John Herbert in conversation with DCM CEO Yasunori Ishiguro

John W. Herbert, general secretary of EDRA/GHIN, today interviewed the CEO of Japanese home improvement chain DCM, Yasunori Ishiguro, as part of the "Meet the CEO" series on the Global DIY Network 2020/21. In the first section, Ishiguro introduced his company and talked among other things about overcoming the coronavirus pandemic in Japan and in particular about the retail landscape. The DCM Group increased its sales by 8.8 per cent in fiscal 2020/21 (ended end of February 2021). Ranges showing above-average growth included garden products and electricals. In the ensuing interview, Ishiguro and Herbert discussed current topics such as the impact of the pandemic, the consequences of the population decline up to 2035 for Japanese home improvement stores and adapting the wide spread of ranges in the stores to the new challenges. Asked about the group's online sales, Ishiguro said that these were still so modest as not to be able to put a specific figure on them. The DCM Group is one of the leading DIY store chains in Japan. It was established in 2006 by the merger of three retailers, Homac Co., Ltd. Based in north and east Japan, Kahma Co., Ltd. in central Japan and Daiki Co., Ltd. in western Japan. The group operates around 830 outlets in the country under various distribution lines with group sales of more than JPY 584 bn (roughly EUR 4.4 bn).