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Don Quijote (store)
Encyclopedia
is a discount chain store
that has over 160 locations throughout Japan
as well as three stores in Hawaii
. 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 .
Don Quijote opened its first store in Suginami, 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
.
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.
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.
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. As of 2010, the structure still exists. Don Quijote has not announced what future plans they have for it.
Discount store
A discount store is a type of department store, which sells products at prices lower than those asked by traditional retail outlets. Most discount department stores offer a wide assortment of goods; others specialize in such merchandise as jewelry, electronic equipment, or electrical appliances...
that has over 160 locations throughout Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as well as three stores in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. It carries a wide range of products, from basic groceries to electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
to clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
. The store is well known in Japan and is often referred to by its shortened name .
History
Suginami, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Suginami City.As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 538,703, with 301,277 households, and a density of 15,834.39 persons per km². The total area is 34.02 km².-Geography:Suginami occupies the...
in September 1980 under its original name, Just Co. Originally a retail store, Just Co. quickly switched to wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
in 1982.
The company opened its first "Don Quijote" named store in Fuchu
Fuchu, Tokyo
is a city located in western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 255,394 and a population density of 8,700 persons per km². The total area was 29.34 km²...
, 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
Tokyo Stock Exchange
The , called or TSE for short, is located in Tokyo, Japan and is the third largest stock exchange in the world by aggregate market capitalization of its listed companies...
.
As one of the few discount stores in Japan, the collapse of the Japanese economy
Japanese asset price bubble
The was an economic bubble in Japan from 1986 to 1991, in which real estate and stock prices were greatly inflated. The bubble's collapse lasted for more than a decade with stock prices initially bottoming in 2003, although they would descend even further amidst the global crisis in 2008. The...
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.
Theme song
Don Quijote is known for the distinctive song that plays in its stores. The song is called sung by , a Don Quijote store employee.Controversy
Arson
In December 2004, four stores in the KantōKanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
area were damaged or destroyed by arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
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
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
. Don Quijote received harsh criticism at the time for poor store layout that made it difficult to find exits.
Roller coaster
In 2005, Don Quijote began building a 'half-pipe' roller coasterRoller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
on the roof of its eight story Roppongi
Roppongi
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike...
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. As of 2010, the structure still exists. Don Quijote has not announced what future plans they have for it.