World Franchise Systems Co., Ltd. (hereinafter, WFS), a wholly owned subsidiary of World, has signed a franchise agreement with Fuji Co., Ltd., a major retailer with operations primarily in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions.

Fuji's clothing division has annual sales of 32.7 billion yen. By introducing World's store management know-how through the franchise expansion of its Shoe La Lou business, the company aims to revitalize its clothing department. Effective October 1st, two stores will be converted from directly managed by World to franchised stores: Fuji Grand Matsuyama Shoe La Lou (2nd floor, Fuji Grand Matsuyama, 1-2-1 Miyanishi, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture) and Fuji Grand Shigenobu Shoe La Lou (1st floor, Fuji Grand Shigenobu, 3-1-13 Noda, Toon City, Ehime Prefecture). The company also plans to open two new stores in Ehime Prefecture within this fiscal year, bringing the total to four stores. Going forward, the company plans to expand its operations throughout Shikoku and into its own shopping centers in the Chugoku region.

Shu-La-Rue is an edited lifestyle store that mainly targets women in their 30s and their children, and offers a total range of clothing from everyday wear to trendy styles, with the concept of "making every day stylish, fun, and comfortable." It has signed contracts with major distribution companies and supermarkets such as Tenmaya Store, Yasusaki, Life Corporation, Izumi, and Maruetsu, and had opened 18 franchise stores by the end of last month. Including directly managed stores, it has 209 stores nationwide.