Recruitment and Business Process Improvements in Preparation for Business Expansion

「Specifically, in addition to increasing the number of sales personnel, with approximately 70 hires planned for the fiscal year ending March 2027, we will establish an organization dedicated to new customer acquisition and standardize and improve sales skills through the use of generative AI and the strengthening of our training systems.」

「During the interim consolidated accounting period, the Group increased personnel in sales, planning, operations, and other functions involved in the priority initiatives, strengthening its structure for future sales growth.」

「The number of employees was 765, compared with 831 in the previous fiscal year. Personnel costs decreased due to a natural decline in headcount, a reduction in employees resulting from stricter recruitment, and expanded secondments to business alliance partners and other companies aimed at reducing fixed costs during the period required for sales recovery.」

「The number of employees decreased by 455 during the consolidated fiscal year. The main reasons were restrictions on new recruitment in the restaurant support business and other businesses through the use of human resources via internal job postings, which increased the decline due to employee departures, as well as reductions in personnel costs through secondments to companies with which the Group has capital or business alliances.」

「To concentrate management resources on priority areas, the Group ended its “Rakuten Gurunavi Delivery” and “Rakuten Gurunavi Takeout” services in July. It also began seconding employees to business alliance partners and other companies on a rolling basis from May, with the aim of reducing fixed costs during the period required for sales recovery.」

「The number of employees decreased by 156 during the consolidated fiscal year. The main reasons were restrictions on new recruitment in the restaurant support business and restrictions on new recruitment in other businesses through the use of human resources via internal job postings, as well as further restrictions on such recruitment.」

「The number of employees decreased by 307 during the consolidated fiscal year. The main reasons were the concentration of internal human resources on the restaurant support business and the resulting restriction of recruitment, the company splits of the “Let's Enjoy Tokyo” business and the corporate food delivery business, and increased secondments to capital and business alliance partners.」

「During the 3rd quarter cumulative consolidated period, the Group concentrated its internal human resources on its restaurant support business and restricted recruitment. It also proceeded with the company split of the “Let's Enjoy Tokyo” business and secondments to capital and business alliance partners. As a result, the number of Group employees decreased by 263 to 1,520.」

「In addition to customer acquisition support, the Group worked to provide an inbound member plan comprehensively supporting restaurants in capturing demand from visitors to Japan and establishing systems to accommodate them, expand services that strengthen information dissemination to visitors to Japan, and begin full-scale sales of products supporting employee development.」

「As support for recruiting and developing restaurant employees, the Group began selling nationwide in August the “Customer and Employee Satisfaction Improvement Program” provided by MS&Consulting Co., Ltd. to member restaurants.」

「Specifically, in addition to beginning to support restaurant operations such as point-of-sale, reservation management, and customer management through “Gurunavi POS Register (Gurunavi POS+)” and “Gurunavi Ledger,” the Group also began offering support services for opening and closing restaurants, as well as personnel-related support such as recruitment and improving employee retention.」

「In addition to launching a property search website for prospective restaurant operators, the Group made preparations in cooperation with other companies to provide support for recruiting and developing personnel, including improving employee retention. By providing services covering all aspects of restaurant management, the Group aims to support more restaurants.」

「The number of employees increased by 202 during the fiscal year. This increase was primarily intended to execute the business initiatives based on the medium-term management plan formulated in July 2016.」

「The Group made substantial investments in selling, general and administrative expenses, including recruitment and business process improvements to establish the structure needed for expansion into the business areas set out in its medium-term management plan, as well as new initiatives related to inbound tourism and regional revitalization.」