MANILA, Philippines — Japan’s largest home-furnishing and furniture retail giant is plotting a massive aggressive footprint expansion across the Philippine archipelago. First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos announced that Nitori Co. Ltd. plans to open 100 or more stores throughout the country.
The sweeping commercial expansion marks a significant step up from the company’s initial multi-year rollout targets, heavily boosting local job generation and retail competition.
The updated retail target was shared following an intimate corporate huddle in the capital’s central business district on Monday, June 15, 2026:
[ NITORI PHILIPPINES EXPANSION BRIEFING ]
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[ THE FIRST LADY'S UPDATE ] [ THE STAMP OF APPROVAL ]
• **The 100-Store Milestone:** *“He told us that they would be • **Economic Optimism:** In an official statement, the First Lady
opening one hundred or more stores in the country,”* the First Lady• shared her enthusiasm for the massive investment inflow.
posted, summarizing a lunch meeting in Makati City. • **Employment Pipeline:** *“Excited to see how this growing
• **High-Level Delegation:** The corporate strategy was discussed • partnership will create employment opportunities for Filipinos.
directly with Akio Nitori, the billionaire founder and chairperson • Thank you for investing in our country,”* she added.
of Nitori Holdings. •
This massive retail push follows an intense period of high-level diplomatic and investment negotiations between Manila and Tokyo over the past few years:
[ THE NITORI INVESTMENT AND LEGAL RADAR ] │ ▼[ Late May 2026 ] ──► **The State Visit:** The expansion details solidify immediately following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the First Lady's official diplomatic state visit to Japan, which locked in **$3.4 billion (roughly ₱210 billion)** in fresh investment pledges. │ ▼[ Current Baseline ]──► **Rapid Escalation:** Nitori currently operates **seven stores** in the Philippines. Its latest branch opened at Ayala Malls Feliz in Pasig City, building on the success of its initial flagship store launched at Mitsukoshi BGC in Taguig in April 2024. │ ▼[ Legal Catalyst ]──► **Liberalization Reforms:** Nitori's entrance stands as the first flagship success story directly enabled by the country's amended **Retail Trade Liberalization Act**, which lowered foreign retail capitalization thresholds to ₱25 million to invite global market leaders.
The newly revealed target of over 100 stores represents a massive acceleration of Nitori’s baseline corporate roadmaps for the region. Previously, former Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual noted that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) had been working with Nitori executives to scale the brand up to 50 local branches by 2032.
By doubling that structural projection, the Japanese retail giant indicates immense confidence in the purchasing power and expanding consumer demographic of the Philippine domestic market. To further integrate the brand into the local economy, the DTI continues to actively nudge Nitori to establish the Philippines as an official regional sourcing and manufacturing hub for its home accessories and textile lines.