What STORES does

STORES is a Tokyo-based unified commerce platform serving small and medium-sized merchants in Japan. The company consolidates multiple previously siloed retail functions — e-commerce (STORES ネットショップ), payment processing (STORES 決済), online reservations (STORES 予約), POS (STORES レジ), branded mobile apps (STORES ブランドアプリ), omnichannel loyalty (STORES ロイヤリティ), table ordering (STORES モバイルオーダー), analytics (STORES データ分析), B2B post-pay (STORES ビジネスあと払い), and multi-store operations (Makitori by STORES) — into a single integrated platform. As of March 2025, all seven core services can be bundled under a unified ¥3,300/month plan with 1.98% credit card processing, positioning STORES at the lowest price point in the Japanese SMB segment. The platform supports more than 100 merchant brands across verticals including fashion, food service, beauty, fitness, automotive, and medical, with documented customers ranging from individual merchants (FLEUR DE KALINA, HOMEGAME) to mid-market chains (Amiya Tei group with 228 stores, MARKS&WEB with 79 stores, Yumetenbo with 610,000 members).

Underlying technology is built primarily on Ruby on Rails, with full-time Ruby core committers (Yukihiro Matsumoto and Yusuke Endoh, hired September 2023) on staff, and infrastructure distributed across AWS and GCP Japan regions with a 99.9%+ uptime SLA. STORES maintains JIS Q 27001:2023 (ISO/IEC 27001:2022) certification through January 2027 and PCI DSS v4.0 compliance achieved in March 2024. The platform integrates natively with domestic Japanese systems critical to SMB operations: LINE messaging, Google Business Profile, Toshiba TEC, PowerPOS, DealerShip, RetailPro, Yayoi, Money Forward, freee, Shopify, and over 20 Japanese QR payment brands (PayPay, d払い, 楽天ペイ, au PAY, etc.). Distribution combines product-led self-serve digital onboarding for SMBs with direct enterprise sales for multi-location chain accounts and a channel partner program for specialized implementations.

STORES makes money through a hybrid model combining (1) recurring monthly subscription fees (¥3,300 bundled plan plus tiered add-ons such as ¥4,400/month LINE messaging and ¥5,500/month Kanzashi aggregation), (2) transaction-based payment processing fees (1.98% for SMBs, 3.24% standard, 1.3% for medical institutions, plus e-money and QR), (3) online store transaction fees, (4) hardware sales/leases for payment terminals (STORES 決済端末 and 決済端末2), and (5) premium add-on features. The company traces its roots to 2012 through predecessor businesses Coiney and STORES.jp under FreakOut Holdings, was reorganized in February 2018 under hey, unified the brand in January 2020, renamed the corporate entity from hey to STORES in October 2022, completed the absorption merger of Digitar in May 2025, and received an undisclosed strategic investment from Google. The company remains privately held with no public listing.

Name

STORES

Legal name

STORES 株式会社

Website

https://st.inc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

STORES is a Tokyo-based unified commerce platform serving Japanese SMBs, bundling e-commerce, payment processing, reservations, POS, branded apps, loyalty, mobile ordering, and analytics into a single integrated system at ¥3,300/month.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Service Subscription Fees: Monthly subscription fees for individual STORES services (Reservation, POS, EC, Branded App, Loyalty, Mobile Order, Analytics, Business Post-Pay). New unified plan bundles 7 services at ¥3,300/month. Free tiers available for reservation and mobile order services.
2. Payment Processing Fees: Transaction-based fees on all cashless payments processed through STORES 決済. Credit card rates at 1.98% (industry-low for SMB plan, updated October 2024), 3.24% standard. Electronic money at 1.98%. QR code payments supported. Medical institutions receive special rate of 1.3% for all credit card brands (announced April 2026).
3. Online Store Transaction Fees: E-commerce platform fees for STORES ネットショップ with plans starting from free (basic) to paid tiers with advanced features.
4. POS and Hardware Sales: POS app subscription (STORES レジ) combined with optional dedicated payment terminals (決済端末, 決済端末2). Hardware sold or leased to merchants requiring dedicated devices.
5. Add-on and Premium Features: Premium features include LINE messaging (¥4,400/month option), かんざし multi-site integration (¥5,500/month), and advanced analytics. Partnership ecosystem generates additional service fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

STORES provides a unified commerce platform for Japanese small and medium-sized merchants, bundling e-commerce (STORES ネットショップ), cashless payment processing (STORES 決済), online reservation management (STORES 予約), POS register (STORES レジ), branded mobile apps (STORES ブランドアプリ), omnichannel loyalty (STORES ロイヤリティ), mobile ordering, analytics, B2B post-pay, and multi-store operations management (マキトリ by STORES) into a single integrated system. Services are sold individually or via a bundled ¥3,300/month plan, with payment processing fees on transactions processed through STORES 決済.

Product overview

STORES is a unified commerce platform providing multiple integrated software services for small-to-medium Japanese merchants in retail, food service, and service industries. The platform architecture centers on STORES 淘宝网 (e-commerce), STORES 決済 (payment processing), STORES 予約 (reservation system), STORES レジ (POS), STORES ブランドアプリ (branded apps), STORES ロイヤリティ (loyalty/CRM), STORES モバイルオーダー (mobile ordering), STORES データ分析 (analytics), and STORES ビジネスあと払い (B2B payments), plus マキトリ by STORES (multi-store operations). The platform's services interconnect natively — POS syncs inventory with the online store, reservation data flows to POS for seamless checkout, and loyalty/app data crosses channels — enabling merchants to manage physical and online operations from a single vendor. Major recent launches include a new ¥3,300/month bundled plan, STORES 決済端末2 hardware, mobile ordering, analytics tools, B2B post-pay, and Makitori multi-store management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Makitori by STORES: Multi-store management platform for restaurant and retail chain operations, including emergency ordering systems for BCP support.

Products and services

• STORES ネットショップ (Online Store) E-commerce platform enabling merchants to create and operate professional online stores with intuitive controls and tiered pricing plans. Supports multiple sales models and integrates with payment, POS, accounting, and analytics services.
• STORES 決済 (Payment) Cashless payment processing service supporting credit cards, electronic money, QR codes, and invoice billing. Works with smart devices and dedicated payment terminals, with rates starting at 1.3% (medical) and 1.98% (SMB plan).
• STORES 予約 (Reservation) Online reservation and customer management system for service businesses. Covers booking, payment, customer management, LINE messaging, smart lists, and POS integration. Includes free tier.
• STORES レジ (POS Register) POS register app integrated with the online store and reservation systems. Supports basic register operations plus product/inventory/sales data sync with the online store and reservation system. Integrates with 弥生会計 Next (January 2025).
• STORES ブランドアプリ (Branded App)
• STORES ロイヤリティ (Loyalty)
• STORES モバイルオーダー (Mobile Order) Mobile ordering solution for restaurants covering dine-in, takeout, and delivery. Includes table ordering, kitchen display integration, and post-pay options. Free plan available.
• STORES データ分析 (Data Analysis) Business intelligence and analytics service integrating data from STORES products, Shopify, and スマレジ for unified sales and customer analysis across channels.
• STORES ビジネスあと払い (Business Post-Pay) B2B post-payment service enabling business-to-business deferred payment transactions for STORES merchants.
• マキトリ by STORES (Multi-Store Management) Multi-store operations management platform for restaurant and retail chains. Covers inventory, ordering, labor management, analytics, automatic translation of operation manuals, and BCP-focused emergency ordering.
• STORES 決済端末2 (Payment Terminal 2) Next-generation standalone payment terminal supporting all major credit cards, QR codes, and electronic money with reduced processing fees.
• STORES 請求書決済 (Invoice Payment)

Quantifiable outcome

• Credit card processing cost reduced to 1.98% (industry lowest tier for SMBs, updated October 2024)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration23 records

AI capability4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Yayoi Accounting Next (弥生会計 Next)coreTechnology or Integration · 27 January 2025STORES レジ (POS) integrates with 弥生会計 Next (January 2025), extending the accounting integration beyond EC to include physical store sales data in automated bookkeeping workflows.
• PayPay, d払い, 楽天ペイ and 20+ QR Code Payment ProviderscoreTechnology or Integration · 11 November 2024STORES Payment supports over 20 domestic Japanese QR code payment methods including PayPay, d払い, 楽天ペイ, au PAY, ゆうちょ Pay, and others, ensuring broad domestic cashless acceptance.
• Google Business ProfilecoreTechnology or Integration · 12 September 2024Integration with Google Business Profile automatically syncs store information (hours, location, contact) to Google Search and Maps. STORES manages information centrally and it reflects across Google surfaces, improving local SEO and customer discovery.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or Integration · 10 April 2024Shopify is a key strategic integration partner. STORES offers STORES Loyalty for Shopify (omnichannel point and membership rank management), STORES Brand App Shopify POS integration, and supports Shopify checkout within branded apps. Multiple Shopify merchants (夢展望, MARKS&WEB, Nigel Cabourn) use STORES alongside their Shopify stores.
• Money Forward (マネーフォワード)coreTechnology or Integration · 19 March 2024Money Forward provides cloud accounting software. API integration allows STORES EC sales data and transaction details to automatically flow into Money Forward Cloud Accounting, Cloud Tax Return, and Cloud Accounting Plus products.
• Ruby Association / Matz (笹田耕一, 遠藤侑介)coreOthers · 1 September 2023STORES hired two full-time Ruby committers (笹田耕一 and 遠藤侑介) from the Ruby core team in September 2023. This is both a talent partnership and a technology commitment, signaling deep investment in Ruby/Rails technology platform and community contribution.
• Yayoi (弥生)coreTechnology or Integration · 31 August 2023Yayoi provides accounting software (弥生会計, やよいの青色申告, etc.). STORES EC integrates via API to automatically sync sales data to Yayoi accounting products. First-ever integration between a Japanese e-commerce platform and Yayoi accounting software. STORES レジ also integrates with 弥生会計 Next (January 2025).
• Toshiba TEC (東芝テック)coreTechnology or Integration · 7 April 2023Toshiba TEC POS systems integrate with STORES Brand App through receipt QR code-based point accumulation.あみやき亭 (174 stores) and スエヒロレストランシステム (54 stores) use this integration for brand-specific loyalty programs.
• Google (Google with Analytics, Ads, Firebase, Google Business Profile)coreTechnology or Integration · 17 February 2023Google is a critical technology partner. STORES uses Google Analytics, Google Ads, Firebase Analytics, and Google Cloud Platform infrastructure. 'Google で集客' feature drives significant traffic — monthly orders via Google grew ~5x. Reserve with Google integration enables Google Search/ Maps reservation discovery. Google Business Profile sync keeps store information current on Google Search and Maps.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Shopify: Shopify is the global leader in e-commerce platforms and directly competes with STORES 淘寶網 in the Japanese SMB e-commerce market. STORES offers Shopify integrations (STORES Loyalty for Shopify, Shopify POS connectivity), creating both partnership and competitive overlap in the same merchant segment.
• BASE (BASE BANK): BASE is Japan's leading e-commerce platform for individual creators and SMB merchants, directly competing with STORES 淘寶網 for the same Japanese SMB and individual seller segment. Both platforms target design-conscious merchants with low-cost entry tiers and freemium models.
• Recruit (Airレジ): Airレジ by Recruit is Japan's dominant cloud POS system for SMB merchants, directly competing with STORES レジ. Recruit's broader ecosystem (ホットペッパービューティー for reservations, Airペイ for payments) creates a comparable unified platform threat to STORES' integrated commerce stack.
• Smaregi (スマレジ): Smaregi is a leading Japanese cloud-based POS platform directly competing with STORES レジ in the SMB retail and restaurant segments. Both companies target SMB merchants with iPad-based POS systems and integrated payment processing capabilities.
• Square (Block): Square is a global payments and POS provider directly competing with STORES 決済 and STORES レジ. While not yet dominant in Japan, Square's payment processing and integrated commerce tools compete for the same SMB merchant wallet share that STORES targets with its bundled platform.
• Stripe: Stripe is a global payment processing platform competing with STORES 決済 in the Japanese market, particularly for online merchants using Shopify and other e-commerce platforms. Both companies compete on developer experience, API quality, and transaction processing fees for SMBs.
• GMO MakeShop: MakeShop by GMO is a Japanese e-commerce platform directly competing with STORES 淘寶網 for SMB merchants. Both platforms offer online store creation, payment processing integration, and design templates targeting Japanese retail and consumer brands.

Emerging players

• freee: freee is Japan's leading cloud accounting platform with native integration to STORES 淘寶網. While primarily focused on accounting, freee competes for the SMB merchant software wallet and represents both an integration partner and adjacent platform threat to STORES' broader commerce enablement suite.
• Money Forward: Money Forward is a Japanese cloud accounting and finance platform with native integration to STORES EC. Similar to freee, Money Forward competes for SMB software wallet share and serves as both an integration partner and adjacent player expanding into broader business management capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• PayPal: PayPal is a global digital payments incumbent with Japanese operations, competing with STORES 決済 for merchant payment processing. While not specialized in the unified commerce stack, PayPal's brand recognition and cross-border capabilities compete for the same SMB payment processing relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/storesinc_info
• Facebookfacebook.com/storesinc.info

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about STORES