A Closer Presence to Customers [ AUTOBACS Snapshot ] - ANNUAL REPORT 2013

Since opening Japan's first automotive goods and services store AUTOBACS in 1974, the AUTOBACS Group has been continuously developing business from the customer's perspective by remaining mindful of its Customer First philosophy. As of March 31, 2013, AUTOBACS operated 552 stores in Japan, giving it the largest market share in the field of automotive goods specialty stores. AUTOBACS Group stores in Japan are managed by 90 franchisee companies(including AUTOBACS SEVEN and its consolidated subsidiaries).
Since opening our first overseas store in Taiwan in 1991, we have been expanding the AUTOBACS store format overseas as well. Based on the AUTOBACS store format in Japan, which consists of sales of automotive goods and installation services, AUTOBACS has provided services in line with the needs of customers in each country. As of March 31, 2013, there were 18 overseas stores directly managed by AUTOBACS and its subsidiaries, and 9 overseas franchised stores.
AUTOBACS NAYORO Store in Hokkaido AUTOBACS KUSHIRO HOSHIGAURA Store in Hokkaido AUTOBACS MORIOKA NISHI BYPASS Store in Iwate AUTOBACS AKITA YURIHONJO Store in Akita AUTOBACS SAGAE Store in Yamagata AUTOBACS SHIRAKAWA Store in Fukushima AUTOBACS ISHIOKA HACHIKENDAI Store in Ibaraki AUTOBACS HANYU Store in Saitama AUTOBACS IWATSUKI KAKURA Store in Saitama AUTOBACS SAYAMA Store in Saitama AUTOBACS EXPRESS KOSUGI Store in Toyama AUTOBACS FUKUMITSU Store in Toyama AUTOBACS TOKONAME Store in Aichi AUTOBACS SHIMA UGATA Store in Mie AUTOBACS NARA DAIANJI Store in Nara AUTOBACS SUMINOE Store in Osaka AUTOBACS YAMASAKI Store in Hyogo AUTOBACS EXPRESS SHIOYA KITA Store in Hyogo AUTOBACS EXPRESS HIMEJI Store in Hyogo AUTOBACS SASAYAMA Store in Hyogo AUTOBACS MIDORII Store in Hiroshima AUTOBACS IWAKUNI Store in Yamaguchi AUTOBACS MARUGAME DOKI Store in Kagawa AUTOBACS KANONJI Store in Kagawa AUTOBACS YUKUHASHI Store in Fukuoka AUTOBACS HAKATA MOROOKA Store in Fukuoka AUTOBACS NAGASAKI AIRPORT Store in Nagasaki AUTOBACS MINAMI NAGASAKI Store in Nagasaki AUTOBACS KUMAMOTO YAMAGA Store in Kumamoto AUTOBACS KOBAYASHI Store in Miyazaki AUTOBACS Klang Sentral Store in Malaysia AUTOBACS ZHONGHE Store in Taiwan AUTOBACS JUFENGLU STATION Store in China We have been opening of new stores in order to increase our market share, which is a key priority under the AUTOBACS 2010 Medium-Term Business Plan. Besides opening stores based on the existing store format, we have been stepping up openings of smaller stores at a lower cost in areas where we have yet to develop a presence. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013, we opened 30 stores across Japan and 3 stores overseas.
In 2001, the AUTOBACS Group began selling automotive goods over the Internet through the AUTOBACS.COM site. Furthermore, we opened the AUTOBACS Rakuten Ichiba Store within the online shopping mall Rakuten Ichiba in August 2012. This was followed in June 2013 by the opening of the AUTOBACS Store on the general online retail site amazon.co.jp. These new online stores will provide new points of contact between AUTOBACS and customers shopping for automotive goods on the Internet. Looking ahead, AUTOBACS will continue to expand the range of items offered over the Internet, while winning new customers by encouraging online shoppers to visit its existing stores.