Reorganization into the new Netz channel

To respond to the Japanese sales environment as it changed to a market structure dominated by replacement demand beginning in the second half of the 1990s, TMC announced fundamental reform measures in February 2003, measures that included sales channel reorganization. These new measures were based on a new product and distribution policy inside TMC and at dealers, called "GNT" ("Gambaro Nippon's Toyota!"; Gambaro means "Let's do our best").

GNT had the following three key objectives: 1) introduce the Lexus brand to the Japanese market and establish a new global premium brand for the 21st century; 2) merge together the Netz and Vista channels, reorganizing them into the new Netz channel and establishing a new channel tailored toward customers possessing new values; and 3) strengthen the identities of the Toyota dealers, Toyopet dealers, and Corolla dealers and reassess their product lineups. At the press conference announcing the new plan, President Fujio Cho said, "Our system has not been keeping pace with the changes in customers' values and the structural changes taking place in the market. With the measures being announced today, we are hoping to accurately respond to those changes."

In this way, the Toyota brand was reorganized into four channels from the five channels that existed since the establishment of the Vista channel in 1980. At the same time, by introducing the Lexus brand-which had already established a solid position in the United States-TMC was aiming to respond to diverse customer values, which were placing more importance than ever on individuality and a premium feel. The new Netz channel was positioned as a channel targeting primarily young families and female customers under the slogan "Channel of the 21st Century". Promoting products featuring unique styling and functions, the Netz sales network of approximately 1,600 dealers (exceeding the size of the Corolla sales network) was restarted in May 2004.

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