TOKYO -- Japanese retailers are gearing up for an expected increase in demand in northeastern Kumamoto prefecture, where a factory being built by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker, is nearing completion.
Izumi, a shopping center and supermarket operator, has created a Taiwanese food section and a sales area for pricey gifts at its store in Kikuyo, a town in Kumamoto prefecture, anticipating a flood of new customers among employees of the factory and their families. Nitori Holdings, which operates a chain of furniture and interior goods stores, has opened an outlet in a neighboring town.
