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TOSHIBA ANNUAL REPORT 1999
Page
30.
97 98 99
300
1,200
-10
600 0
900 10
20
Net Sales
(¥ billion) (%)
Sales Annual Increase (%)
Share of Net Sales %
Mar. ’97 ’98 ’99
18.9 17.0 17.5
Note: Segment sales include intersegment
transactions.
Mar.
systems as well as their manufacture, sale and maintenance worldwide. This gives
Toshiba an enormous advantage in promoting this technology to prospective users in
Asia and other parts of the world.
In the industrial systems sector, one major achievement of the year was the delivery
of main power conversion systems and other key components for The 700 Series
Shinkansen trains for the Central Japan Railway Company.
In the elevators and escalators business, Toshiba made vigorous marketing activities
through the launch of differentiated products, including reinforcement of its lineup with
SPACELTM, a new type of elevator that requires no separate room to house machinery.
CONSUMER PRODUCTS
Sales of consumer products were about the same as in the previous fiscal year at ¥1,040.4
billion (US$8,599 million). Although overall domestic sales declined due to lackluster
consumer spending and slow housing construction, Toshiba was able to record increased
sales of washing machines by introducing highly competitive products. Overseas, large-
screen TVs were popular.
In refrigerators, Toshiba launched the “Miharibanko” in November 1998 with much
success. This model features a “twin cooler format”—two specialized refrigeration units,
one for freezing and the other for chilling, that raise efficiency. Another
feature is the ability to keep food fresh for twice as long as conventional
refrigerators.
In washing machines, the “DD Inverter Washing Machine,” which holds
noise to extremely low levels and uses a proprietary DD inverter motor, was
a huge hit in 1998. Single people and families where both partners are work-
ing, among other consumers, appreciate the fact that they can do their laun-
dry late at night without disturbing their neighbors. Underpinned by such
products that address people’s needs, Toshiba was able to achieve significant
market share gains in almost all white goods.
In TVs and other video products, Toshiba recorded strong sales of large-
screen TVs in North America, thus maintaining total sales at approximately
the same level as in the previous fiscal year. Consumer demand in Japan is
increasing for larger, flatter and higher resolution TVs. By targeting these
trends, Toshiba was able to post a positive performance amid persistently
soft demand in Japan with its FACE series of TVs that feature Toshiba’s own
flat picture tube.