Palemo

Palemo (パレモ) is a Japanese specialty retail group centered on women's apparel and lifestyle goods, headquartered in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi. The business began in 1981 as the "Gyaru Fit" specialty-shop division inside the general-merchandise retailer UNY, and the operating company Palemo Co., Ltd. was formally established on November 22, 1984. It took over roughly 50 stores from UNY's Gyaru Fit division and began trading in February 1985, later opening its first street-level store in Harajuku in July 1985. The name "PALEMO" is a coined word combining "PAL" (companion) and "EMOTION," expressing the idea of sharing emotion with sensitive, like-minded colleagues; the corporate philosophy is stated as "~Doing it~." Palemo operates mainly as a tenant of specialty stores inside supermarkets and shopping centers across Japan, and it reached all 47 prefectures by September 2004. Its core business is women's apparel, complemented by a lifestyle-goods (zakka) business that it entered through acquisitions such as the gift and lifestyle-goods operations purchased from C-Belet in 1998 and the bag and accessory business acquired from Tokyo Incense in 2005. Over the years the group has run numerous store brands, including PALEMO STORE, LUDIC PARK, Re-J&SUPURE, NOÉMIE, illusie300, INCENSE, Bijoux Closet, Lilou de chouchou, FOREST HEART, Recherie, DOSCH, GAL FIT and SUZUTAN, alongside discontinued banners such as Liony, GF-21 and CANDY RING. Ownership has changed several times. Palemo was long affiliated with UNY Group; in 2016 UNY Group Holdings (later UNY FamilyMart Holdings) sold its 62.22% stake through a tender offer to a fund under Endeavor United Partners, and Palemo left the UNY FamilyMart group on October 24, 2016. In August 2017 the company moved to a holding-company structure, with the former Palemo Co., Ltd. renamed Palemo Holdings Co., Ltd. and a newly split retail company taking the Palemo Co., Ltd. name. In 2019 Palemo Holdings moved its listing to the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and newly listed on the Second Section of the Nagoya Stock Exchange. In August 2021 Nishimatsuya Chain Co., Ltd. became the major shareholder. As of the company's disclosures, Palemo Holdings reported capital of 100 million yen, about 1,273 group employees, sales of roughly 14.0 billion yen for the fiscal year ended February 2026, and 227 stores as of February 20, 2026. The group's strategy emphasizes revitalizing existing apparel stores and opening new ones, strengthening OMO (integration of physical stores and e-commerce), differentiating its lifestyle-goods assortment, and building a stable earnings base on the two pillars of apparel and zakka. Palemo Co., Ltd. also operates a store-franchise business, and group company Bix handles tag printing and store-supply logistics.

Palemo's origins lie inside UNY, a major Japanese general-merchandise store operator. In February 1981 the company started a specialty-shop business within UNY's operations headquarters as the "SS (Specialty Shop) Gyaru Fit Department," and in June 1981 it opened its first store, Gyaru Fit Otagawa, inside the UNY Otagawa store. In January 1982 the Gyaru Fit Division was formally launched. On November 22, 1984, Palemo Co., Ltd. was established in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, and in February 1985 it took over about 50 stores from UNY's Gyaru Fit Division and began operating under the Palemo name. In July 1985 it opened its first street-level store, the Harajuku store, and in November 1987 it established a Tokyo sales headquarters. The company expanded its merchandise scope through acquisitions. In February 1998 it acquired the gift and lifestyle-goods specialty-store business from C-Belet Co., Ltd., and in August 2005 it acquired the bag and accessory specialty-store business from Tokyo Incense Co., Ltd. It moved its headquarters to Inazawa City in August 2000 and opened an Osaka headquarters in August 2001. In August 2003 Palemo listed on JASDAQ. By September 2004 it had stores in all 47 Japanese prefectures. It also briefly expanded overseas: in January 2008 it established a wholly owned Chinese subsidiary, "巴麓梦服飾貿易有限公司," in Shanghai, and in June 2008 opened its first Chinese store inside Shanghai's Jiuguang Department Store; in June 2009 it sold the subsidiary and withdrew from China. In February 2010 it formed a business alliance with Makiya Co., Ltd. A major structural change came through consolidation of a group company. In June 2011 Palemo resolved and announced the absorption merger of Suzutan Co., Ltd., which was completed on February 21, 2012, and Palemo inherited Suzutan's store brands. Ownership then shifted. In September 2016 UNY Group Holdings (which was absorbed on September 1, 2016, becoming UNY FamilyMart Holdings and later FamilyMart) announced that a fund under Endeavor United Partners Two, the Endeavor United Partners Three investment partnership, would conduct a tender offer for the 62.22% stake it held. The offer succeeded, and on October 24, 2016 Palemo's parent moved to the Endeavor United Partners Three investment partnership, ending its affiliation with UNY FamilyMart Holdings; the listing was maintained because certain conditions were met. In August 2017 Palemo shifted to a holding-company structure. The former Palemo Co., Ltd. split off its retail business into a newly established preparatory company and renamed itself Palemo Holdings Co., Ltd., while the preparatory company was renamed Palemo Co., Ltd. In 2019 the group changed its market: on March 26, 2019, Palemo Holdings moved to the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and newly listed on the Second Section of the Nagoya Stock Exchange, and in July 2019 it relocated its headquarters within Nakamura-ku, Nagoya. In August 2021 Nishimatsuya Chain Co., Ltd. became the major shareholder. In more recent years the group has focused on its two-pillar apparel-and-zakka model. Its president's message describes efforts to revitalize existing apparel stores and open new ones, to strengthen OMO (the integration of digital and physical retail) by seamlessly guiding customers between physical stores and e-commerce, and to differentiate its lifestyle-goods offering through original product development. The company reported 227 stores and sales of about 14.0 billion yen for the fiscal year ended February 2026, and it continues to operate a store-franchise business alongside its directly operated stores.

• Started specialty-shop business within UNY's operations headquarters as the SS Gyaru Fit Department.

• Opened first store, Gyaru Fit Otagawa, inside the UNY Otagawa store.

• Launched the Gyaru Fit Division.

• Palemo Co., Ltd. established in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya.

• Took over about 50 stores from UNY's Gyaru Fit Division and began operating.

• Opened first street-level store (Harajuku store).

• Established Tokyo sales headquarters.

• Acquired gift and lifestyle-goods specialty-store business from C-Belet Co., Ltd.

• Relocated headquarters to Inazawa City.

• Opened Osaka headquarters.

• Listed on JASDAQ.

• Reached stores in all 47 Japanese prefectures.

• Acquired bag and accessory specialty-store business from Tokyo Incense Co., Ltd.

• Established wholly owned Chinese subsidiary in Shanghai.

• Opened first Chinese store inside Shanghai Jiuguang Department Store.

• Sold the Chinese subsidiary and withdrew from China.

• Formed business alliance with Makiya Co., Ltd.

• Resolved and announced the absorption merger of Suzutan Co., Ltd.

• Completed absorption merger of Suzutan and inherited its store brands.

• Left UNY FamilyMart Holdings after tender offer by Endeavor United Partners Three investment partnership succeeded.

• Shifted to a holding-company structure; former Palemo renamed Palemo Holdings and a new Palemo Co., Ltd. took over retail operations.

• Moved to the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and newly listed on the Second Section of the Nagoya Stock Exchange.

• Relocated headquarters within Nakamura-ku, Nagoya.

• Nishimatsuya Chain Co., Ltd. became the major shareholder.

Nationwide specialty-store retailer of trend-driven women's apparel and differentiated lifestyle goods, mainly as a tenant within supermarkets and shopping centers, pursuing an OMO strategy and a two-pillar apparel-and-zakka earnings base.

• Women's apparel

  Trend-driven young women's apparel sold through specialty stores nationwide.

• Lifestyle goods (zakka)

  Gift and lifestyle-goods items developed and differentiated through original product development.

• Bags and accessories

  Bag and accessory specialty-store business acquired from Tokyo Incense.

• Store franchise (FC) business

  Franchise operation of retail stores alongside directly operated stores.

• Subcontract Act violation recommendation

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1. 1パレモ・ホールディングス株式会社 - 企業情報・IR・ブランド・採用情報palemo.co.jp
2. 2株主総会招集通知 過去分 - パレモ・ホールディングス株式会社palemo.co.jp
3. 3企業情報 - パレモ・ホールディングス株式会社palemo.co.jp
4. 4Palemo - Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5パレモ - Wikipedia (Japanese)ja.wikipedia.org