Declining Population and Number of Households and Competition Across Industries and Business Formats

「・The outlook for the economy remains uncertain due to persistently high energy and raw material prices, the impact of developments in the Middle East, fluctuations in financial markets and other factors.」

「In the retail industry, consumers’ defensive spending mindset remains strong against a backdrop of continued price increases, while competition extending beyond traditional industry and business-format boundaries is intensifying, and the challenging operating environment continues. In addition, labor and logistics costs associated with store operations and construction costs for new stores are rising, while labor shortages are becoming more serious, creating a need for more productive store operations.」

「Real wages have not kept pace with rising consumer prices, and consumers’ defensive spending mindset remains strong. In addition to rising costs across a range of areas, including labor, logistics, construction and utilities, competition extending beyond traditional industry and business-format boundaries is intensifying, and the challenging operating environment continues.」

「In the retail industry, consumers’ defensive spending mindset, driven by continued price increases for utilities, daily necessities and other items, remains firmly entrenched. In addition, rising labor and logistics costs and competition extending beyond traditional industry and business-format boundaries continue to create a challenging operating environment.」

「・Changes in consumption patterns and in agricultural production conditions and production locations are being affected by climate change, including unsettled weather and natural disasters. ・The challenging operating environment continues due to rising labor and logistics costs and a decline in the number of new housing starts and total floor area started as a result of higher construction-material costs.」

「In the retail industry, the operating environment remains challenging amid competition across industries and business formats, as well as a heightened desire to protect household finances due to rising electricity and essential-goods prices, together with higher labor and logistics costs.」

「In the retail industry, the operating environment remains challenging amid intense competition across industries and business formats, as rising electricity and essential-goods prices have heightened consumers' desire to protect household finances.」

「In the retail industry, consumers' focus on prices has become clearly polarized as rising prices for essential goods have heightened their desire to protect household finances. Although demand for general consumer goods such as food and daily necessities has begun to recover, consumers have held back on purchases of durable goods due to a stronger preference for saving, while the competitive environment across industries and business formats has also intensified, leaving the operating environment challenging.」

「The effects on society and local economies of changes in the age composition of households resulting from population decline and the declining birth rate and aging population, as well as the decline in the number of households that is about to begin, together with the resulting decline in purchasing power, are expected to increase.」

「The effects on society and local economies of changes in the age composition of households resulting from population decline and the declining birth rate and aging population, as well as the decline in the number of households that is about to begin, together with the resulting decline in purchasing power, are expected to increase.」

「During the nine months ended 31 December, the Japanese economy remained challenging as declarations of a state of emergency and other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 were issued intermittently, while operating restrictions on restaurants and requests to refrain from going out continued. Although various restrictions were gradually eased as vaccinations became more widespread, uncertainty continued due to renewed spread caused by new variant strains. In the retail industry as well, conditions continued to be affected by the spread of the infection, including downside risks to the economy and risks of deterioration in personal income and employment, and the operating environment remained challenging.」

「During the nine months ended 30 June, the Japanese economy remained challenging. Although COVID-19 vaccinations gained momentum, risks from the renewed declaration of a state of emergency and the threat of variant strains were not eliminated, while operating restrictions on restaurants and other establishments and requests to refrain from going out continued. In the retail industry, the operating environment remained challenging, with conditions continuing to be affected by the spread of the infection, including downside risks to the economy and risks of deterioration in personal income and employment.」

「Although COVID-19 vaccinations have begun, the threat posed by infectious diseases continues due to factors including the spread of variant strains, and the uncertain environment is expected to persist amid downside risks to the economy and risks of deterioration in personal income and employment. The effects on society and local economies of changes in the age composition of households resulting from population decline, the declining birth rate and an aging population, as well as the decline in the number of households that is about to begin, are expected to remain significant. In the home improvement retail industry, moves toward industry restructuring through M&A among major companies have become apparent, and competition including with other industries and business formats is also expected to intensify.」

「In the retail industry, the operating environment remains uncertain due to downside risks to the economy resulting from the renewed spread of COVID-19 and risks of deterioration in personal income and employment.」

「In the retail industry, consumers' lifestyles have changed significantly in response to requests from the government and local authorities to refrain from going out and recommendations to work from home. In addition, the operating environment remains uncertain due to downside risks to the economy and risks of deterioration in personal income and employment. In the home improvement retail industry, moves toward industry restructuring through M&A among major companies have become apparent, and competition, including with other business formats, is intensifying.」

「In the retail industry, the challenging operating environment continues due to the effects of a consumption tax increase on consumer sentiment, unsettled weather, repeated natural disasters, intensifying sales competition across industry boundaries, and rising labor and logistics costs.」

「In the retail industry, the challenging operating environment continues due to rising labor and logistics costs, intensifying sales competition across industry boundaries, and the effects of natural disasters occurring across Japan.」

「In the retail industry, consumer sentiment has become more cautious ahead of an increase in the consumption tax rate, while the operating environment remains challenging due to rising labor costs, higher logistics costs and intensifying sales competition across industry boundaries.」

「The business environment surrounding our group is expected to become increasingly challenging, as the pace of change is extremely rapid and factors including a shrinking market resulting from population decline and intensifying sales competition across industry and business-format boundaries persist.」

「In the retail industry, the operating environment became challenging due to consumers' preference for saving, intensifying sales competition across industry and business-format boundaries, and the effects of unsettled weather.」

「In the retail industry, the operating environment became extremely challenging due to consumers' preference for saving, intensifying sales competition across industry and business-format boundaries, and the effects of unsettled weather and natural disasters occurring across Japan.」

「In the retail industry, consumers' preference for saving remains strong, polarization in consumption patterns has become more pronounced, and personal consumption continues to lack momentum. In addition, the overall retail industry faced challenging conditions due to intensifying sales competition across industry and business-format boundaries, changes in the consumption environment resulting from the expansion of e-commerce, and a decline in spring merchandise sales caused by unsettled weather in May.」

「The business environment surrounding our group is expected to become increasingly challenging as the market changes due to the declining birth rate, an aging population and population decline, while sales competition across industry and business-format boundaries, including internet sales, intensifies.」

「The business environment surrounding our group is expected to become increasingly challenging due to factors including a shrinking market resulting from population decline and intensifying sales competition across industry and business-format boundaries.」

「The business environment surrounding our group is expected to become increasingly challenging due to factors including declining population and the number of households, as well as intensifying sales competition across industry and business-format boundaries.」