Some Observations on Japanese Retailing Strategies: Lessons for Eastern Europe and America

This paper develops the concept of a “balanced retailing market" and contrasts it with “buyers" markets and “sellers markets" in Eastern Europe and America. Features of the Japanese retailing environment are used to illustrate retailer tools, customer actions, and the end result for such a market situation. A comparative analysis of seven important retailing factors is made to assess the degree of adequacy of each of these factors in the concomitant markets.