Looks like end of road for snack chain

Empty shelves - and an inactive website and phone numbers - have sparked rumors that local snack store Aji Ichiban is in the process of closing its doors.

A netizen posted on social media saying that the shelves in an Aji Ichiban store were empty.

The store's website only showed its logo and language options, with no other content.

The website's contact page was available as a Google search result, but other menu options linked to blank pages.

Calls to Aji Ichiban branches in Kwun Tong, Sha Tin and Tai Wai as well as headquarters phone numbers were not answered.

Established in 1993, Aji Ichiban is one of the largest snack food franchises in Hong Kong.

Despite having the Japanese alphabet in its name, it is not a Japanese franchise.

There are over 90 international locations in varying international destinations, including China, Canada, the Philippines and the United States.

Items sold vary by location and encompass a wide range of flavors from East Asian, Japanese and American cuisines, including beef jerky, dried apricots, chocolates, spicy dried fish, fried and shredded squid, shrimp crackers and wasabi peas.

A Centennial Property director said a 800-square-foot shop owned by Aji Ichiban on the ground floor of Po Foo Building in Causeway Bay has successfully been rented for HK$130,000 a month after less than a month of posting.

The rent was 13 percent lower than the initial price marked at HK$150,000.

Given that Aji Ichiban bought the property for HK$75 million in 2007, the rental return is 2.08 percent.