Corporate History

With its management philosophy of "Creation and Challenge" in mind, the Yamada Denki Group has maintained growth by actively promoting a business approach which looks towards future management, strengthening its financial position through steady implementation of capital policies, and strengthening the base of its management resources.

The Group will continue to monitor closely the changing times, creating systems for the future not bound by its results, and working hard to build on the next "Creation and Challenge."

1970s― Foundation & First Start-up Period
From a small electrical store to multi-manufacturer retailer

Yamada Denka Service founded

Affiliated electronics store

 The history of Yamada Denki begins with the founder and chairperson Noboru Yamada. While working at the Maebashi Plant of Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC), he learned a lot about quality control and went on to open the Yamada Denka Service in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture in 1973. Mr. Yamada and his wife started the business as a small local electric goods store having a floor space of just over 25 ㎡. From the time of its foundation, "Creation and Challenge" was proclaimed as the business’ management philosophy. During the period of the oil crises of the 1970s and the introduction of the floating rate system which caused the appreciation of the yen, the Company expanded its business, and in 1978 five stores were operating with annual sales of over 600 million yen. The time from its foundation to the first half of the 1980s was the Company’s first start-up period.

1980s― Second Startup Period
Number one for sales in Japan

The first Tecc Land store

Urban large scale store, LABI

Suburban store (Tecc Land)

 The period from the first half of the 1980’s to the first half of the 2010’s, known as the second start-up period, saw the Company shift from an electric store selling goods from various manufacturers to a mass merchandiser.
 YAMADA DENKI CO., LTD. was established in 1983 and expanded its business through the development of franchise chains, the opening of large scale general home appliance stores known as Tecc Land, the introduction of low price strategies, and by setting up distribution centers. Then, amid the turmoil of the bursting bubble economy, the Company offered shares to the public in 1989 consequentially achieving sales of 100 billion yen in 1997. In 2005, the Company became the first home appliance mass merchandiser to establish a national chain in Japan and through the expansion of the urban large scale store LABI became the first home appliance mass merchandiser to achieve a turnover of 1 trillion yen in the same year. The first turnover of 2 trillion yen was achieved in 2010 and overseas store expansion was pushed to the fore.

 Since the 1990s, the Yamada Denki Group began to focus on building relationships of trust with its various stakeholders. In 1994, the Company started its comprehensive maintenance service called, The Anshin. In 1997, CIC Inc. was established to handle discarded home appliances and resell salvageable products. The Group actively carried out activities aiming to improve customer satisfaction by designating 2003 the start of its promotional initiative. Recognizing the importance of social responsibility in tandem with the growth of the Company, in 2007, the Group newly incorporated the words "Appreciation and Trust" to define its management philosophy and set up the CSR Office.

2010s― Third Start-up Period
From Just Consumer Electronics to Challenging New Fields

Outlet & Reuse store

LABI LIFE SELECT

Kaden Sumairu Kan

Tecc LIFE SELECT

 In the “Third Start-Up Period” that began in the early 2010s, amidst a rapidly changing market environment, we pursued the breadth and depth of our business domains, focusing on home appliance sales in collaboration with Group companies. At the same time, we also took on the challenge of entering new fields, including the housing sector, with the aim of shifting from a business model of just consumer electronics to one that specializes in housing, out of the three basic necessities of life (clothing, food, and housing). Specifically, we made SxL Co., Ltd.* a subsidiary in 2011 and Housetec Inc. a subsidiary in 2012. Yamada Wood House Co., Ltd.* was established in 2013. In addition, we merged our housing businesses in 2018, establishing YAMADA HOMES CO., LTD. We accelerated our shift to a new business model that proposes a “Total-Living” strategy with the acquisitions of Otsuka Kagu, Ltd. in 2019 and then the Hinokiya Group Co., Ltd. in 2020.

 On October 1, 2020, YAMADA DENKI made the transition to a holding company structure to become YAMADA HOLDINGS. As a result, the previous segments of consumer electronics, housing, environmental resource development, finance, and services were reorganized into the four segments of consumer electronics, housing, finance, and environment and the other segment. In July 2021, we integrated our consumer electronics business into YAMADA DENKI, creating a structure to further strengthen Group governance.

 Based on our management philosophy of “Creation and Challenge,” YAMADA, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, will continue to promote the creation of a strong structure for the future, unconstrained by past achievements, to achieve further growth.

* Company name at time of acquisition