Developing business formats that leverage strengths and responding to new customer needs

「In addition to 24 stores through the initial consolidation of クーデションカンパニー株式会社 (hereinafter, クーデション), comprising 9 yakiniku stores, 3 restaurants and 12 stores in other businesses, we opened 11 new stores, comprising 9 restaurants and 2 yakitori stores; changed the formats of 7 stores, comprising 5 yakiniku stores, 1 restaurant and 1 store in other businesses; relocated and reopened 2 stores, comprising 1 yakiniku store and 1 yakitori store; and exited 13 stores, comprising 10 yakiniku stores, 2 yakitori stores and 1 store in other businesses. As a result, the number of stores at the end of the current consolidated fiscal year was 310.」

「Against this backdrop, under its structural reform initiatives, the Group pursued further strengthening of its earnings base by expanding its store network through new openings of the well-performing 「感動の肉と米」 format and format conversions, while implementing various measures to further reduce costs and improve service.」

「Across procurement, processing and sales, our Group aims to create stores that customers enjoy and choose, and will continue steadily implementing various structural-reform measures to achieve growth and expansion.」

「Under these conditions, our Group implemented business-format changes and withdrawals from unprofitable stores in view of optimizing its business portfolio, as well as initiatives to improve operating efficiency through price revisions for products offered and digital transformation. In addition, with the aim of creating stores that customers enjoy visiting, the Group proposed differentiated products leveraging its strengths in meat procurement and processing expertise. In December 2023, it also opened "Wagyu Yakiniku Hyakumeizan," a new format offering branded beef at affordable prices, near the Taiko-guchi exit of Nagoya Station. These initiatives have all produced tangible results.」

「Under these circumstances, our Group decisively converted business formats and withdrew from unprofitable stores, seeing tangible progress toward a recovery in earnings. We will continue steadily implementing structural reforms, including accelerating new store openings, changing business formats and digitally transforming stores.」

「This fiscal year, to restore performance, the Company will steadily implement measures to strengthen competitiveness, including expanding its store network through further new openings, improving productivity at existing stores through digital transformation, improving freshness, quality and productivity at the central kitchens, and proposing differentiated products, with the aim of creating stores that customers enjoy and want to visit again.」

「As part of its DX initiatives, the Group worked to reduce labor shortages and fixed costs through contactless service, shorter ordering and serving times, and the pilot introduction of serving robots and express lanes.」

「Under these circumstances, our Group is pursuing the rollout of business formats aimed at new growth, including opening new steak fast-food stores in Tokyo and Yokohama that focus on delicious meat delivered directly from the meat-processing plant and freshly milled rice, with the aim of creating stores that customers choose, and is seeing tangible results. As part of our digital-transformation initiatives, we also worked to eliminate physical contact, shorten ordering and service times, and address labor shortages and reduce fixed costs through pilot introductions of serving robots and express lanes.」

「Under these circumstances, our group has placed the safety and security of customers and employees first and aimed to create stores customers will choose. At the same time, in addition to opening new stores, including the expansion of “Kandō no Niku to Kome,” a steak fast-food format focused on delicious meat delivered directly from our meat-processing plant and freshly milled rice, into Tokyo’s Shimbashi district, we have accelerated format conversions aimed at achieving new growth.」

「Under these difficult circumstances, our Group promoted the digitization of customer ordering methods with the aim of creating stores that customers choose. We also accelerated the rollout of "Kando no Niku to Kome," a steak fast-food format focused on delicious meat delivered directly from the meat-processing plant and freshly milled rice.」

「Our Group aims to create stores that customers choose. In April, leveraging the cutting skills and meat expertise that are the strengths of our "meat-specialist group," we launched "Kando no Niku to Kome," a steak fast-food format focused on delicious meat delivered directly from the meat-processing plant and freshly milled rice, priced at ¥1,000 including tax and served within 1 minute, and opened 7 stores during the current fiscal year.」

「Under these challenging conditions, the Group launched “Kando no Niku to Kome,” a steak fast-food format focused on delicious meat delivered directly from the meat-processing plant and freshly milled rice, leveraging the cutting technology and knowledge of meat that are strengths of its “meat specialists.” The format offers steak for ¥1,000 including tax, with service within 1 minute, as part of the effort to create restaurants that customers would choose.」

「Under these challenging conditions, the Group pursued initiatives designed for the post-COVID environment, including developing new formats, refreshing the concepts of existing restaurants, reviewing product menus and quality, improving service speed through better standard operating procedures, and digitalizing customers’ ordering methods, with the aim of creating restaurants that customers would choose.」

「Our Group will continue steadily implementing measures to develop business formats that leverage our strengths, improve product quality and capture new customer needs.」