ecoplus

What ecoplus does

ecoplus (株式会社エコプラス) is a Japanese second-hand goods retailer operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hard Off Corporation Co., Ltd. (TSE Prime, ticker 2674). Founded in April 1999 and headquartered in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture, the company operates 72 stores across seven prefectures in Hokkaido and Tohoku (Hokkaido, Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Miyagi, Fukushima), selling and buying used merchandise under four specialized retail brands: HARD OFF (electronics, audio, computers, cameras, musical instruments, game consoles), OFF HOUSE (clothing, furniture, household goods, sports and camping equipment, baby items), GARAGE OFF (car audio, navigation, tires, wheels, auto parts), and HOBBY OFF (toys, figurines, trading cards, plastic models, N-gauge trains, character goods).

The underlying operating model is a physical-retail reuse platform rather than a technology platform. Stores acquire inventory through in-store walk-in purchases (immediate cash), free home-visit appraisal for bulky items, and mail-in evaluations. Inbound goods are inspected, repaired, cleaned, and priced before resale, with a tiered warranty system (3 months / 6 months / 1 year) on used hard goods. The technology stack supporting this is minimal: the company's own profile explicitly states "core_technology: not applicable," no proprietary software features are listed, and no patents or trademarks are held. A national online channel, Off Mall (netmall.hardoff.co.jp), is provided at the parent-group level and cross-promoted from ecoplus's storefront.

Revenue mechanics are direct-to-consumer retail: one-time transactions on resale of used goods bought from individuals at a discount to retail-equivalent prices. Pricing is set in-store and is not publicly disclosed. Customers are entirely individual consumers (B2C); no enterprise or SMB customers are named. The company carries a 古物商許可 (used-goods business permit) from the Miyagi Prefectural Public Safety Commission (license No. 221020001106). Subsidiary status within the listed Hard Off Group provides access to franchise infrastructure, brand recognition, and group-level procurement, while ecoplus itself is privately held with no public revenue disclosure.

Name

ecoplus

Legal name

株式会社エコプラス

Website

https://eco-plus.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ecoplus is a Japanese second-hand goods retailer operating 72 HARD OFF / OFF HOUSE / GARAGE OFF / HOBBY OFF stores across Hokkaido and Tohoku as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hard Off Corporation (TSE Prime: 2674), buying and reselling used electronics, household goods, auto parts, and hobby items to individual consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Second-hand Retail

NAICS

Used Merchandise Retailers (459510), General Merchandise Retailers (455)

SIC

Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399)

akta.pro primary industry

Reuse & Resale / Recommerce Operations (EUAIANAC)

Keywords

• Second-hand retail
• Reuse shop operations
• Consignment buying
• Used goods resale
• Franchise retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Natori

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail sales of second-hand goods: Revenue generated from buying and reselling used goods including electronics, clothing, furniture, sports equipment, car parts, and hobby items across four store brands (HARD OFF, OFF HOUSE, Garage OFF, Hobby OFF).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

ecoplus operates a multi-brand second-hand goods retail chain under the Hard Off Group franchise, running 72 stores across Hokkaido and the Tohoku region of Japan. The company buys used items from individual consumers and resells them through four specialized store brands — HARD OFF (electronics, audio, cameras, instruments), OFF HOUSE (clothing, furniture, household goods), GARAGE OFF (automotive parts and accessories), and HOBBY OFF (toys, figurines, trading cards, models) — plus the nationwide Off Mall online marketplace.

Product overview

ecoplus operates a multi-brand reuse retail platform consisting of four core store concepts: HARD OFF (electronics, audio, cameras, instruments), OFF HOUSE (clothing, furniture, household goods, sports), GARAGE OFF (car audio and parts), and HOBBY OFF (toys, figures, trading cards, models). These stores buy and sell second-hand goods, with each brand specializing in distinct product categories. The company also maintains an online presence through オフモール (Off Mall), its internet shopping platform. The stores offer both in-store purchases and purchase services (buy), as well as valuation and purchasing services (sell), with options for in-store, home-visit, and mail-in assessment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HARD OFF: Reuse shop specializing in electronics, audio equipment, TVs, cameras, musical instruments, game software, car electronics, watches, and hobby items. Operates as a multi-format retail chain.
• OFF HOUSE
• Garage OFF
• Hobby OFF

Products and services

• HARD OFF (ハードオフ) Reuse shop specializing in electronics and audiovisual equipment; buys and sells TVs, computers, audio gear, cameras, musical instruments, car electronics, game consoles, watches, and related collectibles for individual consumers.
• OFF HOUSE (オフハウス) Reuse shop for clothing, furniture, household goods, sports equipment, camping gear, bicycles, baby items, brand-name bags and accessories, and home appliances; offers free home-visit appraisal for large items.
• GARAGE OFF (ガレージオフ) Specialized reuse shop for car audio, navigation systems, tires, wheels, exhaust systems, suspension, spoilers, steering wheels, shift knobs, sports seats, and other automotive parts and accessories.
• HOBBY OFF (ホビーオフ) Reuse shop for hobby items including trading cards, plastic models, action figures, N-gauge model trains, model cars, radio-controlled vehicles, character toys, board games, and hobby supplies; accepts items starting from a single piece.
• Off Mall (オフモール)

Quantifiable outcome

• Contributes to waste reduction and greenhouse gas emission reduction through reuse business
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 株式会社ハードオフコーポレーション (Hard Off Corporation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 October 2020Parent company listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market (Securities code: 2674). ECOPLUS became a 100% subsidiary of Hard Off Corporation in October 2020. Hard Off Corporation operates the franchise chain that ECOPLUS participates in.
• 株式会社エコノス (Eco-nos)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2015Hokkaido-based FC franchise partner with joint store operations. Jointly operate multi-brand stores in Hokkaido including Iwamizawa and Ebetsu locations.
• 七十七銀行株式会社 (77 Bank)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional bank partnership through which ECOPLUS issued its SDGs declaration as part of the bank's SDG support services.
• 株式会社マイナビ (Mynavi)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecruitment marketing partner providing job listing and recruitment advertising platform for hiring employees.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Mercari: Japan's leading C2C resale app. Competes indirectly by enabling consumers to resell directly, diverting potential trade-in supply away from brick-and-mortar reuse chains like Ecoplus.
• Rakuma (Rakuten): Rakuten-owned C2C resale app. Indirect competitor that lets individual sellers bypass reuse chain trade-ins for apparel and general goods.

Direct peers

• Treasure Factory: Specialty reuse retailer operating Treasure Factory and Troll (vintage apparel) stores in Japan. Comparable multi-category used-goods retail model with strong focus on apparel and lifestyle brands.
• BookOff Corporation: Operates Book Off used-book and media chain plus sub-brands like Mode Off (apparel). Overlaps directly with Ecoplus on reuse of books, media, electronics, and apparel, with a national footprint and franchise model.
• 2nd STREET (GEO Holdings): Operates the 2nd STREET chain of large-format used goods stores covering apparel, electronics, furniture, and hobbies. Closest direct competitor in the multi-category used-goods retail space across Japan.
• Recycle Mart: Operates a nationwide chain of reuse shops across Japan covering furniture, home appliances, and household goods. Direct competitor in the broad-line reuse retail category.
• Surugaya: Operates physical and online reuse shops focused on hobby items, manga, collectibles, and media — overlapping directly with Hobby OFF and parts of HARD OFF inventory.

Broad incumbents

• GEO Holdings: Listed parent of 2nd STREET (TSE: 2681). A larger incumbent in the Japanese reuse market with both second-hand retail and rental/media businesses.
• Hard Off Corporation: Parent company and franchisor of the Hard Off, Off House, Garage Off, and Hobby Off brands (TSE Prime: 2674). Owns the brand IP and franchise system that Ecoplus operates under; directly comparable chain operator at a national scale.

Regional players

• WonderREX: Operates regional reuse retail stores in Japan including WonderREX (general reuse) and Ryouhin Chishiki (used books). Comparable format and category mix but with a different geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 ecoplus