Weak Seasonal-Product Sales Due to High Temperatures and the Prior Year's Large-Scale Promotions

「Although sales during the relevant promotional periods were strong as a result of measures to stimulate consumption, including sales timed to coincide with the start of the fixed-amount tax reduction in June, expanded offerings to address extreme heat and Black Friday sales in November, sales stagnated due to the weather impact in March, the decline following the previous year's demand for travel-related products and the record-high temperatures in October, among other factors, affecting apparel, home and leisure products.」

「By product category, sales of apparel fell below the previous year because sales, particularly of highly seasonal apparel, stagnated due to the low temperatures in early spring, as well as the decline following the previous year's demand for outings and travel and demand for school swimsuits.」

「Sales stagnated from March to April due to unsettled weather and other factors, particularly in gardening supplies. In May, however, as temperatures rose, gardening supplies and outdoor goods performed well, resulting in existing-store sales growth to 105.6% of the same period of the previous year.」

「Although the late arrival of the end of the rainy season in July affected sales, the effects of measures to improve profitability meant that existing-store sales for the cumulative second quarter were roughly in line with the previous year.」

「Sales stagnated from March to April due to unsettled weather and other factors, particularly in gardening supplies. In May, however, as temperatures rose, gardening supplies and outdoor goods performed well, resulting in existing-store sales growth to 105.6% of the same period of the previous year.」

「During the period under review (1 March 2018 to 28 February 2019), we worked to improve the profitability of existing stores, a key priority. However, sales were affected mainly by unsettled weather in the apparel and outdoor goods categories, as well as by the suspension of operations after one general merchandise store, one home improvement store and one other business outlet were damaged by the 2018 torrential rains in western Japan. As a result, sales amounted to ¥207.429 billion, or 96.6% of the previous period.」

「As a result of these initiatives, grocery sales at existing stores continued to recover, and sales of health and beauty care products also exceeded the same period of the previous year. However, demand for essential autumn and winter products was weak because temperatures remained high even after the record-hot summer, and sales of apparel, outdoor goods, bedding and other products particularly sensitive to temperature stagnated.」

「In addition to weak sales of early-summer merchandise due to low temperatures in early May, sales of apparel, outdoor goods and other products stagnated because of unsettled weather, including record heat from July onward, approaching typhoons and heavy rain.」

「Temperatures remained lower than in the same quarter of the previous year from late April onward, particularly during Golden Week and weekends, causing sales of early-summer merchandise to stagnate. In addition, partly due to the impact of closed stores, sales amounted to 96.6% of the same quarter of the previous year.」

「In addition to weather-related impacts, including the low temperatures in early spring, the torrential rains in northern Kyushu in July and the record cold spell from December onward, sales were affected by the decline following the previous period's recovery demand related to the "2016 Kumamoto Earthquake" (the "earthquake disaster"), and amounted to 98.2% of the previous period.」

「Sales were 97.2% of the same quarter of the previous year, due in part to the impact of stores closed the previous year, adverse weather such as low temperatures in early spring and torrential rain in northern Kyushu in July, and the impact of reconstruction demand following the previous year’s earthquake.」

「Sales lagged, particularly for highly seasonal product categories such as clothing, home and leisure products and gardening supplies, because temperatures remained low in March.」

「Sales were 97.9% of the previous period due to the impact of adverse weather and store closures, among other factors.」

「Clothing and home and leisure products fell below the same quarter of the previous year, particularly because sales of seasonal products stagnated due to high temperatures in September and October and the impact of major sales events the previous year.」