After sustaining substantial losses due to the earthquake in Niigata last October, electronics giant Sanyo has hit upon a novel way to claw back some money. As on Saturday the company asked its domestic employees to go on Sanyo spending sprees.
Perhaps if minor purchases had been proposed, this announcement wouldn’t have made the news, but the figures suggested simply beggar belief. Division chiefs have been asked to buy up to 500,000 yen (2,500 pound) worth of products, and regular rank-and-file workers up to 200,000 yen (1,000 pound).
A spokesperson said that if every employee met the company’s specified target, sales would be boosted by about 16 billion yen. And in an act of selfless generosity by Sanyo, it has been said that workers will be allowed to include purchases by relatives and acquaintances in their money-spent-under-duress totals.
That said, perhaps they’ll all be happy to rush out and spend their hard earned cash on Sanyo Winnie the Pooh toasters.
Or there again, perhaps not.
stuart says
Thats hilarious, and that toaster is now at the top of my sanyo wish-list. What do buy to spend £1,000 on sanyo goods? there are only so many DVD players and TV sets a house can afford the power for! Im guessing they expect every sanyo employee to be off to the store for a shiny new home cinema setup?! bizarre.
Chris says
Oh man thats the stupidest thing I’ve heard in a long time… whats next? “Company goes tits up because employees refuse to purchase pooh toasters?”
Debster says
I also NEED one of those toasters – a friend of mine is going to Japan in a couple of weeks – where can you buy them in Tokyo?
Bunny says
I wonder if they’ll produce one that brands an image of the sumo wrestler below. Now, that would be something to sink my teeth into.
J. says
I am wondering if Japanese workers are that much devoted to their company that they are willing to spend approximately 1 month worth of salary to products from their own company. It will be interesting to see if Sanyo publishes the results of this sales tactics. Or do they intend to publish a list with names of all employees that did not live up to the company’s suggestion?
Hanuman says
Outrageous! If this had happened in the States, it would have amounted to a death knell for the company in question! What does the Japanese public think of such things?
Wahn says
A clear proof of japanese dedication and loyalty to the Bushido code. But instead of warlords, we have corporate executives.
Toni says
One of the dumbest things I’ve heard about. But as Wahn said, taking into consideration Japanese notions of loyalty to their “family” (after all, the company comes first and their real family a distant second), I’m not surprised if the employees actually fall for this. Woe to the employee who hesitates and endangers the wa.
Av says
Clarification:
1. It is reccomended/encouraged
2. Employees can buy their quota or promote the sales equivalent of such.
3. Executives have a 700,000 yen target
4. Sanyo sells homes, does reform of homes, car loans, home solar power systems, plasma tvs, heating and cooling systems in addition to small home appliances, so meeting the quota might not be too difficult if you are in the market for high end products.
5. There is a Hello Kitty toater and hot sandwich maker too
Lee says
Well, how about that?
Official clarification, as Av’s IP address is from Sanyo.
And it goes without saying that I take everything back now I know that Sanyo sell a Hello Kitty toaster and sandwich maker!
Brett says
Oh look, it’s pooh on toast. How appetising.
taro says
Sanyo “asked” its employees to spend their “bonuses” (wages held without interest in Japan) on their products. They “asked”, ri-i-i-i-i-i-ght.
I ‘ve before on my site, I can’t tell you the number of times I’m been pressured to buy Maybe-the-Largest-in-Japan Inc’s products by my bosses here it Japan. It’s about as bad as showing up at the Cadillac Headquarters driving a Benz. The pressure is horrible: It gives real meaning to the term .
Christina joseph says
Cute pooh Toast:Who would have eaten it?
Ben parker says
So cute though.