Major trading house Itochu Corp. and supermarket chain Uny Co. have reached a tieup agreement under which they will cooperate in a wide range of areas, including jointly developing and producing clothing, Itochu officials said Wednesday.
The plan includes selling clothing brands that Itochu deals with at Uny's outlets and developing and producing new products together by taking advantage of Itochu's overseas networks, the officials said.
They will consider cooperation in merchandise distribution and the utilization of information systems.
The Tokyo-based trading house and the supermarket chain, headquartered in Aichi Prefecture, have to date maintained ties mostly in the food business.
The officials said Itochu wants to expand the collaboration to a broader range of areas.