Sales Fluctuations Caused by Weather Conditions Such as Mild Winters and Cool Summers

「In September, continued rainfall caused by the autumn rain front and typhoons led to sluggish customer traffic, particularly for gardening and agricultural supplies.」

「Fuel and other products 14,998 97.3 ・Although sales volumes increased in April and May due to large temperature fluctuations, sales volumes during the winter season declined because of the mild winter」

「Gardening products were sluggish because the weather was unstable in early spring.」

「From April through May, frequent weekends with unstable weather caused sales of gardening supplies such as flowering plants, potting soil and garden gravel, and camping equipment such as barbecue grills, to remain sluggish. In August, sales were affected by the reversal of the surge in demand for disaster-preparedness products such as generators and dry-cell batteries following the announcement of the temporary information regarding the Nankai Trough earthquake and the impact of typhoons the previous year.」

「From September onward, record lingering heat delayed sales of home vegetable-growing products and reduced demand for gardening products such as flowering plants and potting soil.」

「In September, record lingering heat and unseasonable weather in the middle of the month caused sales of gardening and home vegetable-growing products and insecticides and herbicides to remain sluggish.」

「Operating conditions were significantly weaker than the previous consolidated fiscal year, particularly at Hard & Green, the Company’s main format, due to unseasonable weather that continued from early spring, which affected sales of gardening plants and related products, gardening and home vegetable-growing supplies, and materials such as single pipes and plywood used by agricultural operators. In addition, record summer heat and lingering heat supported steady sales of seasonal products such as air conditioners and summer workwear, but sales of gardening supplies and products related to outdoor work remained sluggish. In the second half, mild and relatively snowless winter conditions caused sales of heating products, cold-weather clothing, snow-removal products and products for preventing water pipes from freezing to remain sluggish.」

「Operating conditions were significantly weaker than the previous year, particularly at Hard & Green, the Company’s main format, due to unseasonable weather that continued from early spring, which affected sales of gardening plants and related products, gardening and home vegetable-growing supplies, and materials such as single pipes and plywood used by agricultural operators. In addition, record summer heat from July onward and the lingering heat supported steady sales of seasonal products such as air conditioners and summer workwear, but sales of gardening supplies and products related to outdoor work remained sluggish. From October onward, temperatures remained high nationwide, and the reversal of demand for seasonal products following heavy snowfall on the Sea of Japan side in the previous period caused sales of heating products, cold-weather clothing and snow-removal products to remain sluggish.」

「In the second quarter, record heat from July onward supported steady sales of seasonal products such as air conditioners, air-conditioning equipment and summer workwear, but sales of gardening pesticides and products related to outdoor work remained sluggish. In addition, sales of repair-related products such as corrugated sheets and lumber weakened following the reversal of the disaster-preparedness demand generated by the typhoon the previous year.」

「Sales of gardening plants and related products and gardening and home vegetable-growing supplies, which are core categories and account for a high proportion of sales in the first quarter, fell below the same period of the previous year in both April and May due to unseasonable weather.」

「Many of the products sold by the Group, including gardening and agricultural supplies, are highly seasonal. Sales tend to be strong when the characteristics of each season emerge prominently at an early stage. Conversely, if product turnover slows due to a cool summer, mild winter or other factors, the Group’s operating results may be affected through lower sales, reduced profit margins resulting from an increase in selling-price changes, excess inventory and other effects.」

「Many of the products sold by the Group, including gardening and agricultural supplies, are highly seasonal. Sales tend to be strong when the characteristics of each season emerge prominently at an early stage. Conversely, if product turnover slows due to a cool summer, mild winter or other factors, the Group’s operating results may be affected through lower sales, reduced profit margins resulting from an increase in selling-price changes, excess inventory and other effects.」

「Operating conditions were affected by a decline from the surge in demand during the state of emergency in the previous consolidated fiscal year and by unseasonable weather. However, the Company’s core categories, including tools, hardware and work supplies, including DIY and gardening materials, renovation materials and exterior products, and gardening and agricultural supplies, remained firm.」

「Operating conditions were affected by a decline from the surge in demand during the state of emergency in the previous consolidated fiscal year and by unseasonable weather. However, categories including tools, hardware and work supplies, including DIY and gardening materials, renovation materials and exterior products, and gardening and agricultural supplies remained firm.」

「Many of the products sold by the Group, including gardening and agricultural supplies, are highly seasonal. Sales tend to be strong when the characteristics of each season emerge prominently at an early stage. Conversely, if product turnover slows due to a cool summer, mild winter or other factors, the Group’s operating results may be affected through lower sales, reduced profit margins resulting from an increase in selling-price changes, excess inventory and other effects. In response to these risks, the Group is securing opportunities and earnings by strengthening its product offering, adjusting product launch timing, adjusting inventory and developing sales floors and managing products to meet changing customer needs resulting from unseasonable weather and climate conditions.」

「Operating results were affected by sluggish sales of gardening supplies, including plants, and seasonal products due to unseasonable weather in April and heavy rain centered on Kyushu in June. However, sales, particularly of leisure products, remained strong during the Golden Week holiday in May, and online sales of the “reserve-and-collect service,” which allows customers to order online and collect their purchases in stores, also remained strong.」

「Sales of seasonal products, particularly winter merchandise, remained sluggish due to record mild, snowless winter conditions.」

「Sales of gardening and summer merchandise were sluggish due to lower temperatures in April and heavy rain in June and July. However, sales of professional-use building materials and fertilizers and pesticides, which are less affected by weather, remained strong.」

「Operating results were affected by sluggish sales of gardening supplies, including plants, and seasonal products due to unseasonable weather in April and heavy rain centered on Kyushu in June. However, sales, particularly of leisure products, remained strong during the Golden Week holiday in May, and online sales of the “reserve-and-collect service,” which allows customers to order online and collect their purchases in stores, also remained strong.」

「Sales of plants, particularly flowering plants, remained sluggish. In addition, sales of heating equipment such as kerosene fan heaters and kotatsu tables remained sluggish due to the mild winter. Kerosene sales also remained sluggish due to the mild winter.」

「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.」

「Sales conditions were challenging due to a decline in gardening-supply sales caused by unseasonable weather in May, a decline in customer visits due to the extreme heat in August, and the suspension of operations at some stores as a result of disasters occurring in various areas.」

「Unseasonable weather in May had a negative impact on sales and profit, particularly for gardening supplies. However, the Group was able to contain selling, general and administrative expenses through operational efficiencies achieved through business process re-engineering (BPR) and other measures, resulting in higher sales and higher profit for the consolidated cumulative period of the current first quarter.」

「Favorable weather from late April through May supported steady sales of gardening supplies, particularly plants such as vegetable seedlings and flowering plants.」

「Many of the products sold by the Group, including gardening and agricultural supplies, are highly seasonal. Sales tend to be strong when the characteristics of each season emerge prominently at an early stage. Conversely, if product turnover slows due to a mild winter, cool summer or other factors, the Group’s operating results may be affected.」

「However, sales remained sluggish due to weak personal consumption and a decline in customer visits caused by weather-related factors, resulting in higher sales but lower profit year on year for the nine-month consolidated cumulative period of the current third quarter.」

「Sales increased but profit declined year on year because sales of summer merchandise remained sluggish in August and customer numbers declined due to the impact of typhoons that successively made landfall in September.」

「Many of the products sold by the Group, including gardening and agricultural supplies, are highly seasonal. Sales tend to be strong when the characteristics of each season emerge prominently at an early stage. Conversely, if product turnover slows due to a mild winter, cool summer or other factors, the Group’s operating results may be affected.」