Daiei

The Daiei, Inc. (株式会社ダイエー, Kabushiki gaisha Daiē) is a Japanese supermarket chain owned by Aeon. The company was founded in Osaka in 1957 by Isao Nakauchi, opening its first location near Sembayashi Station. By 1972, Daiei had become Japan's top retailer by sales, and in 1980, it became the first Japanese retail company to surpass 1 trillion yen in annual revenue. At its peak, it was one of Japan's leading retail conglomerates, diversifying its operations into burger chains, convenience stores, and restaurant businesses. However, the company suffered a severe financial decline following the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble in the early 1990s and the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995. Although Aeon, Japan's largest multinational retail holding company, joined Marubeni in 2007 in an effort to restructure the company, Daiei's financial situation failed to improve, ultimately leading to its full acquisition by Aeon in 2014. Following a restructuring involving other Aeon-owned supermarkets, Daiei's operations were consolidated exclusively to the Kansai region—its founding area—by 2026. The Daiei brand name is also scheduled to be completely transitioned to the Food Style banner by 2030.