong Kong stores are operating optimally, with profits exceeding expectations. (Photo by Bastillepost)

Compared to rivals like IKEA and MUJI, NITORI entered Hong Kong later amid intense competition. Omori acknowledged pressure from a "fixed" home furnishings market but emphasized NITORI’s distinct edge: 80% of its products are developed in-house, enabling end-to-end control over design, supply chain, and pricing. "Instead of fighting for existing market share, we aim to grow the market collectively," he stated.  

The Wan Chai store displays scented products at the entrance. (Photo by Bastillepost)

To counter Hong Kong’s high rents and labor costs, NITORI optimizes pricing and store layouts. According to Tadashi Omori, it conducts bi-annual market surveys and implemented a major price adjustment in April 2024, keeping differences "within 10–20% when converted to yen". Layouts are tailored to local preferences—for example, the Wan Chai store prominently displays dining-ware and fragrances at the entrance, catering to Hong Kong tastes.  

All tableware products are popular among Hong Kong people. (Photo by Bastillepost)

Tadashi Omori pointed out that Hong Kong consumers have high aesthetic standards for products. (Photo by Bastillepost)

Omori downplayed impacts from both northbound consumption trends (Mainland shopping) and e-commerce competition. For larger home items, he noted, "shipping challenges make local purchases more practical." While small items like towels face online pressure, physical stores remain irreplaceable: "Our products must be seen and touched for themselves—this reduces the threat from online-only players".  

Online shopping has impacted small household items like towels, but physical stores retain irreplaceable advantages, including the ability to “touch products.” (Photo by Bastillepost)

Addressing closures in Mainland China, Omori clarified that opening or closing stores is routine optimization. "We adjust based on foot traffic—exiting underperforming locations while expanding in high-potential areas like Shenzhen and Shanghai. Reduction isn’t the goal, but optimization is."  

The product quantity is approximately 7,000 items, with a greater variety of colors and series on display. (Photo by Bastillepost)

The Wan Chai store displays a variety of bedding products. (Photo by Bastillepost)

The product quantity is approximately 7,000 items, with a greater variety of colors and series on display. (Photo by Bastillepost)

NITORI credited InvestHK for facilitating its expansion, including business network building, market insights, and logistical support. Omori highlighted Hong Kong’s role as a regional logistics hub and tourist destination, which boosts brand visibility globally. The company plans further local hiring to support growth.

Venustech, gaining China Mobile investment, has set up Hong Kong base recently, its main customer is the departments of government in Mainland. Richard Feng, General Manager of Venustech Hong Kong, says during receiving interview of Bastillepost that the company is providing cybersecurity service for Hong Kong Judiciary and going to bid on the projects in Singapore and Dubai.

Richard Feng, General Manager of Venustech Hong Kong.

Established in 1996, listed on the Shenzhen A-Share market in 2011, Venustech is the earlist Chinese company listed on share market on cybersecurity field. In 2023, Venustech issued shares to China Mobile Capital, gathering about 4.062 billion Yuan, which made China Mobile become the actual controller of Venustech, and Venustech also get into the “national team” of cybersecurity.

As the biggest operator in the world, China Mobile provides broad space for the development of Venustech, and it would also collaborate with China Mobile to operate some civic projects to dig into Hong Kong market, says Richard Feng, General manager of Venustech Hong Kong.

This year, Venustech built partnership with local companies hAnst and Microware and officially got into Hong Kong and Macau market. At present, the main business of Venustech in Hong Kong are the software and hardware of cybersecurity service, including products like WAF (Web Application Firewall). Richard Feng says that broading Hong Kong market can make Venustech further fit into international standard and face international market. So far, Venustech has had some oversea projects been implementing, such as the airport projects in Dubai and Singapore.

Richard Feng mentions that as a state-owned enterprise, Mainland customers of Venustech are mainly departments of government. For example, Venustech used to give technological support to the cybersecurity team of Public Security Bureau and National Security Bureau to solve some relative cases. Venustech also has provided professional support to HW Campaign organized by Public Security Bureau.

Venustech mainly serves departments of government in Mainland, now it is providing service for Hong Kong Judiciary and going to bid on projects in Singapore and Dubai.

“In Hong Kong, we are also mainly open to departments of government, such as Security Bureau, Hong Kong Police,” says Richard Feng, “Besides, there are some financial agencies, including regular banks and international investment banks.” Venustech is the provider of cybersecurity service for Hong Kong Judiciary. Since 2024, Venustech has begun following the projects of Hong Kong Police, which mainly focus on cybersecurity, including hacker attack targeting at blackmail.

Richard Feng introduces that Venustech does cybersecurity vulnerability management for Hong Kong Government, and makes personal solutions. Meanwhile, Venustech also uses experience in Mainland to train Hong Kong practitioners to let them equip basic knowledge of cybersecurity.

To better fit into Hong Kong market, Venustech would do product anglicization to align with international standard, with preferential price specially approved by the headquarter, and use the highest quality of products to bid on projects in Hong Kong. Richard Feng says: “We will do preferencial promotions by providing technological service to Hong Kong Government for free, for example, we will provide best cybersecurity offensive and defensive personnel, also known as ‘white hat hackers’, which are lack in Hong Kong. These ‘white hat hackers’ would help check cybersecurity level of various departments of government. At the same time, we can response fast and efficiently if our clients have any need.”

Venustech's Participation in the "Cybersecurity Health Check" Event in Hong Kong (July 2025)​. Photo from Internet.

He also introduces that even though Venustech did not operate Hong Kong market until April last year, it set up Zhibai College as early as 2017,  it has established eight course systems so far, provided over 1000 times cybersecurity training for government and different industries, participated in organizing almost 100 significant cybersecurity competitions and trained also 500 award winners of cybersecurity competitions. Richard Feng introduces that Venustech has established Zhibai College Hong Kong Branch so far and done three training sessions so far to cultivate more talents on cybersecurity for Hong Kong.

“We will do some higher level training in the future. We are communicating with local universities, and may set up relevant majors in universities in the future,” says Ricahrd Feng.

The firewall product of Venustech guards cybersecurity. (Photo by Bastillepost)

In the process of Venustech establishing presence in Hong Kong, Invest HK has provided support for it. In the stage of Venustech planning business in Hong Kong, Invest HK has provided overall and detailed market information to Venustech for free, covering key informations like the cybersecurity market scale in Hong Kong, industrial competition and  potential customer group distribution, helped Venustech  make business strategy suitable for Hong Kong market needs.

During the setup of the company, Invest HK coordinated Working Visa applications of relevant staff of Venustech, making Venustech could root in Hong Kong rapidly. After established presence in Hong Kong, Invest HK built industrial communication platform for Venustech, providing the opportunity to build connections with local and international enterprises, helped it integrate into Hong Kong's business ecosystem. At the same time, Invest HK also assisted Venustech connect with Hong Kong industrial chamber of commerce, helped Venustech develop its business in Hong Kong and inject new vatality into Hong Kong cybersecurity industry.​

Under the support of Invest HK, Venustech successfully establishes presence in Hong Kong and fits into Hong Kong commercial ecosystem. (Photo from Internet)

At present, Venustech is preparing to bid on the projects of Hong Kong Judiciary. “Since they have used our products for Phase one and Phase two, we have confindence in bidding on Phase three, ” Says Richard Feng.