ファッション小売店チェーンのしまむらが、景気停滞期にもかかわらず、2010年2月期に前期比11%増の連結営業利益を記録した。しまむらは、全国で1,100店舗以上を展開する超優良企業であるが、経営者がマスコミに登場することはなく、知る人だけが知る、尊敬すべき経営者である。この企業の素晴らしい点は、強者であるためのシステムが完成されていることである。例えば、7,000人以上のパートの勤務形態が完全に標準化されており、パートの改善提案を受け入れて、定期的にマニュアルをアップグレードしている。自分の提案が受け入れらると、誰でも、仕事に力が入り、商品への思い入れが大きくなる。そして、接客態度にも好影響を与え、結果的にストアロイヤルティも向上する。さらに、注目すべきは、品揃えの標準化が徹底しており、売れるからといっても、自社の範囲を外れている商品は扱わない。目先の売上にこだわらない、しまむらの経営戦略に学ぶべきことは多い。(Written by Shigeo Sunahara of CBC, Inc.)

No. 50: System is vital to become a leading company. (March 29, 2010)
Shimamura Co., one of Japan’s leading retail chains of fashion products, recorded an 11% increase in consolidated operating profits for the fiscal year ended February 2010 despite the current economic downturn. Shimamura is a super excellent company operating more than 1,100 outlets nationwide. However, Shimamura’s president never appears in mass media, and only a small number of people know him. In view of the fact that many managements wish to appear in mass media and write a book on his success once they achieve success, he is truly an esteemed management who devotes himself to his business. His company remains leading because it has built a system necessary to be a leading company. For example, it has the completely standardized working form for its 7,000 part-timers, and they all work according to the system regardless of family situation. In addition, it collects and examines proposals from part-timers to upgrade its manual regularly. Naturally, everyone grows more serious about his job and thinks more about his products should his proposal be incorporated in the manual. Accordingly, he grows more polite to customers, and subsequently store royalty improves. It has also completely standardized its assortments. It does not handle products outside its assortment even if they seem promising. You can find many lessons from Shimamura’s management strategy that focuses not on short-term profits but on long-term profits.