Hands (store)

Hands Inc. (株式会社ハンズ, Kabushiki gaisha Hanzu), known as Hands (formerly Tokyu Hands), is a Japanese department store chain. Hands is now part of Cainz [ja] (itself a member of the Beisia Group [ja]). Tokyu Hands opened their first store in Shibuya, Tokyo in 1976 as a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) store, hence the logo with two hands, and the emphasis on crafts and materials for projects.^[3]

Hands Inc.

Headquarters of Hands Inc. at Shinjuku Eastside Square in Shinjuku, Tokyo
Native name	株式会社ハンズ
Company type	Subsidiary (K.K.)
Industry	Retail
Founded	18 August 1976 (1976-08-18)
Headquarters	Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
Area served	Japan Singapore Taiwan
Revenue	¥55.5 billion (2022)[1]
Operating income	¥3.9 billion (2022)[1]
Net income	¥4.7 billion (2022)[1]
Total assets	¥27.9 billion (2022)[1]
Parent	Cainz Corporation[2]
Subsidiaries	Hands Labo Co. Ltd. Tokyu Hands Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Website	hands.net (in Japanese)

The name Tokyu Hands was in reference to its then parent company, the Tokyu Group keiretsu. Cainz acquired the brand in March 2022 and renamed the store Hands.^[4]

Today, Hands focuses on hobby, home improvement and lifestyle products. At the Shibuya flagship store, products include toys, games, novelty items, gift cards, gift wrap, costumes, bicycles, travel products (such as luggage and camping gear), hobby materials, household hardware, tools, do-it-yourself kits, pet supplies, office supplies and stationery; calligraphy, painting, drawing supplies, furniture, lighting, home appliances, and storage solutions.^[buzzword]

Most branches offer free workshops (in Japanese) and have demonstrations running on various floors during busy periods (weekends and holidays). There is a delivery service available for purchases that cannot be taken home on the day.

The Ikebukuro location featured a cat café called Nekobukuro, or "Cat's House", one of the first in the city to do so. For an additional admission fee, customers could visit with some 20 cats in the cafe. However, the Ikebukuro location underperformed as a whole and was closed on October 31, 2021.^[5]