Higher Cost Burden, Led by Personnel Expenses

「In addition, due to higher labor costs and increases in promotional and remodeling expenses, selling, general and administrative expenses rose to 116.3% of the same period of the previous year, exceeding the growth in gross profit.」

「In addition, continued increases in labor, utilities and logistics costs resulted in selling, general and administrative expenses reaching 131.4% of the same period of the previous year.」

「Selling, general and administrative expenses, which were 104.0% of the same period of the previous year, were broadly in line with expectations after factoring in higher labor and logistics costs, enhanced payment functions including self-checkout systems, and investment in the “Maruetsu Soka Delica Center,” among other factors.」

「Selling, general and administrative expenses were held down through measures including reduced power consumption and increased investment in energy conservation, but labor costs rose and logistics costs increased due to the logistics-related “2024 problem.”」

「Although electricity costs were reduced through measures including lower power consumption and changes to electricity procurement contracts, selling, general and administrative expenses exceeded the prior-year level, increasing 0.7% from the previous period. This was due to higher labor costs, depreciation from increased investment in measures to improve e-commerce convenience, diversify payment functions including self-checkout systems, and introduce labor-saving equipment in response to increasingly diverse shopping styles, as well as higher promotional expenses from measures to increase customer visits.」

「Against a backdrop of soaring energy prices, higher raw-material procurement costs due to the weaker yen, and elevated labor costs resulting from the persistently high effective job-offers-to-applicants ratio, food and daily-life-related products continued to be repriced,」

「Selling, general and administrative expenses exceeded the prior-year level at 102.0% of the same quarter of the previous year due to stronger promotional measures aimed at increasing customer visits, higher labor costs per labor hour, and higher electricity charges, among other factors,」

「We advanced productivity improvement initiatives, including the introduction of full-self-service checkout systems and the rollout of “Scan & Go,” as well as measures to improve personnel-cost efficiency through reviews of staffing levels at headquarters and stores. However, selling, general and administrative expenses increased 1.5% from the same quarter of the previous year due to investments to revitalize existing stores on a large scale, among other factors.」

「Selling, general and administrative expenses reached the planned level through productivity improvement initiatives, including the introduction of full-self-service and semi-self-service checkout systems and work standardization, as well as measures to review staffing levels at headquarters and stores, while promotional expenses and other costs were below plan. At the same time, personnel was added to address increased demand for food, daily necessities and other products, and investments were made to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In addition, existing-store revitalization initiatives, including digital initiatives, were expanded, resulting in a 1.6% increase in selling, general and administrative expenses from the previous period.」

「Although we advanced productivity improvement initiatives, including the introduction of full-self-service and semi-self-service checkout systems and work standardization, as well as measures to review staffing levels at headquarters and stores, we expanded staffing to address increased demand for food, daily necessities and other products and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, resulting in a 2.7% year-on-year increase in personnel costs.」

「Although we advanced productivity improvement initiatives, including the introduction of full-self-service and semi-self-service checkout systems and work standardization, as well as measures to review staffing levels at headquarters and stores, we expanded staffing to address increased demand for food, daily necessities and other products and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, resulting in a 2.9% year-on-year increase in personnel costs.」

「Although we advanced productivity improvement initiatives, including the introduction of full-self-service and semi-self-service checkout systems and work standardization, as well as measures to review staffing levels at headquarters and stores, we expanded staffing to address increased demand for food, daily necessities and other products and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, resulting in a 3.9% year-on-year increase in personnel costs.」

「Although we advanced productivity improvement initiatives, including the introduction of full-self-service and semi-self-service checkout systems and work standardization, as well as measures to review staffing levels at headquarters and stores, these efforts were insufficient to offset higher social security costs and hourly wages, and personnel costs increased 1.2% from the previous period.」

「In selling, general and administrative expenses, the company advanced measures to improve productivity, including introducing full and semi-self-checkout registers and standardizing work processes, as well as reallocating personnel from back-office functions to stores. However, these measures did not offset the increase in unit labor costs, and personnel expenses rose 1.0% year on year.」

「Although we advanced initiatives to improve productivity, they were insufficient to offset higher personnel costs per employee, and personnel costs increased to 101.1% of the same quarter of the previous year.」

「Selling, general and administrative expenses were 102.6% of the prior-year level, due to personnel costs reaching 101.2% following an increase in staffing from new store openings and higher starting hourly wages, among other factors, and utilities costs reaching 108.5% due to higher electricity consumption during the summer heatwave, among other factors.」

「Meanwhile, supermarkets are facing a challenging operating environment due to rising wages and difficulties in hiring, as well as the effects of an unusually mild winter.」

「Selling, general and administrative expenses increased as higher personnel costs resulting from difficulties in hiring and the expanded application of social insurance, among other factors, rose 3.7% from the same quarter of the previous year, in addition to」

「Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 4.1% from the same quarter of the previous year due to higher personnel costs resulting from difficulties in hiring and the expanded application of social insurance, among other factors.」

「Expenses increased relatively, primarily due to higher personnel costs,」