Uchikura & Co., LLC

From Used Clothing to a Japanese Retail Giant

In 1831, Shinshichi Iida opened a small shop in Kyoto selling used clothing and cotton goods. He named it Takashimaya (髙島屋) after his father-in-law’s hometown in present-day Shiga Prefecture.

 

It was a very modest beginning.

 

But Takashimaya did not stay a used-clothing store.

 

It expanded into textiles, entered international trade, developed major department stores, and eventually became one of Japan’s best-known retail groups. Today, the Takashimaya Group reaches beyond department stores into shopping centers, real estate, financial services, food, advertising, business services, and overseas operations.

 

There is an important lesson here for entrepreneurs.

 

Your first business does not have to be your final business.

 

Takashimaya did not survive for nearly 200 years by protecting its original business model. It survived by protecting its business while changing the model.

 

Used clothing became textiles.
Textiles became department stores.
Department stores became a diversified business group.

 

Entrepreneurs sometimes become too attached to what made them successful in the beginning.

 

Respect your history—but don't let your history limit your future.

 

Keep asking:

 

What does my company need to become next?