Intensifying Competition from Other Industries and Sluggish Consumption Driven by Consumers' Thriftiness

「The operating environment surrounding the retail industry remains extremely challenging. Although greater acceptance of product price increases has resulted in an upward trend in average spend per customer, there are concerns about consumers holding back on purchases due to their preference for saving and the resulting impact on customer numbers, as well as sharp increases in labor costs, logistics costs and store operating expenses, and intensifying competition on prices and services across different retail formats.」

「Although price revisions have boosted sales, the operating environment remains extremely challenging due to substantial increases in labor costs, logistics costs and store operating expenses, as well as intensifying competition on price and service across business formats.」

「The business environment remains extremely challenging, owing to substantial increases in labor costs, logistics costs, and store operating expenses, as well as intensifying competition on prices and services across business formats.」

「Although higher product prices have had the effect of boosting earnings, the operating environment remains extremely challenging due to rising costs, including labor, construction materials and utilities, as well as intensifying competition among companies across business formats.」

「The environment surrounding the retail industry remained challenging. Against a backdrop of inflation caused by soaring import prices and other factors, consumers became even more conscious of protecting their household budgets in their everyday shopping, and continued to favor low prices. In the supermarket industry, same-store sales began to recover year on year against a backdrop of higher product prices resulting from soaring raw-material costs and other factors.」

「In the domestic retail and food-service businesses, consumer thrift-consciousness, as well as higher labor and logistics costs, has persisted amid price revisions driven by soaring raw-material prices and the rapid depreciation of the yen, resulting in continued challenging operating conditions.」

「Following the easing of restrictions accompanying the reclassification of COVID-19, operating revenue increased because of the recovery in demand for going out, higher customer numbers and higher average prices per item resulting from continued price increases. In addition, selling, general and administrative expenses were contained through efforts to reduce utility consumption, fuel adjustment charges that did not rise as much as expected, effective use of advertising expenses, and productivity improvements that restrained labor costs, resulting in higher profit.」

「In Japan's retail and food-service industries, sales increased because of higher average prices per item resulting from rising prices and the recovery in demand for going out. However, supply concerns and trends in raw material prices drove up product procurement prices and utility costs, increasing selling, general and administrative expenses.」

「In addition, the operating environment has become extremely difficult as supply concerns and trends in raw material prices have driven up product procurement prices and utility costs.」

「In addition, the operating environment has become extremely difficult as supply concerns and trends in raw material prices have driven up product procurement prices and utility costs. Furthermore, proactive investment to improve customer satisfaction, sales capabilities and productivity increased one-time costs associated with the investments.」

「In addition, the operating environment has become extremely difficult as supply concerns and trends in raw material prices have driven up product procurement prices and utility costs.」

「In the next fiscal year, difficult conditions are expected to continue because of restrictions on going out resulting from COVID-19 and changes in consumer purchasing behavior. In addition, profitability is expected to deteriorate as soaring global raw material and crude oil prices drive up procurement prices and utility costs.」

「In Japan's retail industry, food sales remained solid because of "stay-at-home consumption," as in the previous fiscal year. However, it was difficult for sales to exceed the previous fiscal year after the effect ran its course, and competition to attract customers across industries and business formats became increasingly intense, leaving the consumption environment difficult.」

「In Japan's retail industry, food sales remained solid because of "stay-at-home consumption," as in the previous fiscal year. However, it was difficult for sales to exceed the previous fiscal year after the effect ran its course, while demand stagnated because of movement restrictions and the cancellation or scaling back of various events, leaving the consumption environment difficult.」

「The declaration of a state of emergency reduced sales opportunities, with businesses other than those selling daily necessities asked to close or shorten their operating hours. Although "stay-at-home consumption" continued to some extent, sales of related products fell below the previous fiscal year after its effect ran its course, and the overall operating environment remained difficult.」

「In the retail industry, there were signs of recovery, supported by food-related "stay-at-home consumption" and the effects of various government measures. However, the outlook for demand became more uncertain as infections spread again.」

「In the retail industry, there were some factors supporting sales, particularly food, because of "stay-at-home consumption." However, the consumption environment has become difficult as private consumption stagnated following the consumption-tax rate increase, while demand declined because of movement restrictions and the cancellation or scaling back of various events resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic.」

「In the retail industry, the difficult operating environment continued because of the reversal of high vegetable prices that lasted through October of the previous fiscal year, low summer temperatures and unfavorable weather, intensified competition across business formats, higher labor costs resulting from minimum-wage increases, and various price increases caused by higher logistics costs and raw material prices. In addition, the outlook has become more uncertain because of the impact of the consumption-tax increase implemented in October of the current fiscal year and the 5% cashless payment points programme.」

「In the retail industry, the difficult operating environment continued as competition intensified across business formats, labor costs increased because of minimum-wage increases, and various prices rose because of higher logistics costs and raw material prices.」

「In the retail industry, the difficult business environment continued as competition intensified across business formats because of aggressive store openings by drugstores and discount stores, including the expanding online business, while logistics costs and labor costs increased because of the higher minimum wage and it remained difficult to secure personnel.」

「In the retail industry, the difficult business environment continued as competition intensified across business formats because of aggressive store openings by drugstores and discount stores, including the expanding online business, while logistics costs and labor costs increased and it remained difficult to secure personnel.」

「In the retail industry, the difficult business environment continued as competition intensified across business formats because of aggressive store openings by drugstores and discount stores, including the expanding online business, while logistics costs and labor costs increased and it remained difficult to secure personnel.」

「In the retail industry, the business environment has changed significantly as competition intensified across business formats, including drugstores and discount stores and the expanding online business, while labor costs increased because of higher wages and it remained difficult to secure personnel. Logistics costs also rose.」

「In the retail industry, the operating environment remained difficult as competition intensified across business formats, including drugstores and discount stores and the expanding online business, while labor costs rose because of higher wages and social insurance premiums and it remained difficult to secure personnel.」

「In the retail industry, the operating environment remained difficult because competition intensified across business formats, while labor costs increased amid labor shortages and construction costs remained high.」

「In the retail industry, the operating environment remained difficult as consumers continued to be cost-conscious, competition intensified across business formats and the sense of labor shortages increased.」

「In the retail industry, the operating environment remained difficult as consumers continued to be cost-conscious, competition intensified and the sense of labor shortages increased.」

「In the retail industry, the operating environment remained difficult as competition intensified with the increase in convenience stores, drugstores with a higher food sales mix and discount stores, while labor shortages caused by difficulties in hiring continued and consumers remained cost-conscious.」

「In the retail industry, the business environment remained difficult as competition intensified across business formats, including with the increase in convenience stores, drugstores with a high food sales mix and discount stores, amid consumers' stronger focus on protecting their household finances because of uncertainty over the outlook.」

「In the retail industry, competition continued to intensify as consumers became more cost-conscious amid uncertainty over the outlook, with more convenience stores opening and drugstores increasing their food sales mix.」

「The operating environment remained challenging due to intensifying competition across industries and formats, including the increase in convenience stores and drugstores, as well as weak consumer spending driven by consumers' thrift-consciousness.」