Vision/Mission
The Kokubu Group, as a food marketing company, will proactively continue to respond to the true needs of all businesses dealing with food to have new value and the best customer satisfaction rating.
Business Description
For more than three centuries since its establishment in 1712, Kokubu has been engaged in food distribution through the collaboration of a group of companies all over the country.
In Japan, as a community-based nationwide wholesaler, we will fulfill our functions.
And outside Japan, we will strive to expand our wholesale operations and distribution business.
Background
In 1712, Kokubu Group Corp. was established, opening a retail store in Edo Nihombashi and launching a soy sauce brewing operation in Ibaraki prefecture to supplement its involvement in the kimono fabrics trade at this time.
In 1880, we closed soy sauce brewery and started wholesaling business in a wide variety of foodstuff. We also started international trade in 1859.
Products/Services
Wholesaling business (liquor products, food products, related consumer goods and materials); import/export business; food manufacturing business (bread crumbs); real estate business (building leasing).
Markets
Categories: processed food, chilled/frozen food, confectionary, alcoholic beverages, and perishables.
Marketing channels: general merchandise stores, convenience stores, drug stores, department stores, foodservice industry, hardware stores, other retail stores, and electronic commerce.
Location
1-1-1 Nihombashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8241, Japan (headquarters)
The headquarters and seven companies covering the entire country, and other business companies, realize our "community-based nationwide wholesale" activities rooted in the food culture of each area.
Besides, we have group companies in China, Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia.
Competitive Advantages
We have over 300 years history of successive business, along with 10,000 suppliers and 35,000 customers. An overwhelmingly large number of our business partners contribute to expanding our market share.
Financial Projection
2015
Sales 1,638,220 million yen
Ordinary income 8,807 million yen
2018 Target
Sales 2 trillion yen
Ordinary income 15,000 million yen
Company Goals & Objectives
As a food marketing company, the Kokubu Group will expand its business model to encompass not only the sale of products but also the provision of services, offering our wholesale functions to all food-related businesses.
By expanding the provision of services, we will seek to escape from competition caused by market homogenization, and create new markets and businesses.
We aim to become a community-based nationwide wholesaler. Area companies take root firmly in each community and region, becoming the main players in the food-related economic zones they cover (on an area-by-area basis), while at the same time strengthening ties between areas and enable the group to provide unique value that is possible only with nationwide wholesale.
As a strategy against the shrinking domestic market, we will establish overseas business operations as another core business for our group. Focusing primarily around the three core pillars of (1) enhancing our existing export/import business, (2) driving the further expansion of our existing Chinese business, and (3) additional efforts to create new business and develop existing business in the Asean region, we will continue to increase the Kokubu Group’s presence in the world.
Management
Representative Director, Chairman, President and CEO: Kanbei Kokubu
Employees
4,661 (Kokubu Group, consolidated, as of December 31, 2015)
Highlights
1712 Founding of Kokubu Group Corp.
1880 Wholesaling business started in a wide variety of foodstuffs
