Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
YKK zippers are everywhere, from jeans and jackets to NASA spacesuits. The Japanese company manufactures and sells billions of zippers each year and built its market position through obsessive control over manufacturing, product quality and globalization. But as it expands around the world, it also draws legal scrutiny and faces the challenge of finding what's next
WSJ travels to Japan to figure out how a small component helps a business grow into a global fastener empire.
Chapters:
0:00 YKK’s dominance
1:00 The business model
4:07 The main customer
5:33 The challenges
The Economics Of
How do the world's most successful companies generate revenue? In this explainer series, we'll dive into the surprising stories behind how businesses work--exploring everything from Costco's "treasure-hunt" model to the economics behind Amazon's AWS.
#YKK #Business #WSJ
YKK zippers are everywhere, from jeans and jackets to NASA spacesuits. The Japanese company manufactures and sells billions of zippers each year and built its market position through obsessive control over manufacturing, product quality and globalization. But as it expands around the world, it also draws legal scrutiny and faces the challenge of finding what's next
WSJ travels to Japan to figure out how a small component helps a business grow into a global fastener empire.
Chapters:
0:00 YKK’s dominance
1:00 The business model
4:07 The main customer
5:33 The challenges
The Economics Of
How do the world's most successful companies generate revenue? In this explainer series, we'll dive into the surprising stories behind how businesses work--exploring everything from Costco's "treasure-hunt" model to the economics behind Amazon's AWS.
#YKK #Business #WSJ
