said Masatoshi Nitta, manager at the sales division at the Ginza branch of Mitsukoshi department store, one of Japan's most respected brands. "Chinese are not shy about showing off their wealth.

With this kind of fine-grained data, says George Wishart, the head of Nielsen's in-store division, retailers can adjust store layouts and staffing levels accordingly.

Also, footwear brand logos that are suspended from a profile that follows the entire perimeter of the store provides a subtle division between the product brands.