In an era when supermarkets no longer compete just by having the widest selection but by understanding customers and improving accessibility, the familiar name to Thai consumers has been Don Don Donki, a Discount Lifestyle Store that has become a popular destination for both casual visits and bargain shopping.
Recently, “Lopia Japan” a Japanese supermarket chain has officially launched in Thailand, opening its first store on the ground floor of Central Chaengwattana mall. It offers Thai consumers authentic Japanese flavors and high-quality ingredients, with a highlight on premium "wagyu beef"—available without the need to travel to Tokyo or Hokkaido.
The nameLopia Japanmay still be unfamiliar to many Thais, but in Japan it is one of the fastest-growing and most talked-about food retail brands in recent years. It is known as a supermarket offering genuinely good products at affordable prices under the concept “Low Price Utopia.” This concept has won the hearts of households across Japan.
Lopia Japan has officially opened its first branch in Thailand at Central Chaengwattana mall, ground floor, allowing Thai customers to experience authentic Japanese food and ingredients, especially the supermarket’s star product, premium wagyu beef, without needing to fly to Tokyo or Hokkaido.
BrandStory Column This feature introduces Lopia Japan, the newest supermarket chain entering the Thai market. It is one of Japan’s fastest-growing players, starting over 50 years ago as a small local butcher shop. Today, it operates more than 100 branches, generating sales in the hundreds of billions of yen, and is actively expanding internationally.
Lopia Japan’s story did not begin with huge capital or a large retail group, but as a small meat shop in Fujisawa city, Kanagawa prefecture. The first store opened in 1971 under the name “Niku no Takarabako” which translates to “The Treasure Chest of Meat.” Founder Hideo Takagi intended to create a meat shop focusing on quality ingredients and fair prices, targeting families wanting to buy meat for cooking.
At that time, Japan had many traditional retailers and emerging modern department stores, but Lopia Japan focused on value. This philosophy evolved into their business credo of “Low-Price Utopia,” aiming to create an ideal food land where everyone can access quality food without paying high prices—the origin of the name “Lopia.”
Initially, Lopia Japan stood out as a high-quality butcher shop, rooted in its meat-selling origins. Its wagyu A5 beef and pork were very high quality yet priced lower than department stores. It then expanded into a full supermarket offering fresh foods, dry goods, imported items, and processed foods, with meat remaining a core strength.
Currently, Lopia Japan has 139 branches across Japan and has expanded internationally to markets including Taiwan and now Thailand—the first base for its ASEAN expansion.
Lopia Japan is a retail business of the OIC Group, which covers the entire supply chain from upstream (farms and factories) to downstream (import/export and retail). By eliminating middlemen, it can set prices lower than competitors while maintaining profitability. For the fiscal year ending February 2024, Lopia Japan recorded sales of about 320 billion yen (approximately 65 billion baht) and continues growing. The parent company OIC Group reported total revenue of over 521 billion yen (about 105 billion baht) for fiscal 2025.
This advantage stems from its butcher shop roots, giving Lopia deep insight into costs, ingredient selection, and consumer behavior, making it renowned as one of Japan’s strongest supermarkets in meat departments—beef, pork, chicken, and seafood.
Although it promotes low prices, Lopia Japan does not engage in aggressive discounting like discount stores. Its clear market positioning is “low price but equivalent quality” to attract customers seeking both quality and value.
It continues sourcing premium wagyu beef, fresh ingredients, and authentic Japanese food such as premium black beef, giant sushi, premium Japanese fruits, charcoal oven-baked pizza, ready-to-eat meals, and popular Japanese desserts like pudding and cheesecake. Lopia also emphasizes large pack sizes, creating an impressive value proposition similar to Costco in the U.S., appealing to large families or value-conscious shoppers.
Unlike many large supermarkets, Lopia Japan does not sell non-food items such as electronics or household goods. It focuses exclusively on high-quality food products, avoiding general merchandise like home products or clothing brands. This streamlines management and reduces inventory costs, supporting its pricing strategy’s success.
Lopia Japan operates large supermarkets, typically 2,000–3,000 square meters, offering over 10,000 items including fresh food, seafood, frozen goods, processed foods, and Japanese-style ready meals. This enables consumers to shop one-stop.
The store layout is organized into easy-to-understand categories, making shopping enjoyable like a mall but purchasing decisions simple like a market. For international branches, Lopia emphasizes "unique products" and "authentic imports." It is distinguished by direct Japanese imports and exclusive private brand products produced under strict Japanese quality control, outperforming general stores carrying similar brands without authentic Japanese standards.
Mr. Hitoshi Mizumoto, Director of LOPIA and Head of Asia Regional Headquarters, revealed that Lopia Japan’s international expansion is driven by the desire to spread Japanese food worldwide and create stores where people can experience Japan without traveling there.
The company first expanded abroad to Taiwan in January 2023, quickly growing to nine branches in less than three years, with plans to open 20 soon. For Thailand, the market entry is a strategic move to penetrate ASEAN, home to over 680 million people, based on confidence in Thai purchasing power and Lopia’s quality-driven pricing model.
Japan’s population of only 120 million is shrinking, while ASEAN’s market is much larger. Thailand was chosen as the first ASEAN base because of its diverse population, including Thais, Westerners, and Chinese. Success in Thailand would prove the concept works in the region.
Mr. Hitoshi added that partnering with the major Central Group and choosing a prime location on the ground floor next to Top Food Hall is strategic, as proximity to the leading local supermarket Tops creates mutual customer flow. After testing with a pop-up store, they found Thai consumer purchasing power to be very strong—estimated 1.5 times higher than Taiwan—with an expected average basket size of about 1,000 baht per person. The main target is Thai customers rather than just Japanese expatriates.
A highlight for Thai shoppers is premium wagyu beef imported from Japan. Lopia manages its own procurement and processing system, enabling effective quality and price control, aiming to revolutionize Thailand’s wagyu market and make it accessible to Thai consumers.
Another highlight is “extra-large sushi and sashimi,” using fresh seafood with thick, generous portions surpassing typical stores. Additionally, over 95% of dry foods, seasonings, ready meals, and Japanese-style sweets are imported from Japan. Lopia is confident competitors cannot match its prices on equivalent products.
Taiwan is currently a model for Lopia’s international market strategy, where diverse approaches have successfully raised consumer awareness. Their food products distinguish themselves through superior quality and taste, creating loyal customers. Lopia Japan in Taiwan is so popular that it limits the number of customers per visit. They believe they can replicate this success in Thailand. Mr. Hitoshi concluded,
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