Baccarat Pacific KK, the Japanese unit of French crystalware manufacturer Baccarat SA, has been growing quickly since it establishing itself as a luxury brand in Japan in the 1980s. In 2006, the Japan unit's sales were roughly four time higher than a decade earlier at JPY 6.2BN. It was not until the late 1980s that crystalware became popular. President, Hiroshi Ogawa attributed a 300% rise in sales over the decade through 2006 to a change in the brand strategy in 1994. He said: "Under the new approach, we tried to nurture Baccarat as a luxury brand that serves every aspect of our customers' lifestyles & move away from Baccarat's initial image as dishware". "Although Baccarat products were previously on display only at household goods corners in department stores, we decided to develop the brand into a popular luxury name comparable to Louis Vuitton or Hermes". "Our products are now available at 33 department store units, 13 of which are selling our glassware on floors that specialize in select brands
