Aeon Retail Promotes Structural Reform with 3-Generation Entertainment Floor "WONDER GATE"

Aeon Retail is promoting reforms aimed at creating new GMS value through structural reforms in the non-food sector. As a pillar of this reform, they are launching a new entertainment-focused floor, "WONDER GATE," designed to create new experiential value and be enjoyable for three generations. The first store will open on July 17 (Fri) on the 3rd floor of "Aeon Style Tsukuba" (Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, which will also change its store name from "Aeon Tsukuba Store" on the same day).

Store Layout Composed of a Unified Worldview and Seven Themes Across the Entire Floor, Transcending Departmental Boundaries

WONDER GATE, with the concept "Wonder in Everyday Life," offers an enhanced selection of hobbies that allow children and adults alike to pursue their interests. The entire floor is designed with a unified worldview, providing a new value of intergenerational empathy and sharing. Emphasizing the excitement and new discoveries of an extraordinary experience, like a treasure hunt, the store layout is re-edited based on the purchasing psychology of "actions" and "emotions," transcending departmental boundaries rather than being based on traditional product categories or generations. It is organized around seven themes: "Play," "Collect," "Create," "Celebrate," "Learn," "Nurture," and "Move."

Evolving into a Sales Floor Adapted to Changing Consumption, Based on Strengths in Overall Capability and Customer Attraction

Against the backdrop of inflation and changes in the social environment, customer consumption behavior is undergoing significant changes. Particularly amidst rising prices, while daily consumption is becoming more rationalized, the realm of "hobbies" such as "oshi-katsu" (activities to support one's favorite celebrity or character) and "imi-emo" (emotional consumption) is diversifying. "Koto consumption," which finds value in "experiences" like enjoyment and discovery beyond mere purchasing, is also expanding.

Our company's strength lies in its "overall capability" to provide a diverse range of products and services for food, clothing, and housing in an integrated manner. Our food sales floor, in particular, receives strong daily support from customers and is a major draw for visits. The fact that we have many three-generation customers is also a characteristic of our company, and we consider it an important strength that allows us to create value unique to physical stores.

Based on this strength, we will enhance our overall convenience and appeal by strengthening cross-departmental collaboration to propose sales floor layouts that adapt to changes in consumption behavior, even in the non-food sector.

Creating a "Place to Enjoy Discovery and Experience" with an Entertainment Axis, Aiming to "Improve Customer Attraction" in Non-Food Areas

We are rebuilding our sales floors with a focus on the entertainment field, which is expected to continue growing. Through the development of WONDER GATE, we aim to create a "place to enjoy discovery and experience" beyond just a "place to buy things," thereby increasing customer attraction for the entire upper floor and enhancing the appeal of the non-food sector. Furthermore, we will provide convenience in fashion and daily necessities floors, ultimately promoting circulation to the food floor, and thereby reconstructing the one-stop shopping experience that is the original value of GMS, aiming for further evolution.

【WONDER GATE Floor Features】

● Seven Zones Developed with Themes Based on Human "Actions" and "Emotions"

Transcending the traditional boundaries of product categories and generations, we offer an experiential space where three generations, from children to adults, can enjoy themselves by re-editing zones around seven themes based on human "actions" and "emotions." In the gaming and toy sales areas, experience corners will be permanently installed, and events will be held on weekends and other occasions.

Play: An experience zone where you can "touch, try, and enjoy" everything from TV games to light sports.

Collect: Items that stimulate the "joy of collecting," such as character goods, figures, lottery, and capsule toys, are gathered.

Create: "Creativity born from immersion" expands the world through plastic models, blocks, puzzles, and crafts.

Celebrate: "Birthdays, anniversaries, and special moments" are colored with balloons and greeting cards for "memorable celebrations."

Learn: From daily studies to preparations for school life, learning and attire are stylishly coordinated.

Nurture: From initial preparations to everyday life, we provide total support for life with a baby.

Move: Children and adults alike are immersed! A world of play that connects smiles.

● Permanent "POP-UP" Space, First for Aeon Retail

As an area that constantly creates reasons to visit WONDER GATE, a "POP-UP" space, the first for Aeon Retail, will be permanently installed at the entrance of the floor. We will provide a space where new discoveries are constantly made through products and plans that meet "oshi-katsu" needs, such as manga and anime, realizing a sales floor that can be enjoyed no matter how many times you visit.

● Unified Worldview for the Entire Floor, Providing a Space Where Excitement Spreads

In addition to installing an exciting facade at the entrance, the entire floor, from the entrance to the sales floor and aisle decorations, will have a unified worldview, creating a space where simply walking around is a fun experience. We are committed to creating an atmosphere that constantly evokes a sense of excitement, making visitors wonder, "What's beyond this?"

【WONDER GATE Logo and Concept】

"Wonder in Everyday Life."

WONDER GATE is the "entrance to play" that gently connects the everyday and the extraordinary. By passing through this gate, we create moments where feelings switch to an exciting world.

【Background of Store Opening at Aeon Style Tsukuba】

"Aeon Style Tsukuba" is located in the Tsukuba area, which is experiencing population growth due to the influx of young people and families with children, supported by excellent access to the Tokyo metropolitan area. It is a store that is bustling with various customers, including families, students, and young people, on both weekdays and weekends. For these reasons, we have determined that it is the most suitable location for the first store to fully embody the concept of WONDER GATE. We will conduct effectiveness verification starting with "WONDER GATE" at Aeon Style Tsukuba and aim for future store expansion.

【WONDER GATE Sales Floor Overview】

Renovation Open Date: July 17, 2026

Location: 3rd Floor, Aeon Style Tsukuba, 66-1 Inao, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture

Sales Floor Area: Approximately 4,647m2

Business Hours: 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM

<WONDER GATE Special Site> *Scheduled to be released on July 10 (Fri) at 9:00 AM

Short URL: https://chirashi.otoku.aeonsquare.net/wondergate/

PC: https://chirashi.otoku.aeonsquare.net/pc/chirashi/wondergate/

Smartphone: https://chirashi.otoku.aeonsquare.net/sp/chirashi/wondergate/

【Features of the 7 Zones】 *Images are for illustration purposes.

Play <PLAY> ~ An experience zone where you can "touch, try, and enjoy" everything from TV games to light sports ~

As a place for communication through games and hobbies, we offer a wide range from Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 to e-sports compatible gaming goods and projectors. We are also strengthening our entertainment-focused sales floor by introducing a new Nintendo corner.

Furthermore, with the expansion of adult-oriented series for Tomica and Plarail, we offer new value that goes beyond "children's play." The experiential light sports corner offers core training goods, proposing a fusion of play and health. Evolving beyond the framework of "play = children" to "play as a hobby" where adults can also immerse themselves.

Featured Corner

<Nintendo Corner> A place where the world of games connects to reality. Through new experiences and encounters, the joy of play expands further.

Main Products Handled

Video Games / Gaming Goods / Tomica / Plarail / Mobile / Light Sports

Collect <COLLECT> ~ Items that stimulate the "joy of collecting," such as character goods, figures, lottery, and capsule toys, are gathered ~

Character goods and stationery are organized by character rather than by traditional department. Figures and capsule toys are curated to be enjoyable for three generations. In the toy corner, in addition to experiencing products at touch-and-try corners, we continuously create reasons for visits by holding events on weekends and during seasonal periods, leveraging the strengths of physical stores.

Featured Corner

<Gacha Corner> Theme: Aquarium! "Excitement" packed into small capsules brings unexpected encounters.

Main Products Handled

Character Goods & Stationery / Stickers / Anime Goods / Toys / Capsule Toys / Figures

Create <CREATE> ~ "Creativity born from immersion" expands the world through plastic models, blocks, puzzles, and crafts ~

We are strengthening our selection of items such as LEGO, Nanoblock, and jigsaw puzzles, offering items that allow both children and adults to feel the joy of creating their own unique works. In particular, LEGO will expand its adult series, creating a sales floor with a strong worldview. We also incorporate craft elements that allow for the creation of original goods for "oshi-katsu," offering the joy of expressing individuality. This is an experiential zone where "creating" itself leads to satisfaction.

Main Products Handled

Blocks / Plastic Models / Scale Models / Jigsaw Puzzles / Oshi-katsu Goods

Celebrate <GIFT&PARTY> ~ "Birthdays, anniversaries, and special moments" are colored with balloons and greeting cards for "memorable celebrations." ~

Focusing on "celebration opportunities" in daily life, such as birthdays and anniversaries, we offer an integrated proposal of balloons, wrapping supplies, and album/camera-related products. We also cater to gift demands for occasions like Mother's Day and Christmas, strengthening cross-promotion of related products. This is a sales floor that enriches time with family and loved ones through the act of "celebrating."

Main Products Handled

Party Supplies / Letter & Card Supplies / Wrapping Supplies / Envelopes & Gift Envelopes / Toy Cameras & Albums

Learn <GROW> ~ From daily studies to preparations for school life, learning and attire are stylishly coordinated ~

We offer a cross-category display of school supplies, stationery, and kids' items, making it easy to choose products by scene. The kids' corner will be enhanced with UV protection goods such as hats, umbrellas, and UV fashion glasses, appealing to product value through LCD displays and offering trendy items. We strengthen "edutainment" that combines learning with fun, supporting children's growth by linking learning with "enjoyment."

Main Products Handled

General Stationery / Office Supplies / School Stationery / School Supplies / School Uniforms / Randoseru (School Backpacks)

Nurture <NURTURE> ~ From initial preparations to everyday life, we provide total support for life with a baby ~

We offer a wide range of products, including skincare, SNS-worthy baby clothes and accessories, and baby food centered around Topvalu's "fun fun smile," to meet the diverse needs of families with babies. This is a zone that supports a baby's growth while also enhancing the value of family time.

Main Products Handled

Baby Food / Baby Products / Baby Clothes / Educational Toys

Move <MOVE> ~ Children and adults alike are immersed! A world of play that connects smiles. ~

We offer an amusement space where families can enjoy spending time together with "Molly Fantasy & Asobiba," which includes original games and a free kids' space. It functions as a "play area" and promotes circulation throughout the floor.

【WONDER GATE Operational Structure】

*Image

At WONDER GATE, we will fundamentally review not only the sales floor but also the staff system. Furthermore, to express the worldview of the sales floor more cohesively, we will introduce uniforms with the WONDER GATE logo. Staff members will function as part of the spatial design, providing customers with an immersive experience and enhancing the overall appeal of the sales floor.

We will transition from the conventional departmental management system for clothing, housing, and leisure, and establish a new organization with a "Head of Entertainment" and managers responsible for each zone below them. Additionally, separate from zone staff dedicated to customer service and sales, we will assign dedicated staff for cashier operations.

This will promote collaboration that transcends product and departmental boundaries, and we will continue to create sales floor environments that are attentive to customers' "actions" and "emotions." By flexibly shaping ideas and proposals that were difficult to achieve in the traditional vertical structure, driven by the on-site team, we will enhance expertise and productivity, aiming to create more attractive experiential value.

<Reference> Initiatives for the "Home & Entertainment" Model

Aeon Retail has renovated its lifestyle product sales floors into five specialty stores that offer a sense of excitement, a sales floor model called "HOME & ENTERTAINMENT." This model is currently being rolled out in 11 stores, starting with "Aeon Style Dainichi" (Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture) in September 2024.

"HOME & ENTERTAINMENT" is a sales floor reform that strengthens the leisure domain, offering new discoveries and experiences, in addition to providing products that are useful to customers, so that they can fully enjoy shopping. To satisfy younger generations as well, with the concept of "Housing and Entertainment," we offer attractive products in leisure categories not previously available in our lifestyle product sales floors, such as miscellaneous goods and plastic models, and it is primarily developed with five specialty store configurations.

<Reference> "Aeon Style Tsukuba" Opens July 17 (Fri)

"Aeon Tsukuba Store" Undergoes Major Renovation! The 2nd Floor Becomes a Lifestyle Proposal-Oriented Floor, and the 3rd Floor Becomes an Entertainment-Oriented Floor.

Aeon Retail will renovate "Aeon Tsukuba Store" (Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture) on July 17 (Fri) and rename it "Aeon Style Tsukuba."

This store opened in March 2013 as the core store of "Aeon Mall Tsukuba" and has continued to operate as a GMS (General Merchandise Store) catering to the shopping needs of three generations of customers. After 13 years since its opening, to evolve into a sales floor that is more accessible and enjoyable for local customers, the clothing floor on the 2nd floor and the kids' and lifestyle goods floors on the 3rd floor will be renovated.

After the renovation, the 2nd floor will house the clothing sales floor and "Home Coordy," which handles lifestyle goods, creating a "lifestyle proposal-oriented" floor where customers can shop in a calm atmosphere. The 3rd floor will feature "WONDER GATE," a new "entertainment-oriented" floor developed by our company. This will be the first in the country.

"WONDER GATE" is a floor centered around hobbies that can be enjoyed by three generations, from children to adults. It will offer game consoles, light sports goods for home and park use, character goods for collecting hobbies, and assembly toys such as plastic models and LEGO blocks. Additionally, it will offer children's clothing, childcare items, school supplies, and stationery tailored to children's growth and life events, creating a composition that allows customers to feel excitement and enjoyment in various shopping scenarios. Furthermore, some products sold at this store, such as figures, are planned to be available on "Aeon Style Online."

*Sales on the e-commerce site "Aeon Style Online" are scheduled to begin sequentially from August.

2nd and 3rd Floor Maps

This store is located in the Tsukuba area, which is experiencing population growth due to the influx of young people and families with children, supported by excellent access to the Tokyo metropolitan area. It attracts customers of various generations, including families, students, and young people, on both weekdays and weekends. With this renovation, we aim to further enhance our proposals and services to local customers and enrich their lives through a fulfilling shopping experience.

【Store Overview】

Store Name: Aeon Style Tsukuba (Renamed from Aeon Tsukuba Store on July 17, 2026)

Location: 66-1 Inao, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture

Store Structure: 3 Floors (1st Floor: Food, Cosmetics, Daily Necessities, Pharmacy / 2nd Floor: Apparel, Lifestyle Goods / 3rd Floor: Hobbies, Stationery, Childcare Items, Children's Clothing, School Supplies, etc.)

Sales Floor Area: Approximately 16,125m2 (excluding common areas)

Opening Date: March 15, 2013

*There will be no changes to the store's location, business hours, etc., due to the store name change.

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