Tetsuya Hattori, President and CEO, Summit Co., Ltd.

The job in front of you can one day become your true calling.

Tetsuya Hattori, President and CEO of Summit Co., Ltd.
■ Profile
Born in 1964, graduated from Meiji University's Faculty of Commerce. After joining the company in 1987, he served as manager of the prepared foods department, manager of the sales planning department, managing director and executive officer, and senior managing director and executive officer, before becoming President and Representative Director in April 2020.

Summit Co., Ltd. operates food supermarkets mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area. We spoke with Tetsuya Hattori, who joined the company after working part-time at Summit and now serves as its President and CEO, about his management philosophy cultivated through sincerely facing the role he was given, and about creating community-based stores that deliver value through "the store itself."

During my student days, I worked part-time at Summit while dedicating myself to band practice and live performances. While I spent most of my time in elementary, middle, and high school with people who grew up in similar environments, through music I was able to connect with people I wouldn't have met in my life before, and be exposed to diverse values ​​and ways of life.
Back then, I remember feeling somewhat anxious about graduating from university, joining a company, and starting my career. I worried that by joining a company, I would become just another cog in the machine of society, and my life would become monotonous. However, my perspective changed dramatically after I started working. I realized that work isn't about becoming a cog in the machine of society, but rather about meeting various people, being exposed to different ways of thinking, and broadening my horizons. Because it's something we spend a large portion of our day at, I've come to realize that if you dedicate yourself to it wholeheartedly, opportunities will naturally open up, and it will help you grow as a person.
My first encounter with Summit was through a part-time job at a store I chose because it was close to my home. I wasn't particularly keen on working at a supermarket from the start. However, after working there for about five and a half years, I felt that the workplace atmosphere was warm and that "Summit is a good company," which led me to join the company.
After joining the company, I gained experience in various roles, starting with store operations, then becoming a buyer for processed foods, working in the prepared foods department, and managing the sales planning department. To be honest, I'm not the type of person who actively sought out a particular job. Nevertheless, by facing each task head-on without running away, I began to see its appeal, and by the time my transfer was decided, I felt that it was my true calling.
On the evening I became president, the first thing that came to mind was my responsibility to all 18,000 employees, their families, and their loved ones. I feel that it is not only my responsibility as president to improve performance, but also to create an environment where employees can be healthy in mind and body and approach their work in a way that is true to themselves.

■ Becoming a store that customers choose for the "store itself"

Currently, Summit operates 125 stores in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures. In its most recent financial results, the company reported sales of 366,558 million yen and ordinary profit of 9,585 million yen, with both sales and ordinary profit exceeding the previous year's figures. This demonstrates that its community-based store development is steadily yielding results.
What we value most is not simply selling products. We believe that the store itself is the product, encompassing everything from customer service and overall service to the atmosphere of the store. What defines Summit is when customers not only buy products, but also feel, "I want to buy from this store," and "I love this store."
Symbolic of this approach are the "information staff" who primarily handle guiding customers around the store and communicating with them on a daily basis, the "please try it" service that allows customers to sample products they are interested in, and the "face-to-face customer service." Instead of mechanically repeating "welcome," making eye contact with customers and exchanging greetings like "hello" and "thank you" significantly shortens the distance between the staff and the customers.
The daily reports from our information staff often describe events that touch the lives of our customers. There was even a story about a customer who, before passing away, entrusted their family with the request to convey their gratitude to the information staff. This is not just a supermarket; it's a place that is involved in the lives and lifestyles of the people who live in the community. Every time I learn about this, I feel that our work has great meaning.
Summit aims to be a store that "shares the sustenance of life." This "sugar for life" encompasses not only delivering food, but also helping people feel energized and joyful. By delivering products and services that are tailored to our customers' lives, and receiving their feedback and words of gratitude, our employees gain energy and a sense of purpose. We believe this positive cycle between customers and employees is Summit's strength.

■ Rooted in the community, the Summit grows into a large tree.

I liken Summit stores to a large tree. The roots are the employees, the trunk is the sales floor, the branches are the departments, and the leaves are the products and services. The store takes root in the soil of the local community, listens to the problems of customers and the community, and delivers oxygen in the form of products and services. Then, the joy and satisfaction from customers seeps into the ground, nourishing the employees who are the roots, and the tree grows even larger.
Trees, once they take root in a place, stay there for a long time. The same is true for shops. A good shop should be able to remain a necessary part of the community for 10 or 20 years. That's why Summit stores value their relationships with their respective communities.
Going forward, we want to further deepen this concept of "a store that shares the sustenance of life." We want to create a company where employees can work while experiencing a positive cycle where their feelings are conveyed to customers, and those reactions, in turn, empower the employees. At first glance, it may look like any other supermarket. However, we want to cultivate an inexplicable strength that makes customers think, "For some reason, I want to go to Summit."

■Message to university students

I hope that you will wholeheartedly pursue your interests during your student years. Whether it's studying, hobbies, or extracurricular activities, the experience of seriously engaging in something will undoubtedly become a valuable asset to you in some way.
Once you enter the workforce, try to approach each task in front of you while considering what you can do. If you work hard, your work will surely become a valuable asset and help you grow. There will be times when things don't go the way you envisioned. However, sometimes the paths that didn't go as planned can be surprisingly enjoyable and ultimately lead to a wonderful life.

Student Newspaper Online, June 8, 2026, Interview by Tsuda University 4rd year student, Karin Ishimatsu

Sakura Yamashita (4th year, Tsuda University) / Reina Inomoto (1st year, Kyoto University of the Arts) / Karin Ishimatsu (4th year, Tsuda University) / Risa Ukita (3rd year, Tokyo Women's University)