Intensifying Competition with Foodservice Operators and Food Retailers
First written in FY2016. 9 of 13 entries say "Restated". Latest entry: FY2025.
Kourakuen moved to the "Worse" side of this theme in 2025, 3 years after the typical company in this theme (2022).
The whole theme swung hardest in 2026: 21 of 39 companies on the "Worse" side.
21 other companies' latest entry also says "Worsened".
- FY2025WorsenedAnnual report
「In particular, price pass-through to address cost increases accompanying higher prices has progressed recently, intensifying cross-industry price competition. Competition has also arisen for attractive new store locations and talented personnel.」
In addition to existing cross-industry competition, the disclosure identifies intensifying price competition driven by the pass-through of higher costs resulting from inflation, as well as competition for store locations and personnel. - FY2023RestatedAnnual report
「In the foodservice industry in which the Group operates, the Group faces intense competition not only from companies operating ramen and other similar businesses, but also from Japanese, Western and Chinese restaurants and fast-food chains, as well as food retailers such as convenience stores, supermarkets, takeout bento businesses and pizza delivery businesses. Competition extends across products, prices, convenience, quality and service offerings.」
The disclosure continues to describe a broad competitive environment including foodservice and food retail, and competition over products, prices, convenience, quality and service. - FY2022RestatedAnnual report
「In the foodservice industry in which the Group operates, the Group faces intense competition not only from companies operating ramen and other similar businesses, but also from Japanese, Western and Chinese restaurants and fast-food chains, as well as food retailers such as convenience stores, supermarkets, takeout bento businesses and pizza delivery businesses. Competition extends across products, prices, convenience, quality and service offerings.」
The disclosure continues to describe a broad competitive environment including foodservice and food retail, and competition over prices, quality, convenience and service. - FY2020-Q3Additional background factors behind the competitive environmentAnnual report
「The food service industry continues to face a difficult operating environment due to intensifying competition across industries and business formats, consumers’ preference for lower prices and competition to secure personnel against a backdrop of social structural changes, including the declining birthrate, population aging and work-style reforms, consumers’ growing focus on protecting their household finances, and the consumption tax increase.」
The disclosure newly identifies consumption tax increases as a factor behind continuing cross-industry competition, consumers' preference for low prices and competition for personnel. - FY2020-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「The food service industry continues to face a difficult operating environment due to intensifying competition across industries and business formats, consumers’ preference for lower prices and labor shortages against a backdrop of social structural changes, including the declining birthrate, population aging and work-style reforms, as well as issues related to pensions and retirement funds.」
It reiterates the challenging competitive environment, including cross-industry competition, consumers' preference for low prices and labor shortages. - FY2019-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「The food service industry continues to face a difficult operating environment due to higher raw material and logistics costs, as well as intensifying competition for customers and personnel across industries and business formats against a backdrop of social structural changes and consumers’ growing focus on protecting their household finances.」
It reiterates the challenging competitive environment arising from competition for customers and personnel, including competition from other industries, and consumers' focus on protecting their household finances. - FY2019-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「Against a backdrop of changes in social structures and consumers' growing focus on protecting their household finances, cross-industry competition for customers and personnel has intensified, and the challenging operating environment continues.」
It reiterates the challenging competitive environment arising from cross-industry and cross-business-format competition for customers and personnel and consumers' focus on protecting their household finances. - FY2019-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「In addition to rising raw-material prices and transportation costs, partly due to higher crude oil prices, competition across industries and business formats for customers and personnel has intensified against a backdrop of changes in social structures and consumers' growing focus on protecting their household finances. The challenging operating environment therefore continues.」
It reiterates the challenging competitive environment arising from cross-industry and cross-business-format competition for customers and personnel and consumers' focus on protecting their household finances. - FY2018WorsenedAnnual report
「In particular, price competition has intensified recently, while competition has also arisen for attractive new store locations and talented personnel.」
In addition to the existing cross-industry and cross-business-format competition, the disclosure specifically identifies intensifying competition over low prices, store locations and recruitment of personnel. - FY2018-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「The food service industry continues to face a difficult operating environment amid growing public concern about food safety and security, social structural changes including the declining birthrate, population aging and work-style reforms, intensifying competition for customers and personnel across industries and business formats, and the impact of consumers’ preference for economizing.」
It reiterates the challenging competitive environment arising from cross-industry competition for customers and personnel and consumers' preference for lower prices. - FY2017-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「The food service industry continues to face a difficult operating environment due to chronic labor shortages, soaring labor costs and consumers’ growing preference for economizing, which have intensified competition for customers and personnel across industries and business formats.」
It states that cross-industry and cross-business-format competition for customers and personnel continues, not only competition among industry peers. - FY2017-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「The food service industry continues to face a difficult operating environment due to chronic labor shortages, soaring labor costs, consumers’ preference for economizing and growing demand for prepared meals, which have intensified competition for customers and personnel across industries and business formats.」
It continues to indicate cross-industry and cross-business-format competition for customers and personnel, not only competition among industry peers. - FY2016First statedAnnual report
「In the foodservice industry, the Group faces intense competition not only from companies operating ramen and other similar businesses, but also from Japanese, Western and Chinese restaurants and fast-food chains, as well as food retailers such as convenience stores, supermarkets, takeout bento businesses and pizza delivery businesses. Competition extends across products, prices, convenience, quality and service offerings.」
The disclosure broadly describes competition over prices, quality, service, store locations and recruitment of personnel.