STORES

About STORES

STORES Corporation, operating under the brand name STORES (st.inc), functions as a key digital infrastructure provider for small and medium-sized businesses across Japan. The company's trajectory began in 2018 when it was established as hey, Inc., through the strategic merger of Coiney, a mobile point-of-sale and payment service provider, and Stores.jp, an e-commerce platform enabler. In October 2022, the company consolidated its identity by rebranding from hey, Inc. to STORES Corporation.

The firm was co-founded by Yusuke Sato, who now serves as the CEO. Sato's entrepreneurial journey includes being a founding member of the ad-tech firm FreakOut and a tenure at Google, experiences that informed his vision for empowering smaller merchants with accessible technology. He is joined by Naoko Samata, the original founder of Coiney in 2012, who now holds the position of VP of People Experience. Her background at PayPal was instrumental in developing Coiney's initial offering. The company's mission, "Just for Fun," reflects its aim to build an economy driven by passion and creativity, ensuring that business size is not a barrier to opportunity.

The business model is centered on offering an integrated suite of subscription-based services that digitize and streamline retail operations. This comprehensive platform provides clients, who range from individual entrepreneurs to mid-sized enterprises, with the tools necessary to compete in the modern retail landscape. Revenue is generated through fees from these various services. The product portfolio is extensive, including tools for creating online stores, in-person cashless payment terminals, POS register systems, online reservation management, and custom app creation. By bundling these services, STORES enables merchants to manage both their physical and online operations more efficiently, unifying customer data and inventory for a seamless omnichannel experience. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm has seen accelerated adoption from brick-and-mortar businesses looking to establish a resilient digital presence.