Nissan Motor Co. plans to reduce the number of domestic sales companies from the current 170 to around 100 as part of the rationalization of its sales structure and cut costs, company sources said Saturday.
The change means there will be about two companies in each of Japan's 47 prefectures.
Nissan is currently in negotiations with the companies in a bid to boost domestic sales, which have been flat despite firm sales in North America and other overseas markets, the sources said.
The latest reorganization plan comes after Nissan reduced the number of its domestic companies, which stood at around 200 in 1999, by about 30 as part of a restructuring plan that streamlined its dealerships into Blue Stage companies, mainly dealing in luxury cars, and Red Stage companies, that mainly handle sports cars.
Nissan aims to further streamline sales companies so there will be one Blue Stage and one Red Stage company in each prefecture to avoid business overlap, the sources said.