2006 Volume 5 Pages 41-66
Academic and business literature in Japan on merchandising, a core capability in the management of department stores, describe the “Buyers Manual" edited by the National Retail Merchants Association. This manual was introduced into department stores in Japan, as the nation was recovering after World War II. Among Japanese department stores, Isetan tried to transplant the knowledge presented in this manual by re-editing it into an in-house document entitled “Merchandising (MD) Notes." Subsequently, both of these sets of knowledge materials were transferred to multiple department stores when top Isetan managers left the company to join competitors. Focusing on these knowledge materials, the author analyzes the transfer of knowledge in the department store industry.
