The Rise of the Mass Market and Modern Retailers in Japan

The Japanese distribution system was established in the mid-eighteenth century, when the current stratified structure of whole-salers, brokers or middle merchants, and retailers was already evident. As a result, the mass manufacturers of consumer goods, including electric appliances and automobiles, began to market their own products in the 1950s, the traditional distribution system being unsuited to their requirements. Supermarkets and discounters emerged in the following decade. They had to compete against small retailers and the chain stores owned by large manufacturers, and their share of total consumer sales was limited even in the 1970s. Because of its history and fact of rapid post-war growth, retailing and marketing in Japan has retained unique features.