East Point Centre SOGO Night view 201511

Sogo Hong Kong () is one of Hong Kong's largest department stores. First established by Japanese retailers, Sogo Co., Ltd. ( Japanese: 株式会社そごう), the department store is now owned by Lifestyle International Holdings (). In addition to the flagship store in

Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...

, Sogo Hong Kong operates a second store in Tsim Sha Tsui,

Kowloon Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and t ...

. Sogo Hong Kong has been a member of the International Association of department stores since 2013.

History

In April 1984, the Causeway Bay station construction site was sold by the Mass Transit Railway Corporation to Taisei Corporation for $380m. Following construction, Sogo Hong Kong, originally parented by Sogo Japan (Japanese: そごう), commenced its operations on 31 May 1985 in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Situated on Hennessy Road, the Japanese styled department store has become an important retail

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

of Hong Kong. In 1993, it underwent major renovations to become "Jumbo SOGO", expanding its area from to . In 2000, Japan's Sogo declared

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...

under a US$17 billion

debt Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money or other agreed-upon value to another party, the creditor. Debt is a deferred payment, or series of payments, which differentiates it from an immediate purchase. The d ...

. The Hong Kong store was subsequently acquired by Lifestyle International Holdings. In 2005, Sogo Hong Kong opened a second store in Tsim Sha Tsui,

. It was located underground, below Salisbury Road. The location was formerly the site of The Palace Mall (1997-2001) and Teddy Bear Kingdom (2002-2005). In 2014, Sogo relocated across Salisbury Road next to Sheraton Hong Kong, encompassing a total floor area of .

Business

Sogo Hong Kong's flagship store is spread across eighteen floors of retail space. The store carries mid to high-end clothing brands, sports wear, children's wear, cosmetics, appliances, bedding, and housewares. Sogo Hong Kong also operates the popular Japanese supermarket, Freshmart.

Buildings, lands, and fire safety violations

Sogo's Causeway Bay store is located a building called East Point Centre, which comprises an "Old Wing" and a "New Wing". The 11th to 16th floors of the New Wing were renovated around 2004 in order to expand the department store's retail space. Several legal irregularities surrounding these floors have been uncovered. In 2021, Hong Kong investigative news agency FactWire reported that Sogo's use of the upper storeys of the New Wing was unauthorised by the lands and buildings authorities. The building's Deed of Mutual Covenant designates the 12th to 16th floors as office areas, whereas in reality these floors are now used as part of the department store. In addition, drawings that Sogo submitted to the

Buildings Department The Buildings Department (BD) is a department of the Hong Kong Government responsible for building codes, building safety, and inspection. It was founded in 1993 and is now subordinate to the Development Bureau The Development Bureau (DE ...

in 2004, prior to the renovation, marked the 11th to 16th floors of the New Wing as offices. The 11th floor is, in reality, also part of the shopping centre. FactWire also discovered apparent violations of fire codes, with egress routes and dimensions not meeting safety requirements. In addition, the news agency noted that the 11th to 16th floors of the New Wing had been registered as clubs under the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance since 2005. The 11th floor is licensed as "Sogo Book Club", while the 12th to 16th floors are licensed as "Sogo Club". According to the law, only members and their guests have a right to use licensed clubhouses. However, until 2021 (when Sogo was contacted by FactWire), the clubhouse levels were open to the public. A cafeteria on the 11th floor operated without a restaurant licence, which is permitted because the space is registered as a clubhouse. In addition, the clubhouse designation could allow Sogo to reduce their profits tax liability. Sogo did not comment on whether or not the company had applied for tax exemptions on the basis of the clubhouse licence.

Thankful Week

Sogo's "Thankful Week" is as a semi-annual period in which many of Sogo's brands hold special promotions, often offering steep discounts to their products. Similar to Black Friday, the event is considered a cultural phenomenon among local shoppers and tourists alike.

References

External links

* {{official website, http://www.sogo.com.hk/ Retail companies established in 1985 Department stores of Hong Kong Causeway Bay Tsim Sha Tsui 1985 establishments in Hong Kong