Editing Seiyu Group

{{Short description|Japanese retail group}}
{{distinguish|Seibu Department Stores}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Seiyu Group
| type = [[Public company|Public]] (''[[Kabushiki gaisha]]'')
| logo = File:SEIYU logo.svg
| parent = [[Walmart]] (2008–2020)
| subsid = 
| caption = 
| foundation = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1946}}
| location = Kichijoji Honmachi, [[Musashino City]], [[Tokyo]]
| key_people = Tsuneo Okubo <small>([[Chief executive officer|CEO]]</small>)<ref>{{cite web |title=KKR and Rakuten Complete Seiyu Share Purchase from Walmart |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210228005079/en/KKR-and-Rakuten-Complete-Seiyu-Share-Purchase-from-Walmart |website=[[Business Wire]] |access-date=29 March 2021 |language=en |date=1 March 2021}}</ref>
| locations = 328 (January 31, 2021)<ref name="company profile"/><ref name="Information for Walmart Investors: Unit Counts & Square Footage">{{Cite web|title=Walmart Investor Relations - Investors - Financial Information - Unit Counts & Square Footage|url=https://stock.walmart.com/investors/financial-information/unit-counts-and-square-footage/default.aspx|access-date=2021-02-18|website=stock.walmart.com}}</ref>
| revenue = 
| operating_income = 
| owner = {{Unbulleted list|[[Kohlberg Kravis Roberts|KKR]] (85%)|[[Walmart]] (15%)}}
| num_employees = 
| industry = Retail
| products = Grocery, [[general merchandise]]
| slogan = 
| homepage = {{ublist
| {{URL|https://www.seiyu.co.jp/
| Commercial website}}
}}
}}
[[File:Seiyu store akabane.JPG|thumb|Main shop in [[Akabane, Tokyo|Akabane]] (赤羽), [[Kita, Tokyo|Kita]], Tokyo]]
[[File:Seiyu Kichijoji.jpg|thumb|Seiyu Headquarters and Supermarket in [[Kichijoji]], Tokyo]]
{{nihongo|'''Seiyu KK'''|株式会社西友|[[Kabushiki-kaisha|Kabushiki-gaisha]] Seiyū|{{lit|Friend of [[Seibu Department Stores]]|Friend of West}}}}, or {{Nihongo|'''Seiyu Group'''|西友グループ|''Seiyū Gurūpu''}}, is a Japanese group of supermarkets, shopping centers and department stores, headquartered in [[Akabane, Tokyo|Akabane]] (赤羽), [[Kita, Tokyo]].<ref name="company profile">"[http://www.seiyu.co.jp/company/english/outline.php Company Profile]." Seiyu. Retrieved on November 7, 2011. "Head Office 1-1, Akabane 2-chome, Kita-ku, Tokyo 115-0045, Japan"</ref><ref>"[http://www.seiyu.co.jp/company/english/access.php ACCESS:HEAD QUARTER]." Seiyu. Retrieved on November 7, 2011. "Seiyu GK 1-1, Akabane 2-chome, Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan 115-0045"</ref> On May 8, 2023, the Akabane headquarters office was relocated due to the redevelopment of Seiyu's Akabane store site. The current head office location is Kichijoji Honmachi, Musashino City, Tokyo.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-18 |title=西友が5年で1000億円投資 23年5月、本社売却へ |url=https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUC186W00Y2A111C2000000/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=日本経済新聞 |language=ja}}</ref>

Its company name means "innovation, leadership and excellence".<ref name="superstore">{{cite news |title=The superstore specialist |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19920603-1.2.42?qt=seiyu&q=Seiyu |work=Business Times (Singapore) |date=June 3, 1992}}</ref>
==History==
The group was established in December 1946, and was formed in 1956 by [[Seibu Department Stores]], a group company of [[Seibu Railway]]. In 1980, Seiyu launched its private brand ''Mujirushi-Ryōhin'' (commonly known as [[MUJI]] outside Japan). MUJI was transferred to the Ryohin Keikaku Company<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ryohin-keikaku.jp/eng/corporate/history/index.html|title=History &#124; Ryohin Keikaku Co. LTD.}}</ref> in 1990, and is no longer part of Seiyu. Also in 1980, Seiyu launched the "All-Value-No-Frills" brand, an innovation in product-line development. Over 1,450 high quality items in the brand are sold at a moderate price.<ref name="superstore"/>

In 1991, Seiyu formed a consortium with six Asian retailers and one Hawaiian company to exchange expertise and set up joint ventures across Asia.<ref>{{cite news |title=Japanese chains opening more outlets in region |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19910622-1.2.6 |work=Business Times (Singapore) |agency=Reuters |date=June 22, 1991}}</ref>

In 1996, Seiyu expanded to Thailand with local realtor Bang Chang, with its first outlet opened on September 26. It targets to have 20 stores by 2000.<ref>{{cite news |title=Seiyu ventures to Thailand |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19960816-1.2.66.3.3 |work=The Straits Times |agency=AFP |date=August 16, 1996}}</ref>

On December 31, 2003, Seiyu and the US retail chain [[Walmart]] signed a partnership agreement in which Walmart would teach [[global supply chain]] practices.<ref name="Friedman">{{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Thomas|title=The World is Flat|year=2006|publisher=Farrar, Straus, and Giroux|location=New York|isbn=978-0-374-29279-9|pages=166}}</ref> [[Numazu]], [[Shizuoka Prefecture|Shizuoka]] was the site of the first Seiyu store using Walmart methods.<ref name="Friedman"/>

Walmart bought a 37 percent stake in Seiyu in 2003,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_09/b3922073.htm |title=Japan Isn't Buying The Wal-Mart Idea<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=May 5, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427045717/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_09/b3922073.htm |archive-date=April 27, 2006 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> and according to a company press release,<ref>[http://www.walmartfacts.com/newsdesk/article.aspx?id=1386 Wal-Mart – Facts & News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> in late 2005, Walmart acquired a majority stake in the company, buying out the remainder in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://walmartstores.com/AboutUs/274.aspx?p=246|title = About Us}}</ref>

Previously, the company had a registered office in Higashi-[[Ikebukuro]], [[Toshima, Tokyo]].<ref>"{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080418092116/http://www.seiyu.co.jp/english/corporate_e.shtml Corporate Data]}}." ''Seiyu Group''. Retrieved on May 19, 2009. "Registered Head Office 1-1, Higashi-Ikebukuro 3-chome, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan 170-6071" and "Head Office 1-1, Akabane 2-chome, Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan 115-0045"</ref><!--The corporate page mentions both a registered head office and a head office! - Also says corp name was "The Seiyu, Ltd."-->

In 2019, Walmart named Lionel Desclée, formerly of [[Delhaize]] and the Belgian pet shop chain [[Tom&Co]], president and CEO of both Seiyu and Walmart Japan. In remarks after his appointment, he said Walmart had no interest in selling Seiyu.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Seiyu CEO says Walmart not looking to sell its Japanese supermarket chain |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/03/18/business/corporate-business/new-seiyu-ceo-says-walmart-not-looking-sell-japanese-supermarket-chain/#.XrV34SjYrrc |accessdate=8 May 2020 |work=The Japan Times |date=18 March 2019}}</ref> However, that June, Walmart outlined plans to relist Seiyu on the stock market.<ref>{{cite news |title=Walmart to relist Seiyu as US retailer revamps global operations |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Walmart-to-relist-Seiyu-as-US-retailer-revamps-global-operations |accessdate=8 May 2020 |work=Nikkei Asian Review}}</ref>

Over the 2019-2020 period, Seiyu comparative-store sales grew 180 basis points faster than the market and EBITDA increased by nearly 40%. In addition, Rakuten Seiyu Netsuper, jointly operated by Seiyu and Rakuten, recorded a nearly 40% year-on-year increase in gross merchandise sales in the fourth quarter of 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 2021 |title=KKR and Rakuten Complete Seiyu Share Purchase from Walmart &#124; DMN Newswire |url=https://www.dmnnewswire.com/press-releases/kkr-and-rakuten-finalize-acquisition-of-seiyu-shares-from-walmart/ }}</ref>

In 2020, Walmart announced they would be selling 65% of their shares in the company to private-equity firm [[Kohlberg Kravis Roberts|KKR]] in a deal valuing 329 stores and 34,600 employees at $1.6 billion. Walmart is supposed to retain 15% and a seat on the board, while Japanese e-commerce giant [[Rakuten|Rakuten Inc.]] will receive 20%.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Narioka|first=Peter Landers and Kosaku|date=2020-11-16|title=Walmart Retreats Around Globe to Focus on E-Commerce|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/walmart-retreats-around-globe-to-focus-on-e-commerce-11605518960|access-date=2020-11-16|issn=0099-9660}}</ref>

In 2023, Rakuten announced that it would sell its 20% stake in Seiyu to KKR. <ref>{{Cite news |title=Japan's Rakuten offloads Seiyu stake as mobile losses mount |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/japans-rakuten-posts-564-mln-loss-q1-mobile-loss-2023-05-12/ |work=Reuters}}</ref>

==Past regional expansion plans==
In addition to its Japanese operations, Seiyu also had department stores operating under its name in Singapore and Hong Kong. The group used to directly operate these stores, but in October 2005, its three Singapore stores were sold to [[CapitaLand Limited]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://getformesingapore.com/previous2005/191005_capitalandacquiresseiyustoresinsingapore.htm | title=CapitaLand acquires Seiyu stores in Singapore | access-date=March 25, 2006 | date=October 19, 2005 | url-status=usurped | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070417093157/http://getformesingapore.com/previous2005/191005_capitalandacquiresseiyustoresinsingapore.htm | archive-date=April 17, 2007 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> which transferred them to Beijing [[Hualian Group]] later the same year.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://en.ce.cn/Industries/Retailing/200512/02/t20051202_5394690.shtml | title=Beijing Hualian buys Seiyu Singapore | access-date=March 25, 2006 | date=December 2, 2005 | publisher=China Economic Net | url-status=dead | archive-date=February 23, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060223011144/http://en.ce.cn/Industries/Retailing/200512/02/t20051202_5394690.shtml }}</ref> The group's Hong Kong store in [[New Town Plaza]], [[Sha Tin]] was sold to [[Sun Hung Kai Properties]] Limited in June 2005,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.irasia.com/listco/hk/shkp/press/p050601.htm | title=Sun Hung Kai Properties acquired Seiyu (Shatin) Company Limited | access-date=March 25, 2006 | date=June 1, 2005}}</ref> but like the stores in Singapore, continued to operate under the Seiyu name until April 2008. The Singapore stores were then renamed BHG, which stands for "Beijing Hualian Group".

== Group companies ==
{{unsourced section|date=April 2025}}
Seiyu Group refers to an association of companies, of which The Seiyu, Ltd. is the parent. The companies in Seiyu Group are:
* The Seiyu, Ltd.
* Hokkaido Seiyu Co., Ltd.
* Tohoku Seiyu Co., Ltd.
* S.S.V. Inc.
* Kyushu Seiyu Co., Ltd.
* Sunny Co., Ltd.
* Wakana Co., Ltd.
* Smile Corp.
* The SCC, Ltd.
* Nicoh Inc.
* Nijicom Ltd.
* Smis Co., Ltd.
* Seiyu Service Co., Ltd.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further information==
*{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32_fm92-EF8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/32_fm92-EF8 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Why Walmart Is Failing In Japan|publisher=[[CNBC]]|date=2018-10-23}}{{cbignore}} - About [[Walmart]]'s ownership of Seiyu Group

==External links==
{{Portal|Supermarkets|Tokyo|Companies}}
* {{Official website|http://www.seiyu.co.jp/company/english/}}

{{Walmart}}
{{Rakuten}}

[[Category:Retail companies established in 1946]]
[[Category:Retail companies based in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Department stores of Japan]]
[[Category:Walmart]]
[[Category:Supermarkets of Japan]]
[[Category:Conglomerate companies based in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Japanese companies established in 1946]]
[[Category:2008 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:Japanese subsidiaries of foreign companies]]
[[Category:2020 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:Kohlberg Kravis Roberts companies]]
[[Category:Rakuten]]