Labor shortages and higher recruitment costs

「The operating environment surrounding the Group is expected to remain difficult. Prolonged geopolitical risks, including heightened tensions in the Middle East, have raised concerns over fluctuations in energy and raw material prices and instability in international logistics, while the continued trend toward yen depreciation, worsening labor shortages, and higher labor costs due to minimum wage increases are also expected to weigh on conditions.」

「In particular, the burden of both raw material and labor costs increased due to higher prices for raw materials such as meat, historically high rice prices, higher logistics costs, and higher labor costs associated with minimum wage increases.」

「In the food service industry, solid demand continues as more people are dining out due to increased human mobility and as the number of visitors to Japan rises. However, the operating environment remains difficult as multiple factors are driving up costs, including inflation caused by higher energy and raw material prices, the yen's depreciation against the backdrop of the Japan-U.S. interest rate differential, chronic labor shortages, and higher average wages.」

「In the food service industry, solid demand continues as more people are dining out due to increased human mobility and as the number of visitors to Japan rises. However, the operating environment remains difficult as multiple factors are driving up costs, including inflation caused by higher energy and raw material prices, the yen's depreciation against the backdrop of the Japan-U.S. interest rate differential, labor shortages, and higher average wages.」

「The food service industry continues to face a difficult operating environment. Although personal consumption is recovering and inbound demand is expanding, imported food prices have risen due to the unstable international situation and the weaker yen, energy prices remain high, hourly wages have risen due to labor shortages, and customer usage patterns have changed significantly.」

「The food service industry continues to face difficult conditions. Food prices have risen as the prolonged situation in Ukraine and the weaker yen have driven up energy prices and the prices of imported food ingredients and fertilizers, while hourly wages and hours worked are also expected to rise due to labor shortages.」

「Meanwhile, wage rates have risen, including as a result of reviewing advertised hourly wages to secure part-time employees, leading to higher total labor costs. If this situation persists and the Group is unable to secure and train personnel at a pace that keeps up with store openings, the Group's business performance may be affected.」

「Meanwhile, wage rates have risen, including as a result of reviewing advertised hourly wages to secure part-time employees, leading to higher total labor costs. If this situation persists and the Group is unable to secure and train personnel at a pace that keeps up with store openings, its business performance may be affected.」

「The food-service industry remains in a challenging situation. Amid continued increases in labor, raw-material and logistics costs, competition across industries and business formats is intensifying due to diversifying consumer needs, persistent consumer frugality and the consumption tax increase, which resulted in a 10% tax rate for dining out versus the reduced 8% rate for prepared meals.」

「The food service industry continues to face difficult conditions, including persistently high labor, raw material and logistics costs, increasingly diverse consumer needs, a deep-rooted preference for saving, and intensifying competition across industry boundaries.」

「The food service industry continues to face difficult conditions, including higher labor costs due to labor shortages, soaring raw material and logistics costs, increasingly diverse consumer needs, and intensifying competition across industry boundaries.」

「The food service industry continues to face a difficult operating environment, including persistently high raw material prices, higher labor costs due to labor shortages, and intensifying competition among companies, including competition between stores and across industries.」

「Meanwhile, the food-service industry continues to face a challenging business environment, including higher labor costs due to labor shortages, surging construction costs associated with preparations for the Tokyo Olympics, and intensifying competition between stores and companies.」

「The food service industry continues to face difficult conditions, including higher labor costs due to labor shortages, soaring construction costs associated with preparations for the Tokyo Olympics, and adverse effects on agricultural products caused by adverse weather and heavy rainfall.」

「The food service industry continues to face a difficult operating environment, including higher raw material prices due to adverse weather and rising logistics costs, higher labor costs due to labor shortages, increasingly diverse customer preferences, and the need to address food safety and security.」

「The food service industry continues to face a difficult operating environment, including higher raw material prices due to the weaker yen and rising logistics costs, higher labor costs due to labor shortages, increasingly diverse customer preferences, and the need to address food safety and security.」

「The food service industry continues to face a difficult operating environment, including higher raw material prices due to the weaker yen and rising logistics costs, higher labor costs due to labor shortages, increasingly diverse customer preferences, and the need to address food safety and security.」

「The food service industry continues to face a difficult operating environment, including higher raw material prices due to the weaker yen and rising logistics costs, higher labor costs due to labor shortages, increasingly diverse customer preferences, and the need to address food safety and security.」

「The company needs to respond to various risks, including labor shortages, rising raw-material costs, and the need to ensure food safety and security and protect the environment.」

「The food-service industry continues to operate in a challenging business environment, including a renewed rise in consumer frugality due to changes in consumer sentiment, higher raw-material prices caused by adverse weather and a worsening supply-demand balance, and higher labor costs against a backdrop of labor shortages.」

「The food-service industry continues to operate in a challenging business environment, including rising raw-material prices due to the stronger yen and worsening supply-demand balance, as well as higher labor costs due to labor shortages, alongside changes in consumer sentiment.」

「The company operated in a challenging business environment, including rising raw-material prices, labor shortages and competition from other industries, partly due to the weaker yen.」