Akihabara Enticing Shoppers With Bargains

Akihabara, Tokyo is the mecca for electronics and anime, but they've had a bit of a slump in sales of late.

However, some merchants are coming up with ways to increase sales to thrifty shoppers.

The Asahi Shimbun reports:

Forget Godzilla and giant robots. Merchants in Tokyo's Akihabara district, the anime and electronics mecca of Japan, have been battling two truly ferocious foes this summer: slumping tourism and thrifty shoppers. 

Officials of Takarada Electric Co., a home electronics chain that has an outlet near Akihabara Station, said that while the number of foreign tourists this summer had finally rebounded to levels seen before last year's earthquake and nuclear accident, many visitors are still keeping a tight grip on their purse strings. 

"The amount of purchases is lower than two years ago, probably due to the strong yen," one store official said. 

Now local companies and organizations are scrambling for ways to encourage spending, especially among Chinese tourists, who account for an overwhelming majority of the area's visitors. 

Takarada Electric has found one winning strategy with its low-price, high-volume approach. A section of its store where everything is priced at 1,000 yen ($12.80) has been doing brisk sales.

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