Reducing Expenses Through Changes to Promotional Measures

「Selling, general and administrative expenses increased mainly due to growth investments, including new store openings and major revitalization projects at 3 GMS stores; human capital investments, including substantial wage increases for the fourth consecutive year; stronger promotional measures to acquire new members and expand usage of the “iAEON” app; and M&A. At the same time, we worked to improve efficiency through DX investments such as self-checkout registers and electronic shelf labels, the benefits of actively introducing labor-saving fixtures, and optimization of food register staffing. As a result, selling, general and administrative expenses for the first half were 104.7% of the prior-year period.」

「These initiatives reduced total store labor hours while maintaining service levels, substantially improving labor-hour productivity to 104.7% of the previous fiscal year's level. As a result, SG&A for the fiscal year ended was contained at 102.2% of the previous fiscal year's level.」

「As a result, SG&A improved by 0.3 percentage points as a percentage of sales from the previous fiscal year.」

「SG&A increased due to higher depreciation associated with upfront investments for future growth, including new store openings and existing-store revitalization; higher personnel expenses resulting from active human-capital investments; and expenses related to upfront investments at AEON Welcia Kyushu Co., Ltd., which began opening stores in the previous fiscal year. The company also actively invested in DX, including self-checkouts and electronic shelf labels, and introduced labor-saving fixtures to improve labor-hour productivity. However, the benefits during the interim period were limited, and SG&A reached 106.7% of the level in the same period of the previous year.」

「The company actively made upfront investments in DX-related initiatives, including self-checkouts and electronic shelf labels, that improve productivity to offset the anticipated further shortage of the working-age population, and expanded the number of stores introducing them. At the end of the quarter, electronic shelf labels had been installed at 217 stores, an increase of 84 from the end of the previous fiscal year. In addition, utility costs at existing stores were 89.3% of the level in the same period of the previous year, due in part to the introduction of energy-saving equipment.」

「The company continued expanding the number of stores equipped with self-checkouts and electronic shelf labels, introducing fixtures to improve store operating efficiency and shifting promotional activities to digital channels. As a result, standalone SG&A improved by 0.4 percentage points as a percentage of operating revenue from the previous fiscal year.」

「The company continued expanding the number of stores equipped with self-checkouts and electronic shelf labels, introducing fixtures to improve store operating efficiency and shifting promotional activities to digital channels. As a result, standalone SG&A improved by 0.8 percentage points as a percentage of operating revenue from the same period of the previous year.」

「The company continued expanding the number of stores equipped with self-checkouts and electronic shelf labels and shifting promotional activities to digital channels, improving store operating efficiency and productivity. As a result, standalone SG&A improved by 1.1 percentage points as a percentage of sales.」

「The company continued expanding the number of stores equipped with self-checkouts and electronic shelf labels and shifting promotional activities to digital channels, working to improve store operating efficiency and productivity.」

「The company continued efforts to improve productivity by reducing electricity consumption and implementing various DX measures, including smart checkout systems and the shift of promotional activities to digital channels, to mitigate the impact of surging electricity costs. As a result, SG&A was 99.3% of the level in the same period of the previous year.」

「The company continued efforts to improve productivity by reducing electricity consumption and implementing various DX measures, including smart checkout systems, to mitigate the impact of surging electricity costs.」

「The company made planned investments in new store openings, existing-store revitalization and DX for future growth, while continuing productivity-improvement initiatives including efficient promotional activities using apps and SNS and smart checkout systems.」

「The company made planned investments in new store openings, existing-store revitalization and DX for future growth, while continuing productivity-improvement initiatives including streamlining head-office operations, reviewing back-of-store operations and introducing smart checkout systems.」

「While opening new stores, revitalizing existing stores and making planned investments in digital initiatives, the company continued efforts to improve productivity, including by reallocating head-office personnel to stores, reviewing back-of-store operations, shifting promotions to digital channels and using online meetings.」

「The company worked to improve productivity through the shift of promotions to digital channels using apps and other tools, a review of back-of-store operations, the transfer of head-office personnel to store operations, the introduction of self-checkouts and cashless checkouts, and the use of online meetings.」

「With the safety of customers and employees as its top priority, the company continued operating as a regional lifeline by implementing measures to prevent the spread of infection together with customers, including mask wearing, hand disinfection at store entrances and avoidance of the 3 Cs. It also addressed changing customer needs and new needs, including hygiene and health promotion and demand for at-home consumption. As a result of balancing measures to protect regional safety and security against infectious diseases with business activities, performance began to recover from the second quarter onward. Following the management integration, the food business, which represents a high proportion of sales, performed well, as did the home center business, which responded to changes in customers' lifestyles. In addition, efforts to further reduce store operating costs, including the introduction of self-checkouts, the shift of promotions to digital channels, work-style reforms and reductions in real estate costs, resulted in second-half operating revenue, operating profit, ordinary profit and net income all progressing above plan.」

「The company worked to improve productivity through the introduction of self-checkouts, the shift of promotions to digital channels and the promotion of telework among head-office staff. As a result, operating results improved by ¥899 million from the same period of the previous year, meeting the original plan.」

「The company worked to improve productivity by shifting promotional media to digital, promoting telework mainly among head-office staff, and reducing business travel through the use of web conferences. As a result, SG&A was 95.1% of the level in the same period of the previous year.」

「In addition to reducing store operating costs, the company pursued work-style reforms for head-office staff, including the use of web conferences and the promotion of telework. As a result, SG&A was 93.2% of the level in the same period of the previous year.」

「Operating gross profit increased to 101.1% of the previous year's level due to an improved gross profit margin and higher other operating income. In addition, the company improved store operating efficiency through the use of digital promotion and a review of work practices, bringing SG&A to 99.7% of the previous year's level. As a result, operating results improved by ¥242 million from the previous year.」

「Operating gross profit increased to 100.3% of the previous year's level due to an improved gross profit margin and higher other operating income. In addition, efforts to improve store operating efficiency, including the use of digital promotion and a review of work practices, brought SG&A to 97.3% of the previous year's level, resulting in a substantial improvement in operating profit from the previous year.」

「Operating revenue progressed broadly in line with the plan, while the use of new systems and digital technologies, including new POS checkouts and the AEON Kyushu official app, together with a process center opened in Kiyama, Saga Prefecture, improved store operating efficiency. As a result, SG&A was 97.2% of the level in the same period of the previous year, and operating results improved by ¥407 million from the previous year, with a quarterly result of a ¥790 million operating loss.」

「SG&A was reduced to 98.3% of the previous fiscal year's level as a result of efforts to lower operating costs, including the use of digital promotion and the introduction of a new POS checkout system.」

「SG&A was reduced to 98.7% of the level in the same quarter of the previous year through efforts to lower operating costs, including the use of digital promotion and the introduction of a new POS checkout system.」

「The company is introducing new promotional initiatives and systems to enhance the value of shopping centers (SCs) through the revitalization of existing stores and to operate stores efficiently.」

「The company worked to operate stores efficiently, including by shifting from conventional flyer promotions to digital promotional initiatives. However, due to a temporary increase in expenses associated with major store revitalization investments and the launch of the AEON Kyushu official app, total SG&A was 101.0% of the level in the same quarter of the previous year.」

「The company promoted efficient store operations, including by shifting from promotion centered on conventional inserted flyers to promotional initiatives using social networking services (SNS). As a result, SG&A was 98.5% of the previous fiscal year's level.」

「By working to reduce SG&A, including by shifting from promotion centered on conventional flyers to promotional initiatives using social networking services (SNS), the company achieved sales of 100.0% of the previous year's level, an increase of ¥23 million, and gross profit of 100.5%, an increase of ¥67 million. SG&A was 98.5% of the previous year's level, a decrease of ¥293 million.」

「The company pursued new promotional initiatives, including a campaign launched the previous year to promote use of the WAON POINT card and information dissemination through social media, while working to operate stores efficiently. As a result, SG&A amounted to 98.6% of the level in the same quarter of the previous year.」

「The company pursued initiatives to promote use of the WAON POINT card and new promotional activities tied to Premium Friday, while working to operate stores efficiently.」

「The company pursued new promotional initiatives, including the introduction of the WAON POINT card and Black Friday sales, while working to reduce costs and operate stores efficiently, resulting in SG&A at existing stores of 99.2% of the previous year's level.」

「SG&A amounted to 101.2% of the level in the same quarter of the previous year, due to expenses incurred for revitalization, the impact of the social insurance system changes in October, and new initiatives, including promotional activities using the new common-point service, the AEON Group's WAON POINT card, launched in June.」

「SG&A was 98.8% of the level in the same quarter of the previous year at existing stores, due to efforts to improve efficiency, including changes to promotional initiatives and more efficient store operations.」

「SG&A amounted to 97.9% of the level in the same quarter of the previous year, due to efforts to reduce expenses, including changes to promotional initiatives.」