Bic Camera

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. Nippon BS Broadcasting Corp. was established in 1999, with Bic Camera as its majority shareholder. In 1995, Bic Camera displayed banners protesting France's nuclear weapons testing in the South Pacific.[1]

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%.[3] 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.[4]

On June 26, 2012, Bic Camera purchased 50% of rival store chain 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.[5] 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).[6] 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.[7]

On December 19, Bic Camera partnered with Rakuten to launch Rakuten Bic (楽天ビック, Rakuten Bikku). 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.[8][9]

Bic Camera has 60 stores in the Kantō region (26 in Tokyo, seven in Kanagawa, two in Saitama, and three in Chiba). Outside the Kantō region, there is one store in Hokkaido, one in Niigata, one in Gunma, one in Ibaraki, two in Shizuoka, five in Aichi, two in Kyoto, four in Osaka, one in Okayama, one in Hiroshima, one in Fukuoka, one in Kagoshima, and one in Okinawa. This includes BICQLO, shared branches with Kojima, and Air Bic Camera. The largest store is the Yūrakuchō Honkan branch in Tokyo.[10][11]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bic Camera.

• Official website