Ginza Englishya, a 86-year-old bespoke suit brand, opens a 250 million yen flagship store in Ginza, aiming to achieve 'supreme customer service' and 'job satisfaction' by consolidating 11 stores into 2.

Image of the interior of Tokyo Ginza Store.

Eikokuya Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Eiki Kobayashi), which operates "Ginza Englishya," a long-established bespoke suit store founded in 1940, will grand open its new flagship store, "Tokyo Ginza Store," on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, integrating three bases in the Ginza and Toranomon areas.

Amid a shrinking population and market maturation, Eikokuya boldly executed a strategy that overturns conventional retail wisdom: "increasing sales while reducing the number of stores."

Leveraging this integration and relocation, we will disclose the full scope of our "contrarian management," a sustainable model necessary for future Japanese companies.

■ The Full Scope of Ginza Englishya's Contrarian Management

In Japan, where population decline, labor shortages, and demand maturation are progressing, many companies are starting to feel the limits of "continuously increasing sales." Amidst this, one company has achieved growth with a completely opposite strategy: "Ginza Englishya," a long-established bespoke suit store founded 86 years ago. Ginza Englishya evolved from 11 stores and 1.42 billion yen in sales in fiscal year 2019 to 4 stores and 1.46 billion yen in sales in fiscal year 2025. Furthermore, in 2026, three stores—Ginza 3-chome Store, Ginza 1-chome Renga-dori Store, and Okura Tokyo Store—will be consolidated into the "Tokyo Ginza Store," resulting in a two-store system (Tokyo Ginza Store and Osaka Umeda Store). This paradoxical growth, increasing sales while decreasing the number of stores, was not merely a matter of efficiency but was realized through a paradigm shift in management philosophy. With the integration and relocation of the "Tokyo Ginza Store," grand opening on May 13, 2026, we propose a management model necessary for future Japanese companies from three perspectives: "management that grows by shrinking," "organization built by structure," and "a strategy that dares not to grow."

1. Management that Grows by Shrinking

The essence of Ginza Englishya's management lies in "becoming stronger by not chasing scale." Through store consolidation and reorganization since 2019, fixed costs have been significantly reduced, and the break-even point has substantially lowered. As a result, the company has transformed into a management structure capable of investing in human resource development and quality improvement without being overly constrained by sales targets. While store reduction is generally perceived as a symbol of business deterioration, for Eikokuya, it is quite the opposite: shrinking has increased the degree of freedom in decision-making and created an environment where they can concentrate on long-term value creation. This consolidation in the Ginza and Toranomon areas is the culmination of that strategy and a symbolic example that overturns the fixed idea that "growth is impossible without expansion." A management model that wins through structure rather than scale can be said to be rich in implications for all industries.

Sales and Store Count Transition

2. Organization Built by Structure

Ginza Englishya is characterized by supporting its organizational culture through "mechanisms." The new base is equipped with a "1-on-1 dedicated room," creating an environment for continuous dialogue in daily operations. Furthermore, by limiting the number of subordinates per manager to six or fewer, the quality of management is ensured, maintaining a structure where individual employees can experience "job satisfaction" and grow. In recruitment, a rigorous selection standard with a less than 1% pass rate is set to thoroughly eliminate mismatches after joining. As a result, the company has achieved a zero turnover rate for employees with less than three years of service (as of April 2025). All of these structuralize the philosophy of "valuing people." The company's efforts to make the organization function through design, not spiritualism, are noteworthy as a practical model in an era of labor shortages.

1-on-1 image

3. A Strategy That Dares Not to Grow (Protecting Value, Not Chasing Volume)

Ginza Englishya intentionally does not choose "volume growth" aimed at expanding sales. The annual production volume is set at approximately 3,500 suits, and if demand exceeds this, orders are controlled by a waiting list. This decision, while foregoing short-term sales opportunities, prioritizes maintaining quality and maximizing the customer experience. Excessive orders can lead to increased burden on craftsmen and decreased quality, risking long-term brand value erosion. The company avoids this risk by incorporating the choice of "not selling" into its management. As a result, customer unit price and repeat rates have improved, establishing a revenue structure that does not depend on price competition. In an era transitioning from mass consumption to individualized optimization, this strategy can be seen as a symbolic model for sustainable high-value-added businesses.

■ Large Flagship Tokyo Ginza Store

Image of the exterior of Tokyo Ginza Store

The Tokyo Ginza Store is a "large flagship" that integrates three bases dispersed in the Ginza and Toranomon areas and consolidates them into two floors, the 5th and 6th. This integration and relocation, with an investment of approximately 250 million yen, is not merely a store renovation. It was designed to embody Ginza Englishya's management strategy of "protecting value, not chasing volume" at a spatial level, simultaneously realizing the deepening of customer experience and the strengthening of the organizational foundation.

Upon exiting the elevator on the 5th floor, a luxurious and calm space unfolds. Inside the store, the finished.