Aeon

, formerly , is a Japanese diversified retail holding company. It is one of the largest retail companies in Japan, owning Aeon hypermarkets, Aeon Mall and Aeon Town shopping malls, Daiei, MaxValu, Maruetsu, and My Basket supermarkets, Ministop convenience store, Welcia drugstore, and Aeon Cinema movie theaters. Aeon traces its origins back to 1758 during the Edo period in Japan when it was established as a small sundry goods store called Shinohara-ya. Later, it was renamed Okada-ya after the founding family. In 1970, Okada-ya merged with several other companies it had established and became Jusco. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, Jusco expanded its business and in 2001 changed its name to Aeon, which was its own brand. In 2010, Aeon merged with its subsidiary retail companies and consolidated all its hypermarket brands such as Jusco and Saty under the Aeon name. In 2021, Aeon was reportedly the 17th largest retailer in the world in terms of revenue. Naming The name Aeon is a transliteration from the koine Greek word (ho aion), from the archaic (aiwon). The name and symbolism used in the branding implies the eternal nature of the company. History is the acronym for Japan United Stores Company, a chain of "general merchandise stores" (or hypermarket) and the largest of its type in Japan.