Japanese drugstores speed up merger in bid to be Asian leader

Japanese drugstores speed up merger in bid to be Asian leader Japanese drugstores speed up merger in bid to be Asian leader

TOKYO — Japan’s top two drugstore chains are in final negotiations to speed up their integration to become one of Asia’s largest such retailers, Nikkei has learned.

Welcia and Tsuruha are pushing forward with their merger two years ahead of schedule, aiming to quickly scale up and move into other Asian markets as competition at home intensifies.