Food For Now: Japanese Supermarket Seijo Ishii opens pop up at Isetan Scotts Supermarket, with plans to expand to Singapore

Seijo Ishii, a Japanese supermarket chain that offers supremely high-quality items from Japan has set its eyes on Singapore as part of their overseas expansion plans. The supermarket operator, which was founded in 1927, Tokyo recently celebrated their 95th anniversary this year. The company currently operates about 200 stores in Japan selling high-quality items, and will be opening their inaugural overseas pop-up store here at the Isetan Scotts Supermarket from 4th to 17th November 2022. The fair will showcase 42 specially selected items out of over 10,000 from their inventory.

While most supermarkets are known in general for providing basic necessities, Seijo Ishii is lauded for taking it a step further. Known for their wide variety and precise selection of both local and overseas goods; as well as their ready-to-eat meals. Their distinctive positioning is in their plethora of international offerings and more specifically, their very own original house brands.

The company goes through a painstaking selection and training process of their procurement managers who are trained to search for products from all over the world and within Japan, and then deep diving into developing and manufacturing high-quality products themselves. The strenuous process stretches from research over indigenous materials and manufacturing from their central kitchen to outsourcing with specifically detailed instructions to manufacturers. Over the years, the brand has become trusted and well-known for this unique stature in the food industry by building a system that no other company can imitate.

“While there is room to open new stores in Japan, expanding overseas will be the key to securing sustainable growth both internationally and locally,” says Masafumi Hayafuji, Executive Officer, Seijo Ishii Co., Ltd. Selecting Singapore as the location for their first overseas test market campaign is no mystery. “I would like everyone in Singapore to enjoy SEIJO ISHII’s delicious, safe and secure products.”

According to Mr. Hayafuji, Singapore, known for being one of the fastest-growing countries in Asia and its diversity-tolerant people who have a good understanding of various cultures; makes it an ideal country of choice for SEIJO ISHII. “In Japan, we have been promoting the “Singapore Fair” since 2016 in collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore’s Ambassador to Japan (H.E. Mr. Peter Tan). We believe that Singapore is a friendly and highly compatible country, as we have been learning each other’s culture properly and have succeeded in a win-win business relationship.”

The SEIJO ISHII pop-up store will showcase over 42 products from both original house brands – SEIJO ISHII and SEIJO ISHII desica. Expect these products to be of great quality as SEIJO ISHII’s pride is in their buyer selection process and the deep-thinking put into manufacturing what their customers want.

Some of the highlights of the pop up include:

SEIJO ISHII Japanese White Peach Juice (1L) ($13.90)
Made from 100% straight juice of locally grown Japanese white peaches. No flavoring or coloring is used, allowing you to enjoy the taste of white peaches.

SEIJO ISHII Strawberry Curd (270g) ($16.90)
Made with Japanese strawberries grown locally. The melt-in-your-mouth butter and the tartness of fresh strawberries complement each other, and leaves a rich yet refreshing aftertaste.

SEIJO ISHII Yuzu Honey (350ml) ($3.90)
Using fresh juice from domestic (Oita Prefecture) yuzu citrus fruits accentuates the delicious taste and pleasant aroma of yuzu, making this a refreshing drink for any time of day.

SEIJO ISHII desica Japanese Chestnut and Wasanbon Sugar Montblanc Roll Cake (340g) ($29.90)
A swiss roll sponge made with Japanese refined sugar Wasanbon, rolled up with cream from Hokkaido and topped with a melty Mont Blanc cream that is made with Japanese chestnuts which are known for their simple taste and sweetness. The ingredients that go into this cake (fresh cream, butter, milk and flour) have been carefully selected and are produced in Hokkaido.

The SEIJO ISHII Pop-up fair will be held at the Isetan Scotts Supermarket (350 Orchard Road, Shaw House, Basement 1) from 4th to 17th November 2022. SEIJO ISHII products will be available in-store only.