Developing New Markets by Strengthening Marketing Functions

「The effect of publishing the comprehensive catalog was carried over into the fourth quarter.」

「The Interior segment was affected by sluggish new housing starts, which became a factor limiting earnings growth. The company worked to offset this impact by publishing Comprehensive Catalog Vol.17, featuring numerous new products, and selling productivity-enhancing equipment for the logistics warehouses of a major wallpaper manufacturer as scheduled.」

「In the Interior segment, the announcement of price revisions in response to higher raw-material prices prompted a surge in rush demand ahead of the price increases, increasing sales of automatic wallpaper pasting machines and consumables for construction work. In addition, deliveries of wallpaper measuring machines for the logistics warehouses of a major wallpaper manufacturer, for which inquiries had been received since the previous fiscal year, are progressing as scheduled.」

「The Interior segment, whose principal products are interior finishing equipment, tools and auxiliary materials, implemented initiatives including the increasing number of in-person trade shows and the launch of new products such as a new automatic wallpaper pasting machine. However, sales remained sluggish partly because of weakness in the housing construction-related market.」

「The Interior segment implemented initiatives including the revival of large-scale in-person trade shows and the launch of new products such as a new automatic wallpaper pasting machine. However, sales remained sluggish partly because of weakness in the housing construction-related market.」

「The Interior segment's sales remained generally solid as the company pursued initiatives including the revival of large-scale in-person trade shows and the launch of new products, and sales of the new automatic wallpaper pasting machine launched in December 2023 also progressed well. On the earnings front, however, costs associated with the change of corporate name and depreciation of assets used to manufacture new products weighed on results, while higher raw-material and product procurement prices also affected earnings.」

「In the Interior segment, the revival of large-scale in-person trade shows led to higher sales of wallpaper pasting machines and other products, and sales exceeded those of the same period of the previous year. The decline following the pullback in rush demand before publication of the catalog in October 2022 subsided, while profitability was strengthened by the revised pricing in the catalog and increased sales of higher-end wallpaper pasting machines at trade shows.」

「In the Interior segment, sales were slightly below the same period of the previous year because the reaction to the buildup of rush orders in September 2022 before publication of the new comprehensive catalog, or before the price increases, persisted. Although the revival of large-scale in-person trade shows contributed to sales, earnings improved as the catalog's revised pricing was accepted.」

「Although sales in the Interior segment were below the same period of the previous year because of the reaction to the buildup of rush orders in September 2022 before publication of the new comprehensive catalog, or before the price increases, sales exceeded the initial plan as the effect of publishing the new comprehensive catalog and its revised pricing were well received.」

「In September 2022, the company announced a price review in the new comprehensive catalog published on 1 October of the same year, resulting in an increase in advance orders, mainly for consumables.」

「Remote sales initiatives and the expansion of in-person trade show activities progressed well, while the 50th-anniversary model commemorating the launch of sales of automatic wallpaper pasting machines in April also performed well.」

「Although the effect of public measures such as sustainability benefits, which were available last year, weakened in the current period, the market itself continued to recover. Sales of equipment and tools performed steadily as the company promoted remote sales initiatives and participation in in-person trade shows.」

「In the Tatami segment, the company sought to identify prospective customers through active remote seminars and actively encouraged applications for the Monozukuri, Commerce and Services Productivity Enhancement Subsidy administered by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency for projects using the company's equipment. As a result, projects using the company's equipment accounted for well over half of the selected tatami shops. These initiatives drove strong sales in the Tatami segment and enabled the company to secure the industry's top market share.」

「In-person small-scale trade shows gradually resumed, and the Interior business division also benefited from new sales initiatives incorporating remote methods. Sales of interior installation equipment, including automatic wallpaper pasting machines, as well as tools and auxiliary materials, continued to perform well.」

「In addition to the gradual resumption of in-person trade shows, the Interior business division thoroughly implemented sales initiatives incorporating remote methods as alternatives to trade shows. As a result, sales of interior installation equipment, including automatic wallpaper pasting machines, as well as tools and auxiliary materials, continued to perform well following the first quarter.」

「In the Interior segment, distributor-sponsored events in April and May were completely canceled due to COVID-19, sharply reducing opportunities to promote new products directly to end users. Although trade shows gradually resumed from late June, sales of core products such as wallpaper pasting machines were particularly affected during the quarter.」

「The Interior segment remained sluggish because sales of the new automatic wallpaper pasting machine were weak, while the cancellation of distributor-sponsored events began due to the impact of COVID-19, reducing opportunities to promote new products directly to end users.」

「The company had expected to recover during the period from the decline following the pullback in rush demand ahead of the consumption tax increase through higher sales generated by Commercial Catalog No. 15, published in July of the previous year. However, partly because the generally challenging operating environment continued, it was unable to recover fully, and both sales and profit remained sluggish.」

「Commercial Catalog No. 15, published on 1 July, was well received and helped expand sales, while the new automatic wallpaper pasting machine announced at the same time as the catalog generated sales in line with expectations.」

「Sales of new products, including interior finishing tools, progressed well following advance promotional activities before the catalog was published.」

「To address this issue, the company is strengthening the marketing function and staffing while broadly gathering information through its sales division.」