Pentax 2008 Annual Report Download - page 22

Hoya’s Eye City chain of 150 contact lens specialty stores across
Japan is the largest such enterprise in the country. Eye City
emphasizes the eye health of each of its clients as it expands the
scale of its business by providing quality products and services
that customers can feel secure in purchasing.
We raised revenues and profits by replacing and
rebuilding stores and enhancing employee education
Fiscal 2008 brought substantial changes in the business
environment, brought on by revised fee standards for medical
exams under the national healthcare system. In this environment,
Eye City implemented a number of management measures that
focused on creating stores that customers prefer.
First, to offer more convenience to customers, we continued
the prior year’s efforts to strategically replace underperforming
stores with new ones based on detailed trade area analysis. We
opened six new Eye City stores and closed nine others. Although
these moves reduced our total number of stores by three, better
locations and more efficient management attracted new
customers and encouraged more visits by existing customers, so
total customers served rose to more than 5.5 million. We also
enhanced Eye City’s brand recognition through sales promotions
targeting unique regional features. Through efforts such as these,
Eye City is working to respond swiftly to the major shifts that
characterize the operating conditions and competitive environment
in Japan’s contact lens market. By capitalizing on such changes,
we intend to take the lead over our competitors by reinforcing our
management structure and improving our level of service.
Our second measure was to enrich employee education,
which is important as contact lenses are essentially highly
controlled medical devices. Based on sufficient knowledge of the
products we provide, the staff of Eye City works to offer higher-
quality service through consultation services wherein customers
are offered the contact lenses that suit them best. In the fiscal
period under review, we stepped up training especially for store
managers and area managers to ensure that every store in our
extensive chain provides the same level of security and customer
satisfaction through quality consultation services.
Finally, we channeled resources into new product
development and forays into new markets. We are leveraging
Hoya technologies to develop higher-value-added contact lenses,
which we will successively release into the market. In new
markets, we opened three additional stores in Shanghai, China. As
a result of these measures, Eye City raised its competitive standing
and increased revenues and profits compared with the previous
fiscal year.
Health Care Division
Eye City Chain of Contact Lens
Specialty Stores
While keeping pace with major changes in its
operating environment, Hoya strives to create
stores that customers prefer
Eye Care
Significant Actions Taken and Results Achieved in
the Fiscal Year under Review
Eye City store in a shopping mall in Shanghai, China
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