Strengthening the development of products with strong sales potential and narrowing the range of items developed

「Redesign the sales strategy for core kitchen appliances, expand into product categories in growth markets and promote new product development based on customer needs」

「For the BRUNO lifestyle-products brand, the flagship hot plate moved from the expansion phase to the establishment phase as market penetration increased. The Company nevertheless focused on a sales strategy emphasizing brand strength and profitability, and new kitchen appliances such as air fryers and Auto Cook Pots, premium catalog-gift products and corporate sales continued to perform strongly.」

「For the BRUNO lifestyle-products brand, the flagship hot plate moved from the expansion phase to the establishment phase as market penetration increased. However, new kitchen appliances such as air fryers, premium catalog-gift products and corporate sales continued to perform strongly, while overseas sales also grew.」

「The BRUNO brand's core products, including the Compact Hot Plate, Multi Stick Blender, Steam & Bake Toaster and 2-Way Stick Cleaner, continued to perform steadily. The Volume Knob Speaker also became a topic of interest on social media in China after gaining attention on Instagram in Japan, and sales increased substantially.」

「The Company also launched the new beauty brand BRUNO BEAUTY and began selling its first products: the EMS facial device Warm & Cool EMS Facial Lift and the medicated whitening beauty mask Medicated Shiratama Whitening Sheet Mask.」

「The Company began selling existing products through local e-commerce sites and subsequently developed and sold original products for China, including fully automatic espresso machines, mini rice cookers and air fryers, in succession.」

「As part of its product strategy, the Company began selling small kitchen appliances, including air fryers, mini rice cookers and soy-milk makers, tailored to the “one-person economy” in the Chinese market, in addition to its existing original products.」

「For BRUNO, in addition to expanding its strong-performing kitchen and seasonal appliances, the Company will broaden its categories to include lifestyle appliances and interior goods and focus on developing new products under the concept “Enjoy Life with BRUNO.” For MILESTO, the Company will also develop products for outdoor, office and home use, in addition to travel.」

「Among kitchen appliances, the Steam & Bake Toaster sold more units than in the previous year. The new Compact Grill Hot Plate, launched this year to address concerns about splashing oil, smoke and odors when cooking yakiniku and grilled dishes, also contributed to sales.」

「The Company strengthened promotions for the brand's 10th anniversary, and the 10th-anniversary limited-edition colors of the Compact Hot Plate sold steadily, bringing cumulative sales beyond 3 million units. The Steam & Bake Toaster also sold more units than in the previous year. In interior appliances, sales of the Styling Handheld Steamer increased in response to demand associated with more opportunities to go out, while seasonal appliances such as the new All-Direction Heater launched in October also achieved strong sales growth.」

「In domestic sales of the BRUNO lifestyle-products brand, cumulative sales of the core compact hot plate surpassed 3 million units, while the Steam & Bake Toaster also sold more units than in the previous year.」

「In terms of sales, domestic sales of the BRUNO lifestyle-products brand were driven by the core compact hot plate, whose cumulative unit sales surpassed 2.94 million.」

「In domestic sales of the BRUNO lifestyle-products brand, the core compact hot plate, which combines design and convenience, surpassed cumulative sales of 2.87 million units and drove sales. Kitchen appliances including the Steam & Bake Toaster and Multi Stick Blender were increasingly featured on television programs and in magazines as popular cooking appliances, while active distribution of recipes and campaigns on social media also helped kitchen-appliance sales exceed the year-earlier period.」

「Television commercials began airing in October 2021, further raising awareness of BRUNO-brand products. As a result, sales of kitchen appliances such as the Steam & Bake Toaster exceeded those of the year-earlier period. In interior appliances, sales also exceeded the year-earlier period as the Company expanded lifestyle appliances, including the newly launched pressable steamer and floor air purifier, in addition to the strong-selling Styling Handheld Steamer and Futon Dryer.」

「In domestic sales of the BRUNO lifestyle-products brand, kitchen appliances continued to perform well, with the core compact hot plate driving sales after cumulative unit sales reached 2.59 million. The Steam & Bake Toaster also increased sales, helped by advertising and other factors. In interior appliances, sales of health and hygiene-related products, including the Styling Handheld Steamer, Floor Humidifier and Futon Dryer, substantially exceeded the previous year as health awareness increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.」

「For the BRUNO interior-products brand, the core compact hot plate continued to perform strongly and substantially exceeded sales in the year-earlier period, helped by the advertising impact of a limited-edition color and video distribution for a Valentine's Day campaign. The Steam & Bake Toaster and Multi Stick Blender also increased unit sales strongly as popular cooking appliances amid increased demand for home cooking during the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding total kitchen-appliance sales. As a result, BRUNO sales increased substantially to 158% of the year-earlier period.」

「For the BRUNO interior-products brand, sales of the core compact hot plate substantially exceeded the previous year, while the Multi Stick Blender and new Steam Bake Toaster also achieved strong sales growth. Humidifiers increased sales amid heightened demand for measures against COVID-19, and products including the Futon Dryer and Handheld Steamer contributed to sales. MILESTO, the travel-goods brand, sold small bags and PC storage cases to accommodate the new lifestyle of living with COVID-19, including outings close to home, and sought to recover sales by promoting uses beyond travel.」

「Kitchen appliances continued to perform well, supported by demand for staying at home, with cumulative sales of the flagship compact hot plate surpassing 2 million units. The hot-sandwich maker also achieved substantial sales growth, supported by the impact of social media and other factors.」

「For BRUNO, in addition to expanding its strong-performing kitchen and seasonal appliances, the Company will broaden its categories to include lifestyle appliances and interior goods and focus on developing new products under the concept “Enjoy Life with BRUNO.” For MILESTO, the Company will also develop products for outdoor, office and home use, in addition to travel.」

「The BRUNO interior-products brand, centered on kitchen appliances, was affected by the closure of a contract manufacturing plant in China from January to February and delays in the arrival of new products as COVID-19 spread in China. However, demand increased for appliances that make cooking at home enjoyable amid temporary school closures and requests to refrain from going out as measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The compact hot plate, the Company's flagship product, was featured in numerous media outlets, including television programs, and kitchen appliances such as the Multi Stick Blender performed well. The winter appliance Multi Futon Dryer also substantially exceeded the previous year's sales, and sales reached 112% of the year-earlier period.」

「The compact hot plate, a core product, was featured in the Company's first television commercial from November through December and appeared on a television program introducing popular kitchen products. This raised brand awareness and drove sales during the Christmas gift season and other campaigns. In interior products, the Multi Futon Dryer and Hybrid UV Humidifier, popular winter heating and health appliances, also increased sales.」

「During the cumulative first quarter of the fiscal year ending June 2020 (1 July 2019 to 30 September 2019), the BRUNO interior-products brand, centered on kitchen appliances, continued to perform well, with sales reaching 122% of the year-earlier period. For the core compact hot plate, accessories suitable for a broad range of dishes, including stews and hot-pot dishes, drove sales together with the main unit. The oval hot plate launched at the beginning of the year under the concept “A little more time every day, a richer life” also performed better than in the previous fiscal year and increased sales. The portable fans that became popular this summer as a measure against heat also contributed to sales growth.」

「The Company will concentrate its resources on the 2 core brands, BRUNO, an interior-products brand, and MILESTO, a travel-goods brand.」

「The compact hot plate, a core product, drove sales together with design-rich accessories and the oval hot plate newly launched in February. Strong sales of appliance sets for people starting a new life in the spring also contributed to the increase in sales.」

「Under the Company's product strategy of proposing “Life with BRUNO,” the number of BRUNO-brand products has been expanded so that products can be offered for a range of everyday living situations. The new hot-sandwich maker and collaboration products featuring the popular character Moomin were particularly well received and contributed to sales growth. In the MILESTO travel-goods brand, the product range of core bags was expanded through additional color variations and design renewals, resulting in particularly strong sales through directly operated stores and e-commerce.」

「During the cumulative first quarter of the fiscal year ending June 2019 (1 July 2018 to 30 September 2018), sales increased substantially to 144% of the year-earlier period. In interior goods, the BRUNO interior-products brand, centered on kitchen goods, continued to perform well. In particular, the hot plate, which has a design advantage, sold well not only in Japan but also overseas, including China, and sales continued to grow. Sales of hot-plate accessories also increased in line with hot-plate sales. For the MILESTO travel-goods brand, sales at directly operated stores grew strongly, led by bags pursuing both functionality and design.」

「Among these products, the hot plate, which has a design advantage, has surpassed 1 million units sold. Sales continue to grow as the Company expands the range of patterns and colors. Sales of hot-plate accessories are also increasing in line with hot-plate sales.」

「The Company will work to further enhance brand value in the MILESTO travel-goods brand's bag category by applying the expertise of SHIKATA's simple, high-quality bag brands, Y'SACCS and LA BAGAGERIE, while leveraging the functionality and design capabilities of MILESTO.」

「In product development, the Company is concentrating its resources on 3 core brands: BRUNO, MILESTO and TERRACUORE.」

「In product development, the Company is concentrating its resources on 3 core brands: BRUNO, MILESTO and TERRACUORE.」

「We will focus selectively on the 3 core brands: the interior-goods brand BRUNO, the travel-goods brand MILESTO and the organic brand TERRACUORE. BRUNO will expand its lineup of kitchen-related products. MILESTO will strengthen collaborative products with leading companies. TERRACUORE will develop products for the mass market. We will also actively pursue ODM projects.」

「Going forward, we will concentrate selectively on the three principal brands, BRUNO, MILESTO and TERRACUORE, in product development.」

「The travel-goods brand MILESTO also increased sales as the number of directly operated stores rose from the previous fiscal year. Net sales were ¥3,315 million, compared with ¥3,052 million in the same period of the previous year.」

「In terms of sales, the interior-goods brand BRUNO, centered on kitchen goods, continued to perform well. In particular, sales of the Hot Plate, which has a design advantage, continued to increase.」

「We will narrow the range of products under development overall and develop highly design-oriented original products while improving development efficiency.」