J . FRONT RETAILING CORPORATION (hereinafter referred to as "J-Front"), which owns Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store, announced that it has acquired a 50.8% stake in XENOZ Corporation ( hereinafter referred to as "XENOZ"), which operates the e-sports team "SCARZ".
The company announced its future plans, including full-scale entry into the e-sports business.
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J-Front to enter the e-sports business in earnest
J-Front explained the reason for the acquisition of shares in XENOZ as follows: "We will invent new happiness in our lives. J-Front cited e-sports as one of the categories of interest as a means of providing new experiences and excitement for the next generation, in line with its group vision of "inventing new happiness for people's lives.
XENOZ also noted that it has a 10-year-old e-sports team, SCARZ, and plans and operates its own tournaments and events, and will work to increase its corporate value by collaborating with Parco, department stores, and other group companies.
Purpose of Entry into e-Sports Business
J-Front aims to enter the e-sports business by
- A pillar of the future entertainment business that strikes a chord with customers
- To acquire a customer base that will support the future of the company (J-Front)
- To provide powerful future content to promote the "Real x Digital Strategy".
The three objectives of J-Front are as follows.
J-Front's objectives and vision are as follows.
Pillar of the future entertainment business that tugs at the heartstrings of customers
e-sports is a market that is expected to continue to grow at a high rate in the future, and by entering the market at the dawn of its development, J-Front hopes to solidify its recognition as a leader in this field.
Having an e-sports team will create a bond with enthusiastic fans, and by transmitting that enthusiasm in both real and digital media, we will be able to propose new value.
Acquire a customer base that will support the future of our company (J-Front).
The most important issue for PARCO Department Stores is to acquire the next generation of customers. By entering the e-sports market, which attracts a high level of interest from the younger generation, especially those in their teens to 30s, we will increase awareness and branding.
Powerful future content to promote the "real x digital strategy
As part of J-Front's "Real x Digital Strategy," e-sports has a high affinity with businesses such as Metaverse and NFT, which utilize digital technology, and is expected to develop into a variety of businesses.
While realizing real effects such as attracting customers by holding events at J-Front Group facilities, we believe that entering the e-sports market will accelerate the implementation of our strategy to expand our business in the digital aspect.
Potential of "Department Store x e-Sports
The e-sports team SCARZ, which has reached the 10-year milestone of its founding, is aiming to build a strong, world-class team with the goal of "Kawasaki to the world" as its hometown in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
What kind of possibilities and values will be found in this unprecedented initiative between J-Front and XENOZ, and by extension, the Japanese e-sports industry?
We will keep an eye on the future development of this project.
Comment from Yoichi Tomori, Representative Director of XENOZ Corporation and President of SCARZ
We are very pleased to be working together with J.Front Retailing as a member of J.Front Retailing.
After 10 years of working as SCARZ, we will step up to a new stage. We will be working to further expand our vision of New Area and our team slogan "Keep it Real".
The SCARZ team structure will remain unchanged and will be purely focused on strengthening the team in order to achieve its goal of becoming a world-class team.
We will continue to work hard to further develop esports and make it a part of the new culture.
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