Don Quijote parent Pan Pacific International Holdings is bringing its discount model to groceries, opening the first store in a new food-focused chain as inflation squeezes Japanese households.

The Robin Hood brand ¡ª whose name is a nod to the English folk hero who aided the poor ¡ª underscores the company¡¯s focus on easing the burden of rising living costs. Its first outlet will open Friday in Aichi Prefecture, about a three-hour drive from Tokyo, offering rice balls from ?85 ($0.53) and packs of 41 sausages for ?735, including tax.

Quirky discount chain Don Quijote, known as Don Don Donki overseas, is one of Japan¡¯s largest retail empires, popular with tourists and a broad base of domestic shoppers. Robin Hood¡¯s first store is aimed primarily at local consumers, who accounted for more than 80% of Pan Pacific¡¯s revenue in fiscal 2025. With food and daily necessities becoming more expensive, the company is betting that fast, cheap and convenient offerings will drive traffic.