Growing sense of labor shortages
First written in FY2018. 2 of 4 entries say "Dropped", first in FY2019. Latest entry: FY2020.
Handsman moved to the "Worse" side of this theme in 2020, 3 years before the typical company in this theme (2023).
The whole theme swung hardest in 2025: 15 of 29 companies on the "Worse" side.
5 other companies' latest entry also says "Dropped".
- FY2020DroppedAnnual report
「The operating environment surrounding the retail industry is expected to become increasingly challenging due to market contraction caused by population decline, intensifying competition from businesses in other industries and other factors,」
The “chronic labor shortage” that had again been disclosed through the previous fiscal year is not explicitly mentioned in the full-year discussion of the operating environment and issues. However, measures for human resources development continue to be disclosed. - FY2020-Q3WorsenedAnnual report
「The business environment remained challenging due to intensifying sales competition across business formats, a decline in consumer sentiment following the consumption tax increase, chronic labor shortages and other factors.」
The labor shortage, which disappeared from the previous fiscal year's disclosure, was explicitly identified again in the current fiscal year as a “chronic labor shortage,” described as an ongoing business-environment issue. - FY2019DroppedAnnual report
「During the fiscal year, Japan's retail environment remained challenging. While employment and income conditions continued to improve, private consumption lacked momentum against a backdrop of cost-consciousness, while sales competition across business formats, including the expansion of the e-commerce market, intensified.」
The expression used in the previous fiscal year, “labor shortages becoming increasingly acute,” was not repeated in the current fiscal year's discussion of the operating environment and issues to be addressed, which instead refers to improvements in the employment and income environment. - FY2018First statedAnnual report
「The business environment remained challenging, as labor shortages became increasingly acute while sales competition intensified across business formats.」
Increasingly acute labor shortages are identified for the first time as a business-environment risk for the retail industry, alongside intensifying sales competition.