US electric guitar maker Fender picks Japan for first-ever store

US guitar maker Fender is set to open its first-ever retail store this month in Japan, hoping that its hard-rocking brand will appeal to both music lovers and people who like their style.

Fender Flagship Tokyo will feature the company’s new apparel brand, F Is For Fender, as well as a full array of its guitars and a soundproof room for musicians to play “loud”.

The 1,068 sq m emporium will open on June 30 in the Harajuku-Omotesando district, a trendy Tokyo neighbourhood known as a hub of fashion and youth culture.

The store will be a place where “people really get to experience the Fender brand”, Edward Cole, the company’s president for Asia-Pacific, told Nikkei Asia. “Fender, throughout history, has not only shaped musical culture . . . it’s shaped popular culture.”

Fender, established in southern California in 1946 by engineer Leo Fender, has grown into the world’s top electric guitar maker. Its iconic Stratocaster has been a favourite of rock guitarists ranging from the late Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck to Eric Clapton and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour.

Since the pandemic, Fender estimates that 30mn people worldwide have taken up the guitar. Japan is Fender’s third-largest market, behind the US and China. Fender is the top seller of electric guitars in Japan, with a market share of 35 per cent.

Setting up shop in Tokyo has stirred some controversy for Fender, which established a Japanese sales subsidiary in 2015. Cole said some Fender dealers had “concerns” about the guitar maker selling directly to consumers, but added: “We assured them it would not be competitive. Our flagship store is going to fuel growth for the entire industry, and most certainly that will include dealers because the more people are playing the guitar, the more people go and shop.”

Deepening relationships with consumers is particularly important in the guitar business, he said, because the typical buyer makes six visits to a store — online or off — before making a purchase.

Fender’s musical rivals are also investing in Japanese retailing to increase customer contacts and polish their brand images. Yamaha renovated its flagship store in Ginza in 2021, to become “a place where everyone can enjoy music”. Electronic instrument maker Roland opened its first store in London in 2022 and plans to open its second in Tokyo this year.

Cole said the power of a Japanese flagship store to increase interest in a product line had been demonstrated by brands ranging from Chanel, Hermes and Ralph Lauren to Nike and Adidas.

“The entire industries grew,” said Cole, who previously worked for Ralph Lauren and LVMH. “And let’s not forget Apple moving from telecom stores here in Japan . . . to their own flagship stores, which, by the way, is some of the most productive retail space in the world.”

In choosing Tokyo for its first store, Cole said Fender took into account “the fact that you’ve got projections of 30mn foreigners [a year] coming to Japan”.

He sees potential for further growth in the region, predicting that by 2030, the Asia-Pacific will be the world’s largest market for musical instruments.

“We envision Fender Flagship Tokyo to be a key element in Fender’s overall marketing,” Cole said, adding that the store would feature merchandise made in Japan and exclusive to Japan.

Asked whether Fender might open another store in the region, Cole said: “I think anything can happen. Right now, what we’re really focused on is that this store here in Japan is successful.”

A version of this article was first published by Nikkei Asia on June 3, 2023. ©2023 Nikkei Inc. All rights reserved.

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