TORU YAMANAKA via Getty Images
ラオックスが「家電量販店」ではなく「免税店大手」と報じられるようになった――ラオックスは8月13日、2015年12月期の連結業績予想を上方修正した。外国人観光客の増加に伴い来店客数が増えたことなどが寄与したものだが、このニュースについて報道各社はラオックスのことを、「家電量販店」ではなく「免税店大手」として報道している。
朝日新聞デジタルはこの日、「免税販売大手ラオックス」との文言で始まる記事を掲載。家電については、記事中では一切触れていなかった。日経新聞を始め、毎日新聞、産経ニュース、時事ドットコム、47NEWS、テレ朝newsなども「免税店大手」「総合免税店」などと報じた。
ラオックスが「家電量販店」から「免税店」と報じられることが増えたのは2015年に入ってからだ。朝日新聞デジタルでは2月の記事に、毎日新聞では6月の記事にそれぞれ「家電量販店」の記述が見られるが、以降は「免税店」として扱っている。
日経新聞では記事のなかで「家電中心の免税店を展開するラオックス」（2014年10月）、「家電・免税品のラオックス」（2014年11月）、「免税店事業を本業とするラオックス」（2015年1月）、「免税店大手のラオックス」（2015年3月）などと、表現を変化させてきた。
ラオックスは2009年に中国の家電量販店大手「蘇寧電器」（現・蘇寧雲商集団）の出資を受け、それまでの家電量販店から総合免税店へと業態を変えてきた。「会社四季報」には同社の特色として「家電量販店老舗」との文字が残るが、既に同社の「国内店舗事業」のうち90％強を、免税売上げが占めるほどになっている。
日本のラオックスで買ったものを、中国全土にある蘇寧電器に持っていけばアフターサースを受けられるなどの、独自のサービスも展開。中国・人民網によると、毎年日本を訪問する中国人観光客およそ500万人のうち、6割がラオックスで買い物をする状態だという。
中国系クレジットカードの普及も後押しし、観光客の「爆買い」で2015年1〜6月期の売上高は、前年同期比2.2倍に成長。ラオックスの羅怡文（ら・いぶん）社長は13日の会見で、上海株下落や人民元切り下げについて「今のところ、全く影響は出ていない」とコメント。中国からの訪日客は「中産階級がメーン。中国は輸出型経済から内需型経済に切り替えている。これからも中産階級はさらに増える」との見通しを示し、中国経済が多少不安定になっても、訪日客の増加は「止まることはない」と述べ、免税店事業の取り組みに意欲を見せた。
なお、ラオックスは自社のホームページで、「家電量販店」ではなく「免税店」と書いている。
ラオックスは免税店大手
Chinese Tourists At Laox Duty Free Store Ahead Of Chinese New Year Holiday(01 of27)
Chinese tourists walk past a Toshiba Corp. rice cooker on display at a Laox Co. store in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. Foreign visitors to Japan rose 29% year on year to a record a 13.4 million in 2014, said Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta on Jan. 20. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chinese Tourists At Laox Duty Free Store Ahead Of Chinese New Year Holiday(02 of27)
Chinese tourists carry bags of purchased goods while leaving a Laox Co. store in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. Foreign visitors to Japan rose 29% year on year to a record a 13.4 million in 2014, said Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta on Jan. 20. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chinese Tourists At Laox Duty Free Store Ahead Of Chinese New Year Holiday(03 of27)
Chinese tourists gathered around luggage stand waiting for a tour bus outside a Laox Co. store in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. Foreign visitors to Japan rose 29% year on year to a record a 13.4 million in 2014, said Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta on Jan. 20. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chinese Tourists At Laox Duty Free Store Ahead Of Chinese New Year Holiday(04 of27)
Chinese tourists pack purchases into suitcases outside a Laox Co. store in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. Foreign visitors to Japan rose 29% year on year to a record a 13.4 million in 2014, said Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta on Jan. 20. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chinese Tourists At Laox Duty Free Store Ahead Of Chinese New Year Holiday(05 of27)
A Chinese tourist, left, prepares to pack a handbag into a suitcase outside a Laox Co. store in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. Foreign visitors to Japan rose 29% year on year to a record a 13.4 million in 2014, said Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta on Jan. 20. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chinese Tourists At Laox Duty Free Store Ahead Of Chinese New Year Holiday(06 of27)
A store attendant counts Japanese 1,000 bank notes as she returns change to a Chinese customer at a Laox Co. store in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. Foreign visitors to Japan rose 29% year on year to a record a 13.4 million in 2014, said Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta on Jan. 20. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chinese Tourists At Laox Duty Free Store Ahead Of Chinese New Year Holiday(07 of27)
A Chinese tourist removes Japanese 10,000 yen bank notes from her purse while making a purchase at a Laox Co. store in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. Foreign visitors to Japan rose 29% year on year to a record a 13.4 million in 2014, said Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta on Jan. 20. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chinese Tourists At Laox Duty Free Store Ahead Of Chinese New Year Holiday(08 of27)
A Chinese passport sits on a glass display case as a tourist, not seen, inspects wrist watches at a Laox Co. store in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. Foreign visitors to Japan rose 29% year on year to a record a 13.4 million in 2014, said Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta on Jan. 20. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chinese Tourists At Laox Duty Free Store Ahead Of Chinese New Year Holiday(09 of27)
Chinese tourists take a photograph of a wrist watch with a smartphone while browsing at a Laox Co. store in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. Foreign visitors to Japan rose 29% year on year to a record a 13.4 million in 2014, said Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta on Jan. 20. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chinese Tourists At Laox Duty Free Store Ahead Of Chinese New Year Holiday(10 of27)
An advertisement for Patek Philippe SA wrist watches is displayed at a Laox Co. store in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. Foreign visitors to Japan rose 29% year on year to a record a 13.4 million in 2014, said Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta on Jan. 20. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chinese Tourists At Laox Duty Free Store Ahead Of Chinese New Year Holiday(11 of27)
Chinese tourist disembark a tour bus outside a Laox Co. store in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015. Foreign visitors to Japan rose 29% year on year to a record a 13.4 million in 2014, said Japanese Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta on Jan. 20. Photographer: Yuriko Nakao/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Retail Inside The Laox Co. Ginza Store(12 of27)
Promotional signs written in Chinese advertise rice cookers, right, as customers browse inside the Laox Co. Ginza store in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014. With the Bank of Japan\'s preferred benchmark gauge showing inflation at more than half of its target 2 percent pace, the central bank may wait to assess trends in wages and the effects of a sales-tax increase in April before deciding on any extra stimulus. Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Retail Inside The Laox Co. Ginza Store(13 of27)
Promotional signs written in Chinese advertise rice cookers at the Laox Co. Ginza store in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014. With the Bank of Japan\'s preferred benchmark gauge showing inflation at more than half of its target 2 percent pace, the central bank may wait to assess trends in wages and the effects of a sales-tax increase in April before deciding on any extra stimulus. Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
LAOX DUTYFREE STORE å°ä¸ã¸ã®é段 ã¾ã ã¾ã ã·ã¥ã¬ã¼ã³ã¼ãããªã¼ã¯ã¹(14 of27)
ãã®ã¾ã¾æ¹è£ã«å¥ã£ã模æ§\nwww.flickr.com/photos/fukapon/4401574398/ (credit:fukapon/Flickr)
Akihabara(15 of27)
Locate this place (requires Google Earth) (credit:Stéfan/Flickr)
(16 of27)
åºèåå¤æ´ã«å¯¾å¿ãã¦ã¿ããã¨ãã²ãåç¨ãªã®ãã? (credit:fukapon/Flickr)
LAOX DUTYFREE STORE ç¥! æ人ã®æ¥ ãå«ãå¥ã£ã¦ãã!ãè¢ \7,980(17 of27)
ABCã§Circus Land, D.C.II To Youãã¯ã´ã³å¥ããã¦ãã®ã§...\nwww.flickr.com/photos/fukapon/4265436798/ (credit:fukapon/Flickr)
ç§èåæ大ç´åç¨åº LaOX(18 of27)
ã¬ã¼ãä¸ãPOCKETS Plus ONEåºåã¹ãã¼ã¹ã¯èªç¤¾åºåã« (credit:fukapon/Flickr)
ASOBITCITY å¥ãå£æ£é¢ã« ãããã!!, ã¹ã¤ã¼ãããªãã¥ã¢âª(19 of27)
é£è¼åéã決ã¾ã£ã¦ãã¾ã ã¾ã å¢ãããã¾ããã (credit:fukapon/Flickr)
LAOX DUTYFREE STORE ã¢ã¦ãã¬ããã»ã¼ã«ä¸(20 of27)
ãã¾ããã£ã¦ãªãã£ã¦ãã¨ã (credit:fukapon/Flickr)
LAOX DUTYFREE STORE å°ä¸è¡ãé段 éããå¾å®¶ã®æ©é¤ THE ãæ£æã£!ï¼å§«åã?ï¼(21 of27)
è¡ãå¹´æ¥ãå¹´ä¼ç»ãé ¼ãã (credit:fukapon/Flickr)
LAOX DUTYFREE STORE ãããç¥ã£ã¦ã? ãã¬ã«ã£ã¦éå¸æ±ããªãã ã¨ã(22 of27)
ã¢ãã¡ã¤ãã§ä½¿ããã®ã¯æå¤ã¨ç¥ããã¦ããªããã§ããã (credit:fukapon/Flickr)
Chinese Tourists On Lunar New Year At Laox Electronics Store(23 of27)
A group of Chinese tourists stands outside a Laox Co. electronics store after their shopping in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Chinese visits to Japan rose last month, the first increase since Japan\'s March 11 earthquake and a sign recovery for the nation\'s tourism industry may be near. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Chinese Tourists On Lunar New Year At Laox Electronics Store(24 of27)
Promotional signs written in Chinese are displayed as Chinese tourists browse through a Laox Co. electronics store in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Chinese visits to Japan rose last month, the first increase since Japan\'s March 11 earthquake and a sign recovery for the nation\'s tourism industry may be near. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images\n (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
ã¢ã½ãããG åºé ãã£ã¹ãã¬ã¤ éã®ã©ã¤ã³ãã¬ã«(25 of27)
çºå£²åããPOPå«ãæ°åãå¥ã£ã¦ã¾ã (credit:fukapon/Flickr)
Chinese Tourists On Lunar New Year At Laox Electronics Store(26 of27)
Chinese tourists browse through a Laox Co. electronics store in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Chinese visits to Japan rose last month, the first increase since Japan\'s March 11 earthquake and a sign recovery for the nation\'s tourism industry may be near. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images\n (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Tokyo's Electric Town Woos China Tourists As Japanese Cut Back(27 of27)
Promotional signs written in Chinese are displayed as tourists from China browse through a Laox Co. shop in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, June 30, 2010. Chinese shoppers in Akihabara outspend all other nationalities, according to the local tourism body, parting with over four times more cash than their U.S. counterparts. The district\'s stores are hiring Mandarin and Cantonese speakers and putting up seven-foot tall billboards to bolster tourism, one of Prime Minister Naoto Kan\'s pushes to counter an estimated $13 billion annual drop in domestic consumption. Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg via Getty Images (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
【関連記事】
ハフィントンポスト日本版はTwitterでも情報発信しています。@HuffPostJapan をフォロー