Royce'
Private K.K. | |
Industry | Foods |
Founded | July 1983 |
Headquarters | Sapporo, Japan |
Key people | Yasuhiro Yamazaki (President) |
Products | Chocolates |
Number of employees | 700 (As of 2009) |
Website |
www |
Royce' Confect Co., Ltd. (株式会社ロイズコンフェクト), also known as E-Royce', is a Japanese chocolate manufacturing company. The company's central offices are located in Sapporo.
Company history
- Royce' was first established in July 1983, with a total capital of ¥10.0 million. Royce's first head office building was located in Hokkaidō, about 500 miles north of Tokyo. By November of that year, Royce' began to produce their first chocolates.
- The company's first two years saw rather slow growth as it integrated into the Japanese economy. It was not until the 1990s that Royce' would become a significant player in the Asian candy industry. In September 1985, Royce's capital had increased to ¥30.5 million.
- In September 1989, Royce' was finally able to add a chocolate molding line, allowing the company to further compete with other market brands.
- The first Royce' shop was established in May 1993. It was named the "Higashi Naebo Main Shop". This shop, like others to come, would sell Royce' chocolates, as well as company and area-related souvenirs. Royce' cookie production also began in 1993.
- 1994 and 1995 saw major store expansion for Royce' in Japan. Outlets were established in Hiragishi, Asabu and Kotoni.
- A delivery center was established in 1996, as well as the "Nama" chocolate brand. The delivery center was served by a fleet of semi-trucks that took Royce's products to clients.
- March 1997 was a relatively important year for Royce', as the company opened a sales shop in downtown Sapporo, thereby establishing its first contact with the city where they are currently headquartered. The Royce' sales shop was established inside a Mitsukoshi department store.
- In June of the same year, with the Sapporo public already familiar with the Royce' brand, the company moved their headquarters to Sapporo, in the Higashi-ku district. The Truffle chocolate brand was later established, and a new distribution center was inaugurated in November. Royce' began selling its chocolates in Hokkaidō area airports, including Chitose Airport.
- By June 1998, Royce' had established an internet web page, using a computer system named LAN. The next month, the company announced that its capital had risen to slightly more than twice the amount from the previous announcement, or to ¥61 million. Another store was opened, this time in a shopping center.
- A new manufacturing facility was inaugurated by Royce', in July 1999, at Futomi. Another store opened, this one located at the Sapporo Odori. Just one month before, Royce' had inaugurated a store at their Sapporo factory, naming it the "Sapporo Factory Shopping Center".
- In September of that same year, the company moved its headquarters for the third time, but stayed within Sapporo.
- In December 2000, Royce' launched an online store. By that year, the company had begun an advertisement campaign on All Nippon Airways' inflight magazine.
- Three more Sapporo stores were inaugurated in July 2001, each located inside well known Japanese department stores.
- Yet another store inside a Sapporo department store, the Robinson Department Store Sapporo branch, was opened in April 2002. By then, Royce' also began to sell bakery products.
- Another shop is opened in Busan, feb. 2012
International stores
Royce' Confect International PTE Ltd. was established in August 2001, with the purpose of serving international, albeit mostly Asian, customers. Royce's first international store opened that month, in Singapore.
Royce' currently operates over 40 international stores in 12 countries outside Japan, including in chronological order:
- Singapore - First opened 2001 in Takashimaya Shopping Centre in Ngee Ann City. Currently five outlets.
- Hong Kong - First opened March 2002 in Times Square and Harbour City, after experimental sales at City'super Times Square. Currently six outlets, including three on the Hong Kong Island, and one each in Kowloon, New Kowloon, and the New Territories.
- Malaysia - First opened December 2005 in Suria KLCC. Currently six outlets in the Klang Valley.
- Thailand - First opened March 2007 in CentralWorld. Currently four outlets in Bangkok.
- Philippines - First opened December 2008 in the Power Plant Mall at the Rockwell Center, Makati City Currently six outlets in Metro Manila.
- China - Four outlets in Shanghai. First shop opened in 2010 in Shanghai IFC.
- Brunei - First opened August 2011 in Mabohai Shopping Complex. Currently three outlets.
- Indonesia - First and only outlet opened October 2011 in Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta.
- Russia - First opened November 2011 in City Mall, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Currently two other outlets in Vladivostok.
- Taiwan - First opened December 2011 in The Mall. Currently three outlets in Taipei and one each in Taichung and Hsinchu
- South Korea - First opened January 2012 in Metro Heights Jung-dong. Currently one outlet in Busan and two in Seoul.
- United States - First opened December 2012 in Madison Avenue. Currently three outlets in New York City, and a popup. There are also Royce' stores, including popups, in New Jersey, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Jose, and Southern California.
- India - First outlet opened July 2013 in High Street Phoenix, Mumbai in Palladium Mall. There is another shop in JW Marriott Mumbai. It also operates a store in JW Marriott Bangalore, a store in Ambience Mall, New Delhi, and a final store in Quest Mall, Kolkata.
- Australia - First outlet opened December 2013 in Westfield Marion, Adelaide, and Westfield Chatswood, Sydney in 2015.
- United Arab Emirates - First opened February 2014 inside Galeries Lafayette in Dubai Mall - Dubai, United Arab Emirates. After tremendous support from the chocolate lovers in the UAE, the shop expands and now currently have 2 more outlets in Sunset Mall, Jumeirah Beach Road and World Trade Centre Mall in Abu Dhabi.[1] All chocolates sold from UAE branches are liquor-free.
- Canada - The first store opened January 2016, now located in Richmond, British Columbia, specifically Richmond Center Mall.
Diversification in other business
In 2005, Royce' branched out into other businesses, such as selling other types of foods and drinking water, food and beverage processing machines, liquor sales (importing and exporting), coffee brands, restaurant management, arts and craft sales, and insurance sales.
Chocolate products
- Dacquoise
- Financier
- Lurumaro Chocola
- Madeleines
- Nama Chocolate
- Nutty Bar Chocolate
- Petite Truffe
- Royce' Chocolate Bars
- Royce' Pure Chocolate
- Potato Chip Chocolate
- Popcorn
- Baton Cookies
- Wafers
- Prafeuille Chocolat
- Criollo Chocolate
See also
External links
- (in Japanese) Royce' Confect
- (in English) Royce WEBLOG
- (in English) Royce' Chocolate GCC