Masatoshi Ito |
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| Born | 30 April 1924
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| Died | 10 March 2023 (aged 98) |
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| Occupation | Businessman |
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| Known for | Owner, founder, and honorary chairman of Ito-Yokado |
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| Children | 3 |
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Masatoshi Itō (伊藤 雅俊, Itō Masatoshi, 30 April 1924 – 10 March 2023) was a Japanese businessman and founder of Ito-Yokado.
Ito was born in Tokyo on April 30, 1924. His parents, Senzo and Yuki Ito, operated a dry goods shop named Yokado.[1] After finishing high school, Ito had a short stint in the Japanese military and working at what would become Mitsubishi Materials before returning to work at his parent's shop.[1][2] Following the death of his brother in 1956, Ito took over Yokado, which was then a clothing shop. He soon renamed the company Ito-Yokado.[1][3]
Itō was the owner, founder and honorary chairman of the $30 billion (in sales) Ito-Yokado retailing group, the second largest retailing organization in the world, which includes more than 10,000 7-Elevens in Japan and the US. Itō built the company from a small apparel store in Tokyo, into a corporation with annual revenues of more than $28 billion and a labour force of more than 125,000. The Ito-Yokado Group includes more than 10,000 7-Eleven stores in Japan and 5,800 in North America, along with 1,000 other stores, department stores, restaurants, specialty shops, supermarkets and superstores. Ito-Yokado was also the Japanese franchisee for Oshman's Sporting Goods stores, Robinson department stores, and Denny's restaurants. The company has begun opening superstores in China.[citation needed]
Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management[edit]
Itō was a significant supporter of the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management, with an initial $3 million gift to help build the school's current home and a subsequent $20 million gift.[citation needed] His son, Junro, earned his MBA at the Drucker School in 1989 and was active in the Drucker alumni association in Japan.[citation needed]
Personal life and death[edit]
Itō was married and had three children.[4] He died on 10 March 2023, at the age of 98.[3][1][5]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masatoshi_Ito
