(Yicai Global) July 22 -- Japanese lifestyle specialty store operator Loft will open its first ever overseas outlet in downtown Shanghai on July 24.

Ahead of that event, Loft today opened its China headquarters in the city, Shanghai Observer reported. It is two-story building in Tonglefang, with a total area of 750 square meters.

Loft is a highly popular lifestyle goods retailer in its home country. It has more than 125 stores across Japan, selling stationery, daily necessities, clothing, shoes, bags, and home furnishings, making it a ‘must-visit’ shopping destination for tourists, including those from China. Shanghai is the first stop in the Tokyo-based firm’s overseas expansion.

“Hoping to generate sparks of innovation,” Keiichiro Shono, executive and director of overseas business, said at the opening ceremony today, “Loft will combine Japanese household goods culture with the cultural innovation park Tonglefang, which boasts a long history.”

Its 1,046-square-meter Shanghai store is in Xuhui district. Loft will open more outlets in China, Shono said, while also exploring a business model that integrates online and offline besides physical stores.

Loft will bring its Japanese Loft portfolio to Chinese consumers and will also sell products geared to local consumers based on their preferences, he added.

Editor: Peter Thomas