Abstract

A Nikkei Business reporter takes a close look at the “serious” management of the unorthodox Don Quijote.
◎Why is it possible to generate solid profits even though the frontline is doing as it pleases?
◎Why has growth accelerated even further since the charismatic founder, Takao Yasuda, left the company?
◎Why were they able to overcome numerous “incidents” such as arson in the campaign against opening new stores and the arrest of the former president ......?
-- The delegation of authority makes work not work but a game (competition)!

The company has become a giant with sales of 2 trillion yen. It is now known as “Seven, Aeon, and Donki” and is one of the top three general retailers. The company's 34 consecutive quarters of increased sales and profits are supported by a strategy that defies the “chain store theory” of the retail industry. The strategy is based on “pop-up floods” and “compressed displays. The company “throws everything” from stocking to pricing and displaying merchandise to part-time store employees, creating not a “sales floor” but a “buying floor” filled with excitement and thrill. The goal is to become a “visionary company” that endures through the power of its philosophy.

Author’s Information

Nikkei Business
Nikkei BP London Bureau Chief
Born in 1986 in Ishikawa Prefecture. After graduating from Kyoto University Faculty of Law, became a newspaper reporter in Kanazawa. Joined Nikkei BP in February 2017. After working as a reporter for Nikkei Trendy and Nikkei XTREND, he became a reporter for Nikkei Business in April 2021 and his current position in April 2024. He writes with a single-minded style that depicts the background of attempts to change the city and the world, right down to the story. At Nikkei Business, he has been in charge of areas close to consumers, such as consumer goods and food products, with a focus on retail. Author of “Why Workman doubled its sales by simply changing its sales methods without changing its products” (Nikkei Business Publications, Inc.)