NTT Docomo has reportedly announced plans to cut its domestic retail stores by around 30% by 1 April 2025 due to falling footfall.

According to Japanese news ImpressWatch, Docomo President Motoyuki Ii revealed the plan, which included closing approximately 700 of the company’s 2,300 Japanese locations in response to a longer handset update cycle and more customers making purchases online.

According to Ii, the company wants to match the number of outlets in each area to local demand in order to boost profits. Docomo‘s retail strategy is said to be part of a larger drive to cut costs by implementing structural reforms after parent company NTT turned the operator private.