Nobukazu Muto
Profile
Performance in office
Tenure
Tenure
Background
Born in July 1945, he graduated from Keio University in 1968 and joined Isetan. He became a Director and head of women's merchandise in the Merchandising Division in 1994, Managing Director and head of the Merchandising Division in the Sales Headquarters in 1996, and Senior Managing Director and head of the Sales Headquarters in 2000. He was a career employee who consistently worked in buying and editing merchandise.
Selection
He succeeded Kazumasa Koshiba as President in 2001. His predecessor's eight years had made progress in winding down the expansion strategy, and even after Takashimaya opened a Shinjuku store aiming at ¥80 billion in annual sales in October 1996, Isetan's sales still beat the prior year, up 9.6% in October and 5.2% in November that year. Yet the Shinjuku main store accounted for 57% of non-consolidated sales, and criticism of overdependence on it persisted. What was entrusted to this merchandising veteran appears to have been not adding stores but reshaping what the main store and branches offered.
Initiatives
The attempt to make branches scaled-down versions of the Shinjuku main store was abandoned in 1999, and branches were given the role of the leading local store where customers could buy everything for daily life. In September 2003 the company opened the Men's Building at the Shinjuku main store through a renovation without adding floor space, removing the partitions between brands. Two years after opening, 53% of visitors were men, and its share of menswear at Tokyo-area department stores reached about 25%. In February 2005 it made Iwataya a consolidated subsidiary through a tender offer.
Career
Career
Isetan
| Date | Position |
|---|---|
| Apr 1968 | Joined |
| Jun 1994 | 取締役 店舗事業本部マーチャンダイジング統括部婦人統括部長 (translation pending) |
| Feb 1996 | Managing Director, General Manager, Machandaijingu Division, Sales Headquarters |
| Jun 2000 | Senior Managing Director, General Manager, Sales Headquarters |
| Jun 2001 | Representative Director, President, Executive Officer |
| Jun 2008 | Stepped down as President |
References 1
References (Japanese primary sources)
- 伊勢丹 有価証券報告書【役員の状況】（2008年3月期）