Don Quijote (store)
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| Don Quijote Co., Ltd. 株式会社ドン・キホーテ |
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|---|---|
| Type | Public (TYO: 7532) |
| Founded | September 5, 1980 (Tokyo, Japan) |
| Headquarters | Shinjuku, Tokyo |
| No. of locations | 127 stores (2006) |
| Area served | Japan, Hawaii |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Clothing, food, jewelry, housewares, tools, sporting goods and electronics. |
| Employees | 2,142 |
| Website | donki.com |
Don Quijote (ドン キホーテ?) is a discount chain store that has over 123 locations throughout Japan as well as four stores in Hawaii.[1] It carries a wide range of products, from basic groceries to electronics to clothing. The store is well known in Japan and is often referred to by its shortened name Donki (ドンキ?).
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[edit] History
Don Quijote opened its first store in Suginami-ward, Tokyo in September 1980 under its original name, Just Co. Originally a retail store, Just Co. quickly switched to wholesale in 1982.
The company opened its first "Don Quijote" named store in Fuchu, Tokyo in March 1989. With the name change, the store also changed its primary business from wholesale to retail. It wasn't until 1995, six years later, that Just Co. followed suit and it changed its corporate to Don Quijote Co., Ltd as well. In June 1998, the company was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.[1]
As one of the few discount stores in Japan, the collapse of the Japanese economy did not have disastrous effects for Don Quijote. Instead the sudden economic uncertainty caused the Japanese public to become more thrifty and therefore helped to boost sales at its stores during the early 1990s.
[edit] Controversy
[edit] Arson
In December 2004, four stores in the Kantō area were damaged or destroyed by arson attacks. Three store employees, Morio Oshima, 39, Mai Koishi, 20, and Maiko Sekiguchi, 19, died in the first arson incident. In 2007, Noriko Watanabe, 49, was found guilty of setting the fires and sentenced to life imprisonment. Don Quijote received harsh criticism at the time for poor store layout that made it difficult to find exits.[2]
[edit] Roller coaster
In 2005, Don Quijote began building a 'half-pipe' roller coaster on the roof of its eight story Roppongi store. Roppongi is a heavily populated area in the core of Tokyo, and many residents and businesses were upset with the idea of having a roller coaster in their neighborhood because of the spectacle, noise and crowds it will likely create. The project was completed in 2006, but due to increasing pressure from concerned groups in the area it has never been operated. The giant steel structure continues to sit silently atop the store to this day. Don Quijote has not announced what future plans they have for it.[3][4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Corporate History. Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
- ^ Don Quijote store arsonist gets life for three deaths. The Japan Times (2007-03-24). Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
- ^ Rooftop thrill ride in Roppongi under fire. Asahi Weekly (2005-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
- ^ Chmura, Edward (2005-10-26). Roppongi ride has retailers seeing red. Japundit.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
