Advancing the wholesale business

「During the interim consolidated accounting period, the company worked in the Sports and Lifestyle markets to strengthen relationships with business partners through consultative sales and expand its handling of core brands. … As a result, revenue was ¥29,199 million, up 3.2% year on year.」

「当第１四半期連結累計期間におきましては、スポーツ市場及びライフスタイル市場において、提案型営業の推進を通じて取引先との関係強化を図るとともに、主力ブランドの取扱い拡大に努めました。」

「The company continued to work in the Sports and Lifestyle markets to strengthen relationships with business partners through consultative sales and expand its handling of core brands. … As a result, revenue was ¥57,106 million, up 6.3% from the previous fiscal year.」

「During the interim consolidated accounting period, the company worked to strengthen relationships with business partners through consultative sales and expand its handling of core brands in the Sports and Lifestyle markets. As a result, revenue was ¥29,146 million, up 7.0% year on year.」

「The expansion of the customer base through efforts to strengthen relationships with business partners using consultative sales, together with initiatives to enhance product capabilities in the Manufacturing segment, led to higher revenue. As a result, revenue was ¥55,309 million, up 6.5% from the previous fiscal year.」

「In the Athletics market within the Wholesale segment, demand for sports remained high due to growing interest, partly reflecting the strong performances of Japanese athletes in Japan and overseas. The baseball and softball, soccer, badminton and table tennis categories continued to perform well. … As a result, revenue was ¥26,492 million, up 4.6% year on year.」

「In the Athletics market, indoor and outdoor sports, including school extracurricular activities, returned to normal, most competitions were held as usual, and consumption remained strong across products. … As a result, revenue was ¥50,353 million, up 4.8% from the previous fiscal year.」

「In the Athletics market within the Wholesale segment, indoor and outdoor sports, including school extracurricular activities, returned to normal as restrictions on activities were eased, and demand for equipment remained high as most competitions were held normally. The tennis, badminton and table tennis categories continued to perform well. Baseball, golf and swimming also remained steady. However, winter apparel was weak due to rising consumer prices and the mild winter. In the Lifestyle market, demand increased for bags, including the “THULE” brand, and casual footwear such as sneakers, benefiting from the easing of activity restrictions, but consumers held back on apparel purchases due to rising consumer prices. In the outdoor category, apparel remained steady, while demand for equipment showed signs of levelling off. The Body Care market was almost flat. As a result, revenue was ¥36,773 million, up 4.2% year on year.」

「As a result, revenue was ¥25,332 million, up 5.4% year on year.」

「In the Athletics market, most indoor and outdoor competitions, including swimming events, were held normally as they had been before the COVID-19 pandemic after restrictions on activities were eased. Demand remained high and activity began to recover. … The soccer category performed well, while the baseball and softball category remained steady due to an increase in team orders. … As a result, revenue was ¥12,632 million, up 7.2% year on year.」

「In August 2023, the company relocated its aging and cramped western Japan logistics centre and began reforms to its logistics operations, the foundation of its wholesale business. … The company will work toward realising a next-generation DX wholesale business model.」

「In the Wholesale segment, school extracurricular activities returned to normal and numerous competitions and other events resumed in the Athletics market. Table tennis products continued to perform well as indoor sports recovered, while tennis and badminton products also performed well. Baseball and softball products remained steady, partly due to rush demand ahead of price revisions for some products. Soccer products remained steady, helped by the Japanese national team’s victories over strong teams at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. In the Lifestyle market, sports-casual apparel continued to perform well. Outdoor products remained steady despite some moderation amid changes in purchasing behaviour. In the Body Care market, walking shoes remained steady as opportunities to go out increased. As a result, revenue was ¥35,278 million, up 10.6% year on year.」

「In the Wholesale segment, school extracurricular activities were returning to normal and events such as competitions were resuming in the Athletics market. Table tennis products performed well, particularly as indoor sports recovered, and tennis and badminton products also performed well. Baseball and softball products remained steady. In the Lifestyle market, sports-casual apparel performed well, while outdoor products remained steady even as the boom was beginning to ease. In the Body Care market, walking shoes remained steady as opportunities to go out increased. As a result, revenue was ¥24,028 million, up 10.6% year on year.」

「In the Wholesale segment, the Athletics market remained steady, supported by team orders and increased share among customers. Indoor sports also showed signs of recovery, with table tennis products performing particularly well. In the Lifestyle market, footwear performed well as market conditions recovered, and outdoor products continued to perform steadily. In the Body Care market, walking shoes remained steady. … As a result, revenue was ¥11,781 million, up 6.9% year on year.」

「Toward a next-generation DX wholesale business model」

「In the Wholesale segment, supply stoppages and delays continued for some products because production systems, particularly overseas, were strained by the impact of COVID-19. In the Athletics market, however, restrictions on sales activities were eased from the previous fiscal year. In particular, infections fell sharply in the third quarter, economic activity normalised, and the business acquisition also contributed, resulting in a significant year-on-year increase in revenue and growth even compared with pre-pandemic levels. The Lifestyle market continued to perform steadily, led by outdoor products. The Body Care market remained steady as the business expanded following the acquisition. As a result, revenue was ¥31,893 million, up 23.3% year on year.」

「In the Wholesale segment, the Athletics market recovered significantly year on year and remained steady compared with the same period two years earlier, as restrictions on sales activities were eased from the previous fiscal year and the acquisition of the business from ベンゼネラル株式会社 contributed, despite the continued issuance of states of emergency. … As a result, revenue was ¥21,726 million, up 33.9% year on year.」

「The Wholesale segment continued to face a challenging operating environment in the Athletics market due in part to the issuance of states of emergency and priority preventive measures. However, restrictions on sales activities were less severe than in the same period of the previous fiscal year, and the acquisition of the business from ベンゼネラル株式会社 also contributed, resulting in a significant recovery year on year and steady performance even compared with the same period two years earlier. Within the market, outdoor sports such as baseball, softball and soccer had almost recovered to pre-pandemic levels, while indoor sports, where activities remained restricted, continued to face difficult conditions. In the Lifestyle market, outdoor products continued to perform well, although demand for products related to the COVID-19 environment had subsided. The Body Care market remained steady as the fitness business acquired from ベンゼネラル株式会社 expanded. As a result, revenue was ¥11,016 million, up 80.8% year on year.」

「As part of efforts to deepen the Athletics business, the company proceeded with the acquisition of a business from ベンゼネラル株式会社, a company in the same industry. The acquisition was expected to contribute to earnings from 1 April 2021.」

「In the Wholesale segment, the Athletics market performed steadily, particularly in the third quarter, due in part to an increase in the brands handled, although the impact of refraining from sales activities and other factors in the first quarter remained significant and the market struggled overall. … As a result, revenue was ¥25,874 million, down 13.3% year on year. At a meeting of the Board of Directors held on 25 November 2020, the company resolved to acquire the sports equipment wholesale business of ベンゼネラル株式会社 and entered into a business transfer agreement dated 25 December 2020. The business acquisition was scheduled to take place on 1 April 2021.」

「In the Wholesale segment, the Athletics market struggled overall because the impact of refraining from sales activities and other factors in the first quarter remained significant, although some sporting events and extracurricular activities were gradually resuming. Products addressing the COVID-19 environment performed steadily, and the company also worked to expand its fan base by launching the YouTube “ZETT BASEBALL Channel” and providing real-time information, including new product introductions and campaign announcements. The Lifestyle market also struggled overall, but products related to stay-at-home consumption remained steady. … As a result, revenue was ¥16,227 million, down 22.3% year on year.」

「In the Wholesale segment, the main markets struggled as sales activities were restricted and people refrained from going out. The Athletics market struggled overall. The Lifestyle market also struggled to a similar extent, although consumption related to the COVID-19 environment remained steady. The Body Care market performed poorly, partly due to the impact of people refraining from going out. As a result, revenue was ¥6,092 million, down 41.9% year on year.」

「In the Athletics market, … personal consumption remained sluggish due to the consumption tax increase and abnormal weather. In addition, sales activities were restricted in the fourth quarter due to the cancellation of various sporting events to prevent the spread of COVID-19, temporary school closures and the suspension of extracurricular activities, resulting in generally weak performance. … In the Lifestyle market, outdoor products continued to perform well amid their sustained popularity, while casual apparel and casual footwear remained steady due to an increase in the brands handled and the expansion of sales channels. … As a result, revenue was ¥40,070 million, down 1.1% from the previous fiscal year.」

「In the Wholesale segment, the Athletics market performed poorly overall. Tennis products and competition apparel performed well, but baseball and softball products were weak, while competition footwear and soccer products struggled. The Lifestyle market remained steady, with casual apparel and casual footwear performing well due to an increase in the brands handled and other factors. Outdoor products continued to perform well amid their growing popularity. The Body Care market performed poorly. As a result, revenue was ¥29,854 million, up 0.0% year on year.」

「The Lifestyle market remained steady, with casual apparel and casual footwear performing well due to an increase in the brands handled and other factors. Outdoor products also remained steady amid their growing popularity.」

「In the Wholesale segment, the External Sales and School and Athletics markets remained challenging, with competition footwear and soccer products struggling, although baseball and softball products continued to perform steadily from the previous fiscal year. The Lifestyle market remained steady, with casual apparel and casual bags performing well due to an increase in the brands handled and other factors. Outdoor products also continued to perform steadily from the previous fiscal year. The Body Care market remained steady amid growing health consciousness. As a result, revenue was ¥10,485 million, up 1.7% year on year.」

「In the Lifestyle market, performance was generally strong due to an increase in the brands handled following the acquisition of the business from シウラスポーツ用品株式会社, as well as the expansion of sales channels.」

「Following the acquisition of the sports equipment business from シウラスポーツ用品㈱, the number of brands handled increased. The Lifestyle market performed well overall, with bags, footwear and outdoor products performing strongly, while the Body Care market also performed well amid growing health consciousness.」

「The Wholesale segment proceeded with the acquisition of the business from シウラスポーツ用品㈱ as planned. In the "Team Sales and Schools" and "Athletics" markets, competition apparel struggled, but baseball and softball equipment, table tennis equipment and competition footwear continued to perform steadily from the previous fiscal year.」

「The Wholesale segment worked to expand its fan base by opening an online shop, establishing a new shareholder benefit program for shareholders of ZETT CORPORATION using the shop, improving its website, and enhancing the official ZETT Baseball social media accounts.」

「The Company opened "TIMBUK2 TOKYO," the flagship store of the casual bag brand "TIMBUK2," in Harajuku, Tokyo, in December 2017 and worked to raise brand awareness.」

「Baseball and softball equipment, table tennis equipment, competition footwear and competition apparel performed steadily, as proposals to customers and merchandising capabilities were well received.」

「Baseball and softball equipment, table tennis equipment, competition footwear and competition apparel performed steadily, aided in part by stronger merchandising capabilities.」

「In the "Lifestyle" market, outdoor goods, apparel and footwear all performed well, supported in part by the strength of the light outdoor market, including family camping. Casual bags, centered on the "TIMBUK2" brand, also remained solid, and the Company opened a TIMBUK2 shop at Coppice Kichijoji in Musashino, Tokyo, in March 2017 to further raise brand awareness.」

「Under these circumstances, the Group worked to improve performance based on the following basic policies: ① strengthening proprietary products, ② advancing the wholesale business, ③ developing new products and new distribution channels and pursuing new businesses, ④ improving productivity, ⑤ energizing human resources, developing and upgrading information systems, and strengthening logistics functions, and ⑥ strengthening collaboration within the Group.」

「Under these circumstances, the Group worked to improve performance based on the following basic policies: ① strengthening proprietary products, ② advancing the wholesale business, ③ developing new products and new distribution channels and pursuing new businesses, ④ improving productivity, ⑤ energizing human resources, developing and upgrading information systems, and strengthening logistics functions, and ⑥ strengthening collaboration within the Group.」

「Under these circumstances, the Group worked to improve performance based on the following basic policies: ① strengthening proprietary products, ② advancing the wholesale business, ③ developing new products and new distribution channels and pursuing new businesses, ④ improving productivity, ⑤ energizing human resources, developing and upgrading information systems, and strengthening logistics functions, and ⑥ strengthening collaboration within the Group.」

「② Advancing the wholesale business」