Mister Donut China will soon be no more, Japan’s largest donut chain calling time there after losses mount.
All 10 remaining Mister Donut stores in Shanghai will close their doors on April 1, victims, the company says, of rising labour costs and other overheads.
Mister Donut China launched in 2000, its parent the Japanese cleaning services company Duskin foreseeing huge potential for sweet treats in the fast-growing economy. While it expanded quickly at first, rising competition and costs saw the company begin to trim its store network in recent years.
After Mister Donut China announced it was closing via its Chinese website, a Duskin spokesperson told the Nikkei that while the company was leaving for now, it may pursue other opportunities in Chinese food retailing in the future.
“China’s desserts market holds the promise of further growth. This is without a doubt an attractive region.”
In Asia, Mister Donut will continue to operate in Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia.
