• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.160-177
• /
• 2019

In this study, we examined the distribution of dealers and the repair parts management system of a Japanese car manufacturer in the Chinese market in looking at the case of Toyota. We conducted our research by obtaining information from a GAC Toyota dealer about the current distribution of dealers and locations of warehouses throughout China, as well as the status of stocks and the distribution system for repair and maintenance parts. The results of our investigation showed that although GAC Toyota has 437 dealers throughout the country, there is an imbalance in distribution towards the coastal areas, after the population ratios and other measurements are factored in. Therefore, it can be said expansion towards the inland regions, where demand for automobiles has increased in recent years, has been stunted. On the other hand, there is a high correlation between gross GDP by region and the number of stores, and it can be pointed out that the company prioritizes the sale of high-priced vehicles in major coastal areas where the economy is large, rather than selling low-priced vehicles for inland consumers with a relatively small economic scale. The company also has difficulty in securing dealers that can provide sufficient after-sales service. According to the regulations of GAC Toyota, the company require dealers to have at least 1,500 repair and maintenance parts in stock. Also, when exchanging maintenance parts, GAC Toyota's emphasis is on increasing customer satisfaction by giving sufficient explanations for customers and obtaining consent from them. As a result, the company's dealers need financial resources to continue their business from a long-term perspective. However, it can be pointed out that such dealers are limited, and it is difficult to distribute profits among manufacturers and dealers.