Post-COVID-19 Business Structural Reform Through Non-Store Sales and the Introduction of Electronic Libraries

「Maruzen Research, a subscription service offering unlimited access to accounting and tax books that launched in October 2023, exceeded 5,000 members in less than a year and has received high praise from users as well as publishers whose books are featured on the service.」

「In October 2023, we launched Maruzen Research, a service that enables users to search and browse digitized specialist books and magazines across the tax, accounting and M&A fields.」

「Against this background, and to further develop its businesses, our group announced in December 2022 that it had begun developing Maruzen Research, a service designed to improve the efficiency of research work by professionals. This business uses e-books and digital content to make professionals’ research work more efficient, with the aim of making the highly specialized content for which the company has built procurement expertise through book sales and other activities more accessible and convenient for users. Maruzen Research is scheduled to launch by the end of 2023, initially as a service to improve research efficiency in the tax and accounting fields.」

「Even in an era of rapid innovation in information technology such as 5G and DX, our group is considering the creation of new businesses using digital technology and the expertise it has developed to achieve further growth in these business areas, and has begun developing the business with the aim of commercializing it in the fiscal year ending January 2024.」

「Even in an era of rapid innovation in information technology such as 5G and DX, our group is considering the creation of new businesses using digital technology and the expertise it has developed to achieve further growth in these business areas, and has begun developing the business with the aim of commercializing it in the fiscal year ending January 2024.」

「Furthermore, innovation in information technology, including 5G and DX, is expected to generate demand in the educational market sales business for online classes and the digitization of more content. These market changes are expected to accelerate further through the GIGA School Initiative advocated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to improve the quality of ICT-enabled education.」

「In addition, we will develop and pursue measures to address medium- to long-term changes in society after the pandemic, including changes in consumer behavior, such as new ICT-enabled businesses including virtual libraries, digitalization and the development of new businesses addressing digital transformation (DX).」

「In addition, as responding to major medium- to long-term changes in society after the pandemic, including changes in consumer behavior, is also an important issue, we will promote new business development using ICT, including the development of virtual libraries.」

「The store and online sales businesses are facing further major changes in the market environment as the spread of COVID-19 has changed consumers’ range of activity and diversified purchasing channels. We will pursue measures adapted to post-pandemic behavioral patterns, including promotions and expanded product assortments based on customer segments and regional characteristics, the creation of mixed-format stores by introducing other retail, food-service and service businesses, a scrap-and-build strategy involving a review of store locations, and the launch of an online business streaming lectures by authors based on book content.」

「In response to these social and market changes, we will pursue business-structure reforms with a view to recovering performance after the spread of infection subsides and anticipating longer-term changes in social behavior. These efforts include building non-visit-based models such as mail-order sales for book sales at stores and educational institutions, and promoting the introduction of e-books and digital library systems at university and public libraries.」

「In response to these social and market changes, we will pursue business-structure reforms with a view to recovering performance after the spread of infection subsides and anticipating longer-term changes in social behavior. These efforts include building non-visit-based models such as mail-order sales for book sales at stores and educational institutions, and promoting the introduction of e-books and digital library systems at university and public libraries.」