The Mitsui Outlet Park Iruma opened in April.
2008 proved to be a big year for outlet malls in Japan. Four new locations opened around the country, bringing the total up to 36 malls which have been built since the concept was imported from America in the 1990s. Two other outlets expanded floor space, driving total sales in 2008 up to an estimated 520 billion yen ($520 million).
Outlet malls in Japan follow the pattern established by counterparts in the US, with brands such as Coach and Issey Miyake selling directly to consumers stores in locations far from the urban centers, but not too far to bring in big city shoppers. The Sano Premium Outlet in Tochigi prefecture, which opened in 2004 and expanded floor space this year, is a 90-minute bus ride from central Tokyo.
New outlets, such as the Mitsui Outlet Park Iruma, which opened in Saitama prefecture in April, drawing 37,000 visitors on its first day, focus not only on retail, but also family leisure, with a number of restaurants, cafes, and mini amusement parks for children, and play areas for pets.