Expanding business opportunities by capturing shifts in hygiene awareness and takeaway demand

「New customer development for the Fuwarica rice-serving robot progressed, including installations at major food-service chains and supermarkets, and sales increased.」

「In addition, although efforts to develop new customers for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) are progressing, including installations at major hotel chains and supermarkets,」

「In addition, although efforts to develop new customers for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) are progressing, including the start of installations at a major hotel chain,」

「Rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) saw expanded replacement demand and an increase in new customers among restaurants and cafeterias, as well as increased additional-installation demand from supermarkets and new customers among hotels, ryokan inns, and institutional catering businesses.」

「By product and business format, sushi robots were driven by replacement demand from major conveyor-belt sushi chains, while replacement and additional-installation demand from supermarkets remained firm. Demand for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) also expanded, with additional-installation demand from supermarkets and an increase in new customers among restaurants, cafeterias, hotels, ryokan inns, and institutional catering businesses, and domestic sales exceeded those in the same quarter of the previous year.」

「In Japan, the operating environment remains challenging for the food service and retail industries due to soaring raw material and energy prices. However, product demand remained firm, supported by the reclassification of COVID-19 to Category 5 in May 2023, the recovery in inbound demand, and continued labor-saving efforts amid labor shortages. By business format, replacement demand for sushi robots from major conveyor-belt sushi chains led performance, while replacement demand from supermarkets remained firm, demand for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) from restaurants, cafeterias, hotels, ryokan inns, and institutional catering businesses expanded, and domestic sales exceeded those in the same quarter of the previous year.」

「Replacement demand for sushi robots from major conveyor-belt sushi chains was a key driver, while demand for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) from restaurants, diners, hotels, inns and institutional catering businesses expanded, resulting in domestic sales exceeding the year-earlier quarter. Domestic sales were ¥2,352 million, up 15.4% year on year, while overseas sales were ¥909 million, down 17.5%.」

「By business format, although demand for sushi robots from supermarkets had run its course, product demand for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) from restaurants and cafeterias expanded, while product demand for sushi robots from major conveyor-belt sushi chains remained firm.」

「By business format, product demand for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) from restaurants and cafeterias continued to expand, while demand for sushi robots from major conveyor-belt sushi chains remained firm.」

「By business format, product demand for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) from restaurants and cafeterias continued to expand, while product demand for sushi robots from major conveyor-belt sushi chains also increased.」

「The spread of takeout and delivery and the shift toward labor-saving operations continued. By business format, although product demand from supermarkets and other sources declined as stay-at-home demand eased, demand for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) from restaurants and cafeterias expanded, while demand for sushi robots from major conveyor-belt sushi chains remained firm.」

「In addition, against the backdrop of heightened hygiene awareness and growing concern about food waste among businesses and end consumers, product demand for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) expanded among new customer segments such as hotels, ryokan inns, employee cafeterias, and hospitals.」

「In addition, against the backdrop of heightened hygiene awareness and growing concern about food waste among businesses and end consumers, product demand for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) expanded among new customer segments such as hotels, ryokan inns, and employee cafeterias, and domestic sales exceeded those in the same quarter of the previous year.」

「In addition, demand for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) expanded among new customer segments such as hotels, ryokan inns, and employee cafeterias, and domestic sales exceeded those in the same quarter of the previous year.」

「In addition, demand for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica) began to expand among new customer segments such as hotels and employee cafeterias, and domestic sales significantly exceeded those in the same quarter of the previous year.」

「From the second-quarter consolidated accounting period onward, product demand remained firm as heightened hygiene awareness among businesses and end consumers, together with structural changes in the food service industry such as takeout and delivery, accelerated self-service and labor-saving efforts. By product, demand increased for rice portioning robots (Fuwarica), mainly in cafeterias and restaurants, as rice service shifted to self-service. Demand also increased for sushi rice forming robots equipped with a function for transferring sushi rice portions into containers for takeout, mainly in major conveyor-belt sushi chains. In addition, continuing from the first-quarter consolidated accounting period, demand increased for products such as seaweed-roll robots for in-store food preparation at supermarkets, supported by stay-at-home demand, as well as for hygiene-related materials, particularly alcohol-based products. As a result, domestic sales exceeded those in the same quarter of the previous year.」

「Although domestic sales in the first-quarter accounting period were affected by COVID-19, sales in the current second-quarter accounting period followed a recovery trend as new demand emerged from structural changes in the food service industry, including takeout and delivery.」

「Sales of hygiene-related products expanded due to heightened awareness of hygiene among businesses and end consumers」

「At the same time, COVID-19 has significantly affected people's values and lifestyles. Changes such as heightened hygiene awareness among end consumers and businesses, and diversifying customer needs reflected in the spread of takeout and delivery, are areas where the Company's products can help consumers and businesses address their challenges and expand the Company's business opportunities.」