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Japan has a large number of credit cards on issue and many of these are issued by Japanese retailers. Two such retailers, Saison and Daiei, illustrate why and by what means Japanese retailers have entered the credit card market. This provides the backdrop to an explanation of how those major retail groups are now seeking to redefine the payment system supply chain to their own advantage. Makes reference to the worldwide competition between Visa and Master Card and how in Japan retailers have been able to play one card association off against the others. Also highlights the value of the information flows from the cardholder to the retailer and vice versa and draws attention to the potential of the retailer credit card in customer retention, recruitment and relationship building.

Over the decade the trend of Global Fortune 500 firms has shown significant changes – Japanese and Chinese firms in particular. The purpose of this paper is to present trend analysis of Global Fortune 500 – Japanese and Chinese firms. Key research questions are: what are the relevant macro-level changes that have affected the growth and decline of Japanese and Chinese firms? What are the industry-level changes that have occurred in Japanese and Chinese firms in terms of firm characteristics and financial performances? What are the lessons and implications from the firms added to or removed from Global Fortune 500? Data analysis is conducted based on Fortune database from 1995 to 2013.

The study employs descriptive analysis to examine the trend of Japanese and Chinese firms listed in Global Fortune 500 including: based on revenue and profit figures from 1995 to 2013; the authors perform trend analysis for each of those five types from 1995 to 2013; the authors replicate the analyses for different industry types in terms of the above five types; the authors compare the performances of Japanese and Chinese firms; based on 2011-2013 data, the authors conduct more in-depth analysis for selected firms.

The findings suggest five distinct types of firms including “Sustainables,” “New Comers,” “Move Ups,” “Decliners,” and “Drop Outs”; it is interesting to note that the changes in Global Fortune 500 firms suggest how these two countries show their relative competitive advantage. Chinese firms show steady flows of new firms that join in the rank of Global Fortune 500 whereas Japanese firms suggest continuous drop of firms that move out of Global Fortune 500 firms. As China increases its size of economy, state-owned financial institutions, resource-focus firms (e.g. mining and petroleum) firms also rapidly increased its overall size. Although the number is still small, privately owned Chinese global firms (e.g. Lenovo, Huawei, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Ping An Insurance) also are now listed as Global Fortune 500 firms. In contrast, Japanese firms that lost their global market positions steadily disappeared from Global Fortune 500 firms. Representative firms include Daiei, Mitsubishi Motor Company, and NEC.

One limitation of the analysis on financial indicators is that the authors select only a few firms and focus only on two time points. Nevertheless, it provides the authors information about the financial factors that characterize the two types of Global Fortune 500 firms. Moreover, it opens up new opportunities for future research.

Factors that influence the behaviors of Global Fortune 500 firms suggest both external environmental and internal managerial factors. Although serious external factors (e.g. Global Financial Crisis) affect the outcomes of these competitive positioning, it is still the managerial leadership that makes differences in cases of many Japanese firms. To Japanese firms maintaining domestic advantage is not enough to sustain their position in Global Fortune 500. Global competitiveness matters. On the other hand, it is unclear whether changes occurring in Chinese firms are more managerial than externally dictated. In case of many Chinese financial firms and resource rich firms, the huge domestic advantage has much to do with their position in Global Fortune 500.

This is the first trend analysis that examines the Global Fortune 500 firms from Japan and China. The authors identify five types of firms that would be an important basis for the further benchmarking studies of Global Fortune 500 firms in other counties (e.g. the USA, Germany, Korea, and other Emerging Economies – Russia, India, Brazil).

The Japanese retail environment is of interest to businessmen, politicians and academics. Different observers tend to base their views on their own vested interests and national expectations, Japanese observers included. There is a need for more objective, unbiased research into Japanese retailing, consumer behaviour and marketing. Presents an overview of Japanese retailing employing predominantly Japanese language sources. Outlines briefly the general structure of the retail industry, emphasizing the large number of outlets overall. Considers the independent retail sector, notably the existence of street associations, and the corporate retail sector, putting emphasis on the latter owing to the lack of information available in English. Considers three forms of corporate retailing in detail, namely department stores, general merchandise stores and groups, and speciality shopping centres – commonly known as “fashion buildings”. In conclusion, notes that there is great scope for further research into Japanese retailing, and three general sectors are suggested.

With the Japanese economy going through a period of prolonged stagnation many of its established institutions have to redefine themselves. Among these are General Trading Companies (sôgô shôsha), which have traditionally occupied a prominent place in the Japanese economy and are currently trying to increase their role in the Japanese retail sector. This paper explores this development at an early stage by outlining the relationships between General Trading Companies and the retail sector and providing a closer discussion of the most prominent feature within this development: the take‐over of two leading convenience store chains by General Trading Companies.

A startegic management approach is used to assess the nature of business environments affecting seafood distribution in Japan. Notions of environment ‘textures’ described in an influential paper by Emery and Trist are used to determine the current degree of environmental turbulence and the implications for export strategies. The environment as a whole is found to exhibit ‘medium turbulence’, and the sectors of importing, wholesaling, and food retailing/service are ‘medium’ to ‘high’ turbulence'. To cope with such environments, firms must undertake extensive real‐time market research (e.g. using POS information accessed via computer); develop flexible structures and operating systems (to become more responsive); and focus on improving communication and meeting the changing customer needs.

Brand‐name products are booming in Japan in a way not seen since the cash‐rich 1980s, when high price was equated with status and consumers who had made huge paper profits from soaring land and stock prices were prepared to pay almost anything to get what they wanted.

Purchasing effectiveness is one of the most critical factors in determining the profitability of business, and yet it is typically one of the least well understood and managed. In a recent study with 50 leading European businesses we have established that an effective purchasing strategy can improve profitability by up to 30 per cent. Few businesses seriously assess their purchasing activity or invest in its development, so that usually this source of value remains untapped.

This paper aims to explain how female promotion can help to improve organizational performance in the Japanese environment.

It is based on a case study of Aeon, a major Japanese retailer, which dramatically increased its percentage of female store managers through the implementation of a systematic plan with top management support.

The key finding is that the factor, which led to success, was ensuring a fit between organizational features and the plan for change. This required careful attention to existing organizational features and developing trends as well as concentrated efforts to change those features that might have been stumbling‐blocks.

Since the study was based on a single case, future research should include longer‐term and broader studies to ensure the generalizability of the findings.

This study implies that diversity management can be successfully introduced in a Japanese context: managers cannot be allowed to argue that they are powerless to effect change.

The key value‐added is to move beyond arguing whether Japanese companies should introduce diversity and point the way to how they can do so successfully.

We review the Japanese distribution system, its positives and negatives, its cultural heritage, and discuss the implications for the future for it.

Spotlights important developments in the Japanese food distribution system over the past two to three years. States that, foreign pressure, combined with economic and social change in Japan, has forced the Japanese Government to alter some government regulations, including the Large Scale Retail Store Law. Reports that these regulatory changes, combined with other changes in the Japanese economy and society, have led to an increase in the number of supermarkets in Japan, and also to an expansion in the number of convenience stores and mini supermarkets. Discusses these developments and outlines possible implications for foreign firms interested in selling into the Japanese food market.