Econos

Name

Econos

Legal name

株式会社エコノス (ECONOS Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://eco-nos.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reuse Retail

NAICS

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

SIC

Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399), Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940), Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Reuse & Resale / Recommerce Operations (EUAIANAC)

Keywords

• Reuse retail stores
• Secondhand goods resale
• Household goods management
• Resource circulation services
• Circular economy business

Headquarters

HQ city

Shiroishi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales of Reused Goods: Revenue generated from selling secondhand electronics, fashion, hobby items, car parts, books, CDs and DVDs through physical retail stores across Hokkaido.
2. Purchase/Valuation Services: Revenue from purchasing unwanted items from customers at stores and through pickup services.
3. E-commerce Sales: Online sales of reuse goods through BOOKOFF online and OFF Mall platforms.
4. International Resource Circulation: Export of reuse items that could not be sold domestically to international markets, contributing to global resource circulation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Econos operates a multi-format reuse retail business in Hokkaido, running five distinct store brands — Hard Off, Off House, Hobby Off, Garage Off, and Book Off — that buy and resell secondhand electronics, fashion, hobby goods, car parts, and books/media. The company supplements retail with pickup/on-site purchase services, e-commerce sales via BOOKOFF Online and OFF Mall, a household goods management service (Good Cell) for estate and moving cleanup, and a 3R resource circulation initiative that exports unsold items internationally.

Product overview

Econos operates a multi-format reuse retail business in Hokkaido, Japan, comprising five distinct sub-brand retail chains (Hard Off, Off House, Hobby Off, Garage Off, and Book Off) that each specialize in different product categories. The company also provides household goods management services through its 'Good Cell' brand and runs a 3R promotion initiative that exports unsold items internationally. The portfolio includes physical retail store operations and e-commerce sales through company-operated platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ハードオフ (Hard Off): Reuse shop specializing in computers, audio, musical instruments, and cameras
• オフハウス (Off House)
• ホビーオフ (Hobby Off)
• ガレージオフ (Garage Off)
• ブックオフ (Book Off)
• エコタウン (Eco Town)
• ブックオフ出張買取
• ハードオフ出張買取
• オフハウス出張買取
• 家財整理事業（グッドセル）

Products and services

• Hard Off (ハードオフ) Reuse retail store chain specializing in used computers, audio equipment, musical instruments, cameras, records, game consoles, and PC parts, targeting individual consumers in Hokkaido.
• Off House (オフハウス) Reuse retail store chain offering used clothing, bags, brand items, shoes, furniture, appliances, baby items, sports equipment, camping gear, and precious metals, targeting individual consumers in Hokkaido.
• Hobby Off (ホビーオフ) Reuse retail store chain specializing in used trading cards, gashapon, capsule toys, figurines, N gauge models, mini cars, vintage toys, plastic models, and action figures, targeting hobbyist consumers in Hokkaido.
• Garage Off (ガレージオフ) Reuse retail store chain offering used tires, aluminum wheels, car audio, car accessories, and auto parts, targeting individual consumers and small automotive buyers in Hokkaido.
• Book Off (ブックオフ) Reuse retail store chain reselling used comics, novels, essays, magazines, children's books, game software, CDs, and DVDs, targeting individual consumers in Hokkaido.
• Good Cell Household Goods Management Service (家財整理事業) Complete household goods organization service operated under the Good Cell brand, handling estate liquidation, vacant home cleanup, and moving-related organization services for households and families in Hokkaido.
• 3R Resource Circulation Service (3R推進事業) Resource circulation initiative that collects toys, daily goods, and clothing unsold at Hokkaido reuse stores and exports them internationally on a regular basis, contributing to sustainable resource utilization, waste reduction, and the group's international reuse business.

Quantifiable outcome

• Provides infrastructure for circular economy through reuse

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• 北海道コンサドーレ札幌minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 June 2025Econos entered into a 2025 season club partnership with Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo soccer team, contributing to regional community development and environmental awareness through sports.
• サッポロビール株式会社minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconos provided support for carbon offset initiatives, assisting Sapporo Beer in their forest protection agreements with municipalities in Hokkaido region.
• 北海道開発技術センターminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner for Hokkaido Economic Affairs Ministry commissioned projects, with Econos representative featured in their newsletter.
• 北海道minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconos subsidiary MyClimate Japan supported Hokkaido's carbon offset certification application under Ministry of Environment's local carbon offset program.
• 北海道リース株式会社minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconos supported Hokkaido Lease's carbon offset certification under Ministry of Environment's local carbon offset program for businesses.
• 独立行政法人国際協力機構（JICA）minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconos subsidiary MyClimate Japan's proposal for household solar power systems and mobile phone charging systems in Ethiopia was selected by JICA for preparation survey.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Treasure Factory (Trefac): Operates the 'Treasure Factory' multi-format reuse chain across Japan, combining fashion, household goods and hobby items. Comparable in horizontal multi-format reuse retail model.
• Geo Holdings (2nd STREET): Operates 2nd STREET, one of Japan's largest multi-category used-goods chains (fashion, electronics, hobby goods). Direct peer in physical reuse retail, comparable scale and breadth of assortment.
• Komehyo Holdings: Specializes in buying and selling pre-owned luxury goods, fashion, jewelry and watches via retail stores and auctions. Comparable business model of purchasing used goods from consumers and reselling, with regional retail presence.
• BOOKOFF Consolidated Holdings: Operates BOOKOFF reuse stores nationwide, including the books/media Book-off sub-brand that Econos licenses and operates. Directly comparable in used-media retail, with overlapping customer base and store economics.
• Acorn Holdings (Up Garage): Operates Up Garage, a national chain of used car-parts and automotive accessory stores directly comparable to Econos's Garage-off sub-brand.

Broad incumbents

• Hard Off Corporation: Parent company and operator of the national Hard-off, Off-house, Hobby-off, Garage-off and Book-off reuse retail chains. Comparable in product mix, store format, and revenue model; provides a national benchmark for Econos's Hokkaido operations.
• R-comec (HARDOFF group sub-brands — Mode Off): Mode Off, another sibling reuse brand under Hard Off Corporation, focuses on used fashion. Comparable fashion-resale category within the broader Hard Off reuse retail system.
• Rakuten (Rakuma): Operates Rakuma, a C2C resale app within the broader Rakuten e-commerce ecosystem. Comparable buyer/seller flow for used goods and a meaningful alternative channel to Econos's BOOKOFF online / OFF Mall platforms.

Emerging players

• Mercari: Japan's leading C2C online resale platform. Comparable to Econos in handling secondhand goods, though operating in a digital peer-to-peer model rather than physical retail — increasingly competitive for both sellers and buyers of used items.

Regional players

• WonderREX (Operationally merged into reuse chains): Operates regional reuse and recycle outlets across Japan focused on household goods, with comparable retail reuse model to Econos's Good Cell adjacent service line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Econos