Bic Camera

Bic Camera, Inc.
Native name
株式会社ビックカメラ
Kabushiki gaisha Bikku Kamera
Company typePublic (K.K.)
TYO: 3048
IndustryRetail
Founded1968; 56 years ago (1968)
FounderRyuji Arai[1]
Headquarters
Toshima, Tokyo
,
Japan
Number of locations
45
Area served
Japan
Products
Subsidiaries
Websitewww.biccamera.com
Yūrakuchō Store, in Tokyo

Bic Camera, Inc. (株式会社ビックカメラ, Kabushiki gaisha Bikku Kamera) is a consumer electronics retailer chain in Japan. Currently, it has 45 stores in 17 prefectures. Bic Camera has a 50% ownership of former rival store Kojima[2] with 143 stores[3] and full ownership of computer store chain Sofmap with 24 stores.[4]

As of 2023, Bic Camera is the second largest electronics and home appliance retailer, behind Yamada Denki.[1]

History

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In 1968, Ryuji Arai (新井隆司, Arai Ryuji) founded Takasaki DP Center Co., Ltd. (株式会社高崎DPセンター, Kabushiki gaisha Takasaki DP Sentā) in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture. Four years later, the camera sales department was separated from the company and renamed Bic Color Co., Ltd. (株式会社ビックカラー, Kabushiki gaisha Bikku Karā). In 1978, Bic Color was renamed Bic Camera, with their first store opening in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Originally specializing in selling cameras at discount prices, Bic Camera expanded to selling home appliances, personal computers, alcoholic beverages, golf equipment, bedding, luxury brand products, bicycles, and toys.

In 1994, Bic Camera spun-off its PC section to Bic Personal Computer Hall (株式会社ビックパソコン館設立, Kabushiki gaisha Bikku Pasokon-kan). Following a decline in PC sales, this subsidiary was absorbed back into the company in 2000. In 1995, Bic Camera displayed banners protesting France's nuclear weapons testing in the South Pacific.[1] Nippon BS Broadcasting Corp. was established in 1999, with Bic Camera as its majority shareholder.

As part of its expansion, Bic Camera purchased Sogo's Yūrakuchō building in 2001. Throughout the 2000s, Bic Camera opened locations connected to JR stations across the country. In 2005, Bic Camera moved its headquarters from Nishi-Ikebukuro to Takada. A year later, the company purchased Sofmap in February and had itself listed in the JASDAQ Securities Exchange on August 10.[1] In September, Bic Camera purchased a 3.2% stake in Tokyo Broadcasting System. On October 5, 2007, Bic Camera acquired a 9.33% share of rival Best Denki and increased its stake to 14.95%.[5] On June 10, 2008, the company was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and had itself delisted from JASDAQ on August 29. In 2009, Bic Camera was fined US$1.3 million by the TSE for falsifying its earnings after its shares lost half its value early that year. As a result, Arai stepped down as chairman and the company was delisted from the TSE.[1] Sofmap was delisted on January 26, 2010 after becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Bic Camera. In June 2010, Bic Camera absorbed rival Sakuraya.[6]

On June 26, 2012, Bic Camera purchased 50% of rival store chain Kojima (株式会社コジマ, Kabushiki gaisha Kojima).[2] As a result of the Kojima acquisition, Best Denki split from Bic Camera and was fully acquired by Yamada Denki on July 13.[7] On September 1, Arai was reinstated as chairman. On September 27, Bic Camera signed a partnership with clothing giant Uniqlo to convert the Shinjuku East Store to BICQLO (ビックロ, Bikkuro).[8] The partnership ended on June 19, 2022 and the store reverted into a Bic Camera branch the next day.[9]

In April 2016, Bic Camera opened its first Air Bic Camera (エア ビックカメラ, Ea Bikku Kamera) branch at Haneda Airport. Air Bic Camera also has locations at Narita International Airport, Chubu Centrair International Airport, and Naha Airport, as well as two branches in Odaiba.[10] On December 19, Bic Camera partnered with Rakuten to launch Rakuten Bic (楽天ビック, Rakuten Bikku).[11] In 2018, Bic Camera reported record profits and a 50% increase in shares as a result of a rise in Chinese tourists and the store chain's acceptance of Alipay and WeChat.[1]

On February 7, 2020, Bic Camera opened its Nihonbashi Kaden branch in partnership with Mitsukoshi.[12][13]

On March 5, 2021, Bic Camera opened its Kumamoto branch next to Kumamoto Station.[14] In June 2021, the company was ranked 132nd on the Global Powers of Retailing's Top 250 list.[15] In 2022, new branches were opened in Takatsuki and Chiba.[16][17] In addition, Bic Camera partnered with the JR East to have its own section on the "JRE Mall" online store.[18]

On May 7, 2023, Bic Camera closed its Kyoto branch, with its assets transferred to the Takatsuki branch.[19]

Stores

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Bic Camera has stores in the following locations:[20][21]

Tokyo
  • Main store
  • Camera/PC building
  • West Exit
  • Bic Camera Outlet x Sofmap Ikebukuro East Exit
  • Photo studio
Kanagawa
Chiba Prefecture
Saitama Prefecture
Gunma Prefecture
Ibaraki Prefecture
Hokkaido
Niigata Prefecture
Nagano Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
Osaka
  • Main store
  • Bic Camera Outlet x Sofmap
  • Ario Yao
  • Bic Camera Toys
Okayama Prefecture
Hiroshima Prefecture
Kyushu
  • Tenjin Store #1
  • Tenjin Store #2
Okinawa
Former stores
  • Ikebukuro North Exit (closed 2002)
  • Takasaki West Exit (closed 2011)
  • Yūrakuchō Store Annex (closed 2011; now a Loft store)
  • Former Shinjuku East Exit (closed 2012; now a Koko kara Fine drug store)
  • Former Ikebukuro East Exit (closed 2021; now a GIGO branch)
  • Funabashi Tōbu (closed 2022)
  • Shijō Kawaramachi Select, Kyoto (closed 2022)
  • Roppongi Station Select, Tokyo (Bic Camera Select; closed 2022)
  • Harajuku Select, Tokyo (Bic Camera Select; closed 2022)
  • Machida, Tokyo (Tokyo Odakyu department store; closed 2022)
  • Kyōto Station (closed 2023)[19]
  • Sapporo Esta (closed 2023; moved to Tokyu Department Store)
  • Ikebukuro Select (closed 2024; now a Sofmap store)
  • Bic Camera Ikebukuro main store
    Bic Camera Ikebukuro main store
  • Bic Camera Ikebukuro Camera/PC building
    Bic Camera Ikebukuro Camera/PC building
  • Bic Camera Shinjuku West Odakyu HALC
    Bic Camera Shinjuku West Odakyu HALC
  • Bic Camera Shibuya East store
    Bic Camera Shibuya East store
  • Bic Camera Shibuya Hachikoguchi
    Bic Camera Shibuya Hachikoguchi
  • Bic Camera Akihabara
    Bic Camera Akihabara
  • Bic Camera Chōfu
    Bic Camera Chōfu
  • Bic Camera CELEO Hachiōji
    Bic Camera CELEO Hachiōji
  • Bic Camera Shin-Yokohama Station
    Bic Camera Shin-Yokohama Station
  • Bic Camera Fujisawa
    Bic Camera Fujisawa
  • Bic Camera Niigata Station CoCoLo South Building
    Bic Camera Niigata Station CoCoLo South Building
  • Bic Camera Nagoya Station West store
    Bic Camera Nagoya Station West store
  • Bic Camera Namba
    Bic Camera Namba
  • Bic Camera Hiroshima
    Bic Camera Hiroshima
  • Bic Camera Kumamoto
    Bic Camera Kumamoto

Commercials and jingles

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Bic Camera's theme song

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Bic Camera has its own jingle titled "Bic Camera no Uta" (ビックカメラの歌, Bikku Kamera no Uta, lit. "Bic Camera Song"), which is used in TV commercials and broadcast within the stores. The jingle's melody is loosely based on the enka song "Tabako-ya no Musume" (煙草屋の娘 / タバコやの娘, lit. "The Girl at the Tobacconist"), which, in turn, traces its roots to the American hymn "Shall We Gather at the River?". The song's original lyrics for the main branch in Ikebukuro reference the Ikebukuro Station, the Seibu Ikebukuro Line by the east exit and the Tōbu Tōjō Line by the west exit, as well as Sunshine City. The lyrics are changed for specific branches such as Akihabara and Namba.[23]

New Bic Camera theme song

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In July 2023, Bic Camera launched a new jingle, featuring new lyrics that add the Yamanote Line, the Shōnan–Shinjuku Line, the Saikyō Line, the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, and the Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line among the eight lines connecting to Ikebukuro, reflecting the district's massive growth as a shopping destination.[24][25]

On March 1, 2024, the new jingle became the departure melody for the Yamanote Line at Ikebukuro station.[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Lee, Yoojung; Cooper, Chris (2018-05-17). "Bargain-hunting Chinese make Japanese retail king Bic Camera a billionaire". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  2. ^ a b "Bic Camera to acquire majority in Kojima: Nikkei". Thomson Reuters. 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  3. ^ "2024年８月期 第1四半期決算" (PDF).
  4. ^ sofmap. "ソフマップのイベント・キャンペーンなど、おトクな店舗情報". ソフマップ店舗情報 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  5. ^ "Bic Camera raises stake in Best Denki". Japan Today. 2008-08-09. Retrieved 2019-10-30.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Sakuraya closing business to be a part of Bic Camera". Tenkai-Japan. 2010-03-04. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  7. ^ "Yamada Denki to buy rival Best Denki". The Japan Times. 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  8. ^ Milner, Rebecca (2012-09-27). "Bicqlo – Bic Camera meets Uniqlo – is here!". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  9. ^ Imada, Kaila (2022-05-20). "Tokyo's massive Bicqlo Shinjuku to close this June". TimeOut. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  10. ^ "Air Bic Camera". Bic Camera. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  11. ^ "楽天ビック". Rakuten Bic. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  12. ^ "Bic Camera Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi". Bic Camera. 2020-02-07. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  13. ^ "ビックカメラ／「日本橋三越」に出店、富裕層向けプレミアム家電強化". Ryūtsū News. 2020-02-04. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  14. ^ "ビックカメラ、熊本県内初の直営店オープン ＪＲ熊本白川ビル". Kumamotonichinichi Shimbun. 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  15. ^ "2021年発表！世界の小売業ランキングTOP250 日本の小売企業は28社が選出". CommercePick. 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  16. ^ "ビックカメラ／大阪の高槻阪急3階に新店舗オープン". Ryūtsū News. 2022-06-03. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  17. ^ "ヨドバシ目の前に「ビック」 千葉駅前、販売競争激化も". Kyodo News. 2022-11-01. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  18. ^ "ビックカメラ". East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  19. ^ a b "[Closure] Bic Camera JR Kyoto Station Store". Bic Camera. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  20. ^ "List of BicCamera stores". Bic Camera. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  21. ^ "ビックカメラ | ページ移転". Bic Camera. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  22. ^ Hanada, Ryosuke (2017-06-24). "Bic Camera and the new face of Akihabara". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  23. ^ "ビックカメラの歌 CMソング 各店舗の歌詞". World Folk Song. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
  24. ^ "ビックカメラのテーマソング". Bic Camera. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  25. ^ "ビックカメラが45年ぶりテーマソング一新 なぜ変えた？おなじみのフレーズは継続". Yahoo! Japan. 2023-09-12. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  26. ^ "ビックカメラのテーマ曲、山手線・池袋駅の発車メロディに　ヨドバシ出店は「関連ない」". Impress Watch. 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
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