Troubled supermarket chain Daiei Inc. on Wednesday announced a fiscal 2001 business plan that includes realigning its corporate management system and renovating all 243 of its general merchandise and discount stores by the end of fiscal 2003.

To increase management efficiency, the company will implement a simpler store operation system on Jan. 30, abandoning its present internal company system to manage stores on a regional basis and by type.

Under the new system, greater operational autonomy will be given to each store while nine regional divisions will be established to support them.

In addition, a grocery business division will be set up to manage Daiei's 56 grocery stores, company officials said.

Kunio Takagi, a Daiei adviser set to become president Jan. 30, said the firm will consider reorganizing Daiei group's grocery store chains, including Sakae and Maruetsu Inc.

To attract more consumers, Daiei will turn its general merchandise and discount stores into shopping centers featuring specialty stores by March 31, 2004.

Takagi said the company will first try to create its own brands for clothing, fresh fish and electronic appliances for the new type of store, which he calls a "category value center."

The company also said that its Daiei Kiyota store in Sapporo will be closed March 11 as part of its restructuring plan, under which 32 loss-making outlets will be shuttered. The Kiyota store will be the 20th to close down, and the names of other 12 will be announced by the end of February, he said.