Ito-Yokado Explained

Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd.
Type:	Subsidiary
Area Served:	Japan, China
Owner:	Seven & I Holdings

is a Japanese general merchandise, shopping center, grocery store and department store, originally founded in 1920. In 2005, it was reorganized, as part of a corporate restructuring, as a subsidiary of the Seven & I Holdings Co.

As of February 2023, there are 126 Ito-Yokado stores operating in Japan.^[1] Ito-Yokado entered the Chinese market in 1997, opening the first store in Chengdu, Sichuan province. As of 2023, the company has 12 stores in China, with 1 in Beijing, 11 in Sichuan.

Musical codes

Inside Ito-Yokado, the staff working at the register can play instrumentals of famous musical pieces, which is a code to workers in the store for specific things to do. These are:

• Help! (The Beatles) - A call for additional staff to man the tills during periods of high customer traffic.
• Daydream Believer (The Monkees) - Played during ordinary operation.
• Rhythm of the Rain (The Cascades) - To inform customers of heavy rain outside the building.
• Carmen (Georges Bizet) - Robbery and other criminal activities in the premises.
• Symphony No. 5, 1st. Movement (Allegro con brio) (Beethoven) - Bomb threat.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Katsumura . Mariko . 2023-03-09 . Seven & I to close more Ito-Yokado stores, exit apparel business . 2024-02-07 . Inside Retail Asia . en-US.