Independent Operation/Original Merchandiseand Services

SOFUOLSOFUOL stands for Sophisticated Full-length Oﬃce Lady. Targeting
working women mainly in their 20s and 30s, the brand oﬀers likableand sophisticated styling to cater to their business, commuting andweekend fashion needs.

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Available at: Shinsaibashi, Umeda, Tokyo, Kyoto, Kobe, Sapporo, Suma,Nagoya and Ueno stores and Hakata Daimaru, Shimonoseki Daimaru andKochi Daimaru

Responding Quickly to Changing Customer Needs andSeeking Originality
The role of independently operated retail sections ofA typical example is a women s shoes department.

PB oﬀering of JFR Group. We will leverage our PBs in

which sales account for about 20% of total department

During ﬁscal 2009, we introduced highly sensitive andterms of: (1) characterization and diﬀerentiation fromstore sales is diﬀerentiation and characterization

low-priced merchandise fast to respond to changes inother companies, (2) the increase of proﬁtability, and (3)through the quick change of product selections andcustomers values on prices and the missing entry

human resource development. We will review logistics,

displays in response to market needs changing day bymarkets. As a result, the sales share of low-priced

information systems, sales promotion, sales ﬂoor

day and the oﬀering of merchandise that is not included

pumps reached 15% and we could attract many new

environment, sales activities and inventory control asin the assortment of shops.

customers in their 20s and 30s. We need to meetwell as product development in a comprehensive

Such non-partitioned open space is scalable toever-changing market needs and review the balance ofmanner and accelerate our eﬀorts to restructure thec u s t o m e r n e e d s, a n d t h e r e, w e c a n c h a n g e

low price range every period. It is the strength of these

supply chain.

merchandise mix and sell goods across shop

sections to be able to do this.

boundaries. Making the best use of these strong points,In addition, Season Message oﬀering women s

Collaboration

we will respond to changes ﬂexibly and diﬀerentiate

wear and accessories to women in their 50s, Parts on

Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores and World Co.,

ourselves overwhelmingly from competing department

Parts oﬀering women s wear and accessories mainlyLtd., an apparel company achieving good results in SPA

stores by using our unique merchandise oﬀerings andincluding denim items to young adults, women s

brand strategy, established a new business model andaccessories departments oﬀering seasonal items

collaborate to oﬀer a women s wear brand Esche.

including hats and scarves and men s accessories

Forming a virtual joint business unit as business partners,

The planning and management of merchandising aredepartments are also positioned as independently edited

instead of the traditional supplier-buyer relationships,

centralized in the headquarters, while stores aresections.

Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores and World sharesales and service capabilities as a weapon.
In these sections, central operation is implemented.

dedicated solely to sales and services.

Independently edited sections
Buyers plan merchandise mix and oﬀering based on

Private brand (PB)

information and clarify the distribution of proﬁts tocollaborate using the core competence of each company,

Concerning private brands (PB), we are involved in thethat is, Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores ability towhole SCM (supply chain management) process fromoperate stores and World s ability to develop and supply

market changes, while Daimaru Matsuzakaya

the stage of product planning. Basically, they aremerchandise, instead of the conventional way of developing

Department Stores controls the assortment based on

priced at 20% oﬀ the prices of national brands (NB).

PB apparel products through OEM. In the business process

store information to oﬀer the right item in the right

Lately, however, we expand our focus to a low pricefrom product planning to selling out, the two companies arequantity at the right time and right price (oﬀer what

range of 50% oﬀ national brand prices to satisfy

working together to ensure PDCA (plan-do-check-action)customers want in the quantity they want and at thecustomers who are becoming more price-conscious.

cycle and respond quickly and accurately to customer

price they want when they want it). We will respondAfter management integration, men s wear Trojan

needs and wants. Targeting plugged-in andquickly to market changes at item and SKU level andand women s wear Sofuol, both of which had been

trend-conscious youthful women in their 40s, we oﬀer goodcomplement the missing products, which is impossible

Daimaru s private brands, were introduced toquality, elegant and reasonable outing and work clothes

for shop operation type sections alone.

Matsuzakaya Nagoya and Ueno stores to expand thefollowing moderately trends.

TROJANesche

Daimaru created this brand as
pioneering men s ready-madegarments in Japan in 1959. Sensible
businessmen continue to favor it asbattle dress adapting to the times
for its reﬁned urbane image. Putting
comfort ﬁrst, the brand oﬀers safeand reliable absolute quality withexcellent materials and tailoring at
acceptable prices.

This is a total coordinate brand foryouthful trend-conscious women in
their 40s featuring high quality,
reﬁnement and reasonable prices. Itoﬀers simple and basic
elegance-oriented street clothes
following moderately trends.

Available at: Shinsaibashi, Umeda, Tokyo,
Kyoto, Kobe, Sapporo, Suma, Nagoya andUeno stores and Hakata Daimaru, Kochi
Daimaru, Shimonoseki Daimaru andTottori Daimaru

Esche is available at: Shinsaibashi,Umeda, Tokyo, Kyoto, Kobe, Sapporo,Suma, Nagoya, Ueno and Shizuoka
stores and Hakata Daimaru, KochiDaimaru, Shimonoseki Daimaru andTottori Daimaru
Esche L is available at: Umeda, Tokyo,
Kyoto and Sapporo stores

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Independent Operation/
Original Merchandiseand Services

Customer s View Project−Forming the Voices ofCustomers into Beautiful Shapes
As part of the eﬀorts to implement theThe system to listen to the voices of customers

and oﬀered to major customers and strategic target

customer-ﬁrst principle, J. Front Retailing carries

has a cycle: determining a target→listening to thewhile being diﬀerentiated and advantageous in theon a company-wide Customer s View project tovoices of customers→making plans based on thearea. The multiple ﬁtting room with lightenhance services, store environment and thevoices→verifying assumptions throughsimulation on the women s wear ﬂoor of Daimaru

selection of products by attending to the voices ofquestionnaires→carrying them out in stores→

Kobe store was born out of customers desires tocustomers reaching into the tens of thousands

getting feedback on them including after-sales

see how they would look outdoors in the garments

every year.

service.

they try on. It simulates various lighting conditions

In addition to the existing Hospitality Memoincluding in a building and a park so that aand Opinion Box placed in stores to actively

Servicescollect various views and needs from customers, weBasically, Customer s View services are high quality

look throughout the body. And it has enough spacebegan to conduct online and mobile phoneones ﬁtting with the regional strategy of each store

for wheelchair users and mothers with daughters.

customer can see how diﬀerent the clothing colors

questionnaires targeting identiﬁable customers toRecently, as many as 13 shoe ﬁtters serve theenrich the Customer s View project by analyzing

women s shoes department of Daimaru Kyoto store,

their demands by age and their opinions by store

which completed its refurbishment on April 22. The

and improving services and product lineup based on

department is trying to solve customers troubles onthese analyses.

shoes through enhanced and highly-professional
services and achieve No. 1 customer satisfaction

Reinforcing systems to listen to thevoices of customers

among the women s shoes departments of the area.

The Hospitality Memo is a system to listen with a

Product lineup

lot of attention to the voices of customers in stores.

The products developed based on the voices ofSalespersons having contact with customers write

customers and gaining popularity include washable

in the Memo the requests and opinions given bycashmere,customers during conversations with them andstain-resistant neckties. They were developed asand

our original merchandise by inferring potential

submit it. A considerable number of requests andopinions are collected every day. We makepattern order boots

Multiple fitting room on the 4th floor of Daimaru Kobe store

demands from the customers voices we hadreceived before.

assumptions (who wants what) from informationcollected through the Hospitality Memo and theWe will continue to analyze the voices ofOpinion Box and verify them through online

customers, make assumptions and develop products

questionnaires as needed. The quantitative results

by entering into the lives of target customers.

of analyses obtained from online questionnaires are
reﬂected in new services, product lineup and ﬂoor
planning.

Since various lighting conditions are simulated, Handrails and other equipments area customer can see how different the clothing installed.
colors look throughout the body.

Under our unique Customer s View project, newproducts and services are born from the voices ofcustomers and then they are improved and evolved.
We will continue to develop ﬂoors and services
from a customer s point of view.

CV Card
Customer s View Box(Placed in stores)

Hospitality Memo(Information note by salespersons)Collecting andanalyzing thevoices of customers

Conducting online
questionnaires again
depending on services

Customer s View
products
Customer s View
services and facilities

Online Questionnaires

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