Strengthening Store Operations Support for Wholesale Customers in the Mass-Retail Sector

「For stores operated by individual owners and stores receiving dispatched sales staff, we will strengthen sales training based on “Suhada Migaki,” as we do at directly operated stores, to build a base of regular customers while pursuing customer-attraction measures to acquire new customers.」

「At stores receiving dispatched sales staff, the Company worked to strengthen profitability while suspending dispatches to stores with weak sales and pursuing other business-improvement measures. However, sales declined slightly year on year.」

「In wholesale operations for major mass retailers, the Company worked to limit returns of seasonal limited-edition products and other items from business partners. It also sought to improve business profitability by strengthening the earnings capacity of stores receiving dispatched sales staff while suspending dispatches to stores with weak sales.」

「For major mass retailers, increased deliveries of seasonal limited-edition products and winter-sale items, as well as efforts to limit returns from wholesale customers, contributed to results. In other domestic general wholesale operations, the Company has long traded with ORIENTAL LAND CO.,LTD. and, under contract with the company, wholesales original and other products for Tokyo Disneyland, hereinafter “TDL.” As TDL marked its 40th anniversary this year, the substantial increase in transaction value contributed to cumulative sales for the current period being significantly higher than in the same period of the previous year.」

「The Company strengthened sales-promotion measures at top-performing stores operated by individual owners and pursued various initiatives, including suspending staff dispatches to mass-retailer stores with weak sales, to improve business profitability.」

「Meanwhile, wholesale operations for major mass retailers steadily increased sales as the number of “Relax Time” self-service locations focused mainly on body care grew, while product assortments were reviewed and merchandising was improved, raising the customer purchase rate.」

「Meanwhile, wholesale operations for major mass retailers grew as the number of self-service “Relax Time” stores focused mainly on body care increased, along with the number of wholesale locations for individual products such as the Oh!Baby and Beehoney brands.」

「Meanwhile, wholesale operations for major mass retailers benefited from steady growth in “Relax Time,” a self-service format focused mainly on body-care products, expanded distribution channels for individual products, and increased deliveries by some business partners as the effects of COVID-19 subsided.」

「For the self-service “Relax Time” format, we will continue increasing the number of locations while strengthening our field representatives, who manage stores and provide sales guidance, in an effort to increase sales per store and revitalize the stores.」

「Meanwhile, sales to major mass retailers increased as the number of locations for the self-service Relax Time concept and individual products such as Beehoney-branded products increased, along with wholesale sales to business partners to which we dispatch sales staff. Sales increased 3.9% year on year.」

「Meanwhile, wholesale sales to major mass retailers increased approximately 5% year on year, driven by steady growth in “Relax Time,” a self-service format focused mainly on body-care products, higher sales at stores to which the Company dispatches sales staff, and expanded distribution channels for individual products through wholesale operations.」

「Meanwhile, although consulting-based sales at major mass retailers were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, stores handling groceries remained open. Self-service stores, including “Relax Time,” steadily increased sales and store numbers, while the number of wholesale locations for Beehoney-branded products also increased. As a result, total sales declined only 2.8% year on year.」

「Meanwhile, for mass retailers, expanding sales outlets for the self-service “Relax Time” format and Beehoney-branded products led to sales to customers who prefer to avoid face-to-face sales.」

「In the wholesale division, we will strengthen our sales force and develop new business partners in Japan, while expanding distribution channels for “Relax Time” at major mass retailers. We will also strengthen our sales training framework and seek to increase sales at stores operated by individual owners and mass-retailer stores to which sales staff are dispatched.」

「In sales to mass retailers, the company also saw an increase in the number of business partners and improved product awareness through merchandising initiatives and other measures, limiting the decline in combined revenue from the two divisions to a slight decrease year on year.」

「Although wholesale sales to individual owner-operated stores declined, wholesale sales for cross-border e-commerce to China through アイスタイルトレーディング continued to increase substantially. The wholesale business also grew steadily as the company expanded store openings for its merchandising format centered on body-care cosmetics at major mass retailers.」

「In the wholesale division serving mass retailers, the company expanded the new merchandising program “Relax Time,” centered on body-care cosmetics, and strengthened its support framework for store operations, resulting in a 1.6% year-on-year increase in revenue.」