Securing and Developing Talent to Support Store Expansion and Store Managers’ Self-Managed Operations

「The company continues to actively recruit both new graduates and mid-career hires. In recruitment activities targeting students scheduled to graduate in spring 2027, the number of accepted job offers has remained at the same level as the previous year. Mid-career hires through the end of August totalled 37. Key initiatives include bringing forward the start of outreach to prospective university graduates to provide more time for them to deepen their understanding of the company.」

「In recruitment, we have actively continued recruiting new graduates and mid-career employees, hiring 107 new graduates in spring 2026 and 106 mid-career employees during the current fiscal year.」

「The company hired 107 new graduates in spring 2026 and 106 mid-career employees during the fiscal year. As a result of strengthening support systems for specified skilled foreign workers, including post-hiring training and assistance with residence-status applications and other administrative procedures, 2 employees passed the Specified Skilled Worker (ii) qualification examination, bringing the total number of successful candidates to 4.」

「In recruitment, we have actively continued recruiting new graduates, mid-career employees, and foreign workers under the Specified Skilled Worker program, producing positive results in each area. For graduate recruitment, the number of applicants for workplace tours ahead of the employment selection process for high school students graduating in spring 2026, which opens in September, reached a record 70 people. Mid-career recruitment stood at 46 people as of the end of August and was progressing at a steady pace. We are also actively recruiting foreign workers under the Specified Skilled Worker program.」

「In recruitment, we have actively continued recruiting new graduates, mid-career employees, and foreign workers under the Specified Skilled Worker program, including by launching an official recruitment Instagram account to communicate the company’s appeal, promoting store-based Friend employees to full-time positions, and issuing the internal recruitment newsletter “Hiday Press,” which provides information on the Specified Skilled Worker program. Graduate recruitment for spring 2025 reached a record 107 people, while mid-career recruitment in the current fiscal year totaled 101 people. For foreign workers under the Specified Skilled Worker program, we strengthened support systems, including post-recruitment education and training and assistance with administrative procedures such as applications for status of residence. As a result, 2 people passed the examination for Specified Skilled Worker (ii) status.」

「In recruitment, we have actively continued recruiting new graduates, mid-career employees, and foreign workers under the Specified Skilled Worker program, producing positive results in each area. For graduate recruitment, the number of applicants for workplace tours ahead of the employment selection process for high school students graduating in spring 2025, which opens in September, reached a record high. Mid-career recruitment stood at 53 people as of the end of August and was progressing at a pace above the record high recorded in the fiscal year ended February 2024. Recruitment of foreign workers under the Specified Skilled Worker program is also progressing smoothly.」

「In recruitment, we have actively continued recruiting new graduates, mid-career employees, and foreign workers under the Specified Skilled Worker program, both inside and outside the company, including by launching an official recruitment Instagram account to communicate the company’s appeal, promoting store-based Friend employees to full-time positions, and issuing the internal recruitment newsletter “HIDAY PRESS,” which provides information on the Specified Skilled Worker program. Graduate recruitment for spring 2024 reached a record 106 people. As of the end of May, mid-career recruitment stood at 52 people and was progressing at a pace above the record high recorded in the fiscal year ended February 2024. Regarding compensation, we implemented a base-pay increase of more than 4% in April, including regular salary increases, bringing the company-wide salary increase rate to 5.5%, and raised starting salaries for new graduates by ¥15,000.」

「To support medium- to long-term growth, we have strengthened graduate recruitment, mid-career recruitment, and recruitment of foreign workers under the Specified Skilled Worker program. We recruited 106 new graduates in spring 2024 and 105 mid-career employees in the fiscal year ended February 2024, both record highs.」

「To support medium- to long-term growth, we are strengthening not only graduate recruitment but also mid-career recruitment and recruitment of foreign workers under the Specified Skilled Worker program. We are also actively promoting Friend employees (part-time employees) to full-time positions. The number of mid-career hires during the cumulative third-quarter period was progressing above the annual plan.」

「To strengthen recruitment, we revamped our corporate website and recruitment website with the aim of enhancing our corporate brand and expanding our recruitment activities. We provide information on our appeal and various other topics, including role models, job descriptions, and employee benefits. For personnel development, we expanded our training facilities and increased opportunities for education and training to improve the cooking and customer-service skills of full-time and Friend employees. Regarding compensation, in April 2023 we implemented a base-pay increase of just under 5% for full-time employees and raised starting salaries for new graduates, with the aim of improving employee loyalty and motivation.」

「Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales were 61.9% (72.1% in the same quarter of the previous year), as the benefit of higher net sales offset increases in personnel expenses due to the addition of Friend employees and hourly wage increases, as well as higher utilities, consumables, and other costs.」

「To strengthen employee recruitment, we will renew the recruitment section of our corporate website and actively use social media and YouTube. We will also improve compensation through base-pay increases, additional annual holidays, and a review of employee benefits. For Friend employees (the company’s term for part-time employees), we will also improve compensation, including by setting hourly wages according to the store environment.」

「Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales were 71.4% (89.1% in the cumulative period of the same quarter of the previous year), as personnel expenses increased due to the addition of Friend employees and hourly wage increases, while utilities, consumables, and other costs continued to rise.」

「Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales were 72.9% (95.2% in the cumulative period of the same quarter of the previous year), as base pay was raised in April and personnel expenses rose due to labor shortages, while utilities and logistics costs continued to increase.」

「① We will continue efforts to recruit and develop personnel, train store managers, and develop the next generation of management. In store operations, we will maintain the established store-manager-led autonomous management model and promote the dissemination of our management philosophy and vision through various training programs. We will review the training system and increase the number of training sessions. We will steadily improve the working environment through measures including increasing the number of Friend employees (the company’s term for part-time employees), improving their retention rate, reviewing operating hours, and promoting the use of paid leave.」

「We will continue efforts to secure and develop personnel, develop store managers and the next generation of management personnel, and maintain established store manager-led autonomous management in store operations. Through various training programmes, we will promote understanding of our management philosophy and vision. We will review the training system and increase the number of training sessions. We will implement various measures to increase the number of Friend employees on staff and improve retention, review operating hours, and promote the use of paid leave, steadily improving the working environment.」

「The company-wide smoking ban introduced in April created an environment that enables more customers to visit our stores. The company-wide smoking ban introduced in April created an environment that enables more customers to visit our stores. We are also installing smoking booths at some stores and working to create stores that satisfy customers who smoke.」

「When Friend employees joined the company, we expanded training venues and increased the number of trainers to facilitate a smooth start to work and help prevent early resignations. We will continue to place greater emphasis on education and training and work to create a comfortable working environment.」

「As part of our efforts to improve the working environment, we shortened operating hours at newly opened stores and in areas with multiple stores compared with the previous schedule, promoted initiatives such as smoking bans and segregated smoking areas, and worked to create stores that satisfy more customers.」

「We will continue efforts to secure and develop personnel, develop store managers and the next generation of management personnel, and maintain established store manager-led autonomous management in store operations. Through various training programmes, we will promote understanding of our management philosophy and vision. We will review the training system and increase the number of training sessions. We will implement various measures to increase the number of Friend employees on staff and improve retention, review operating hours, and promote the use of paid leave, steadily improving the working environment.」

「As part of our efforts to improve the working environment, we shortened operating hours at newly opened stores and in areas with multiple stores compared with the previous schedule, promoted initiatives such as segregated smoking areas and smoking bans, and worked to create stores that satisfy more customers.」

「As part of our efforts to improve the working environment, we shortened operating hours at newly opened stores and in areas with multiple stores compared with the previous schedule, promoted initiatives such as smoking bans and segregated smoking areas, and worked to create stores that satisfy more customers.」

「Selling, general and administrative expenses increased due to higher personnel costs resulting from base-pay increases to improve employee treatment, the opening of 5 new stores (3 in the same quarter of the previous year), and higher utility expenses, including electricity and gas. SG&A as a percentage of net sales was 60.0% (58.7% in the same quarter of the previous year).」

「We will continue efforts to secure and develop personnel, develop store managers and the next generation of management personnel, and maintain established store manager-led autonomous management in store operations. Through various training programmes, we will promote understanding of our management philosophy and vision. We will review the training system and increase the number of training sessions. We will implement various measures to increase the number of Friend employees on staff and improve retention, review operating hours, and share staffing shifts between stores, steadily improving the working environment.」

「We will continue efforts to secure and develop personnel in response to the expansion of our store network, develop store managers and the next generation of management personnel, and maintain store operations based on established store manager-led autonomous management. Through various training programmes, we will promote understanding of our management philosophy and vision, while implementing various measures to improve the working environment.」