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Retail Competition in Japan

NPR's Eric Weiner reports that the "Big Box" has landed in Japan. Huge discount warehouse stores are just beginnning to open up there. Japanese consumers are unaccustomed to both the cutrate deals on household items, and the no-frills atmosphere. Stores such as CostCo are providing stiff competition to Mom-and-Pop retailers, who pride themselves on personal service, right down to delivering a single bottle of sake to a customer's front door.

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