Recovery in sales in the Horticulture, Agricultural Supplies and Tools segment

「Air conditioners, whose demand increased following revisions to energy-efficiency standards, and products such as garbage bags, plastic wrap, paints and adhesives made from petroleum, repair supplies and some building materials, whose demand temporarily increased as tensions in the Middle East intensified, performed well. However, a wide range of areas, including the core agriculture and gardening supplies and building materials, as well as everyday goods and pet products, were affected by consumers restraining purchases, and overall performance remained weak.」

「By product category, sales of household goods and appliances were ¥11.428 billion, down ¥565 million year on year; leisure and lifestyle products were ¥5.972 billion, down ¥377 million; agricultural and gardening products were ¥11.902 billion, up ¥194 million; construction and DIY products were ¥11.537 billion, down ¥207 million; other sales were ¥1.244 billion, down ¥165 million; and related businesses were ¥26 million, down ¥250 million.」

「Operating revenue for the six months ended 30 September fell below the previous-year period because of store closures following the end of the book center business. Meanwhile, the home improvement center business exceeded the previous-year period as the Company continued strengthening product appeal, mainly in the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools-related divisions, under its core principle that a home improvement center is a specialty retailer of agriculture, gardening, materials, hardware, tools and workwear. Key factors included increased demand from early spring for vegetable seedlings, gardening nets and other products in the strengthened gardening and agriculture division, despite the decline following last August's demand for disaster-prevention products in preparation for information on the projected Nankai Trough earthquake and a major typhoon. In addition, watering products, submersible pumps and heatstroke-prevention products such as fan-equipped clothing performed well because of the early end of the rainy season and the extreme heat.」

「The Company's core home improvement center business slightly exceeded the previous-year period, but overall performance fell below the previous-year period because of the closure of book center stores in related businesses.」

「During the three months ended 30 June, operating revenue exceeded the previous-year period as the Company continued strengthening product appeal, mainly in the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools-related divisions, under its core principle that a home improvement center is a specialty retailer of agriculture, gardening, materials, hardware, tools and workwear.」

「The gardening and agriculture division remained firm, supported by continued efforts to strengthen product appeal and freshness management. Gardening machinery such as brush cutters, vegetable seedlings and cut flowers continued to perform well. In the materials and tools division, the Company continued to focus on capturing professional-use demand, but timber-related products such as plywood struggled because of changes in market conditions.」

「In the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools division, garden plants such as cut flowers remained resilient as a result of stronger product appeal and freshness management, while gardening machinery such as brush cutters performed well. However, materials-related products lacked momentum and fell below the previous-year period because of changes in timber market conditions and other factors, as well as the decline following the previous period's demand related to recovery from typhoon damage.」

「By division, household goods and home appliances exceeded the previous-year period, with laundry detergents and related products, insecticides and repellents, and energy-saving products benefiting from the extreme heat and electricity price increases performing well. In contrast, although gardening machinery and other products performed well, the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools division fell below the previous-year period because of factors including changes in timber market conditions. In addition, pet-related products whose prices had been strengthened exceeded the previous-year period.」

「Despite these conditions, gardening and agriculture performed well, with gardening machinery, as well as vegetable seedlings, cut flowers and sweet potato vines in the garden plant-related business, performing strongly. Together with the effects of ongoing efforts to strengthen product appeal and freshness management, these factors lifted performance above the previous-year period. In contrast, the materials-related division fell below the previous-year period because of repeated price increases and lower demand for outdoor repairs resulting from unfavorable weather. Household goods and everyday goods also fell below the previous-year period because of lower demand for products addressing the novel coronavirus and the impact of cautious consumer purchasing resulting from price increases.」

「Operating revenue generally remained firm as the Company continued strengthening its product lineup, mainly in the gardening, agriculture, building materials and work tools-related divisions, based on its core principle that a home improvement center is a specialty retailer of agriculture, gardening, materials, hardware, tools and workwear. The gardening, agriculture and garden plant-related divisions performed particularly well, supported by the penetration of home gardening, staffing and training to strengthen product appeal and freshness management, and favorable weather in each season, including favorable weather during the extended spring holiday period. Home appliances also performed well. In the building materials, work tools and electrical parts divisions, higher retail prices resulting from soaring raw material prices raised concerns about consumers postponing purchases. However, the divisions focused on capturing professional-use demand, enhancing their product lineup and securing in-store inventory, and generally remained firm despite some impact. Meanwhile, household goods and everyday goods lacked momentum because of the decline following infection-control demand and cautious purchasing behavior resulting from higher prices.」

「During the six months ended 30 September, the Company continued strengthening its product lineup, mainly in the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools-related divisions, based on its core principle that a home improvement center is a specialty retailer of agriculture, gardening, materials, hardware, tools and workwear. As a result, performance generally remained firm. The gardening and agriculture-related businesses performed particularly well, with garden plants benefiting from favorable weather during the extended holiday period, the penetration of home gardening resulting from stay-at-home demand over the past 1–2 years, and the effects of staffing and training to strengthen product appeal and freshness management. Summer products and products for protection against extreme heat also performed well during the midsummer heat.」

「During the three months ended 30 June, sales and operating revenue generally remained firm, centered on the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools-related divisions under the core principle that a home improvement center is a specialty retailer of agriculture, gardening, materials, hardware, tools and workwear. Garden plants in particular performed well, supported by favorable weather during the extended holiday period, the persistence of stay-at-home demand from the past 1–2 years, and the effects of stronger product appeal and freshness management.」

「Garden plants exceeded even the strong results of the previous fiscal year, partly because of the effects of strengthening product appeal and freshness management. The agriculture-related and materials and tools divisions also remained firm as the Company focused on capturing professional-use demand.」

「Meanwhile, consumers' tendency to spend more time at home continued, and the Company was able to capture demand for DIY and home gardening by continuing to implement product initiatives based on its core principle that a home improvement center is a specialty retailer of agriculture, gardening, materials, hardware, tools and workwear. In particular, relatively favorable weather continued from September onward, and the garden plant and agriculture-related divisions exceeded the strong results of the previous-year period.」

「Meanwhile, stay-at-home demand to make consumers' time at home more fulfilling continued amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company continued implementing product initiatives based on its core principle that a home improvement center is a specialty retailer of agriculture, gardening, materials, hardware, tools and workwear, thereby capturing DIY demand. The gardening, plants and agriculture-related divisions generally remained firm, with garden plants in particular exceeding the strong results of the previous-year period.」

「Meanwhile, as the tendency to stay at home under the new lifestyle continued amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and weather conditions were relatively favorable, the divisions for garden plants, agricultural materials and other products exceeded the previous-year period, reflecting strengthened product initiatives based on the Company's core principle that a home improvement center is a specialty retailer of agriculture, gardening, materials, hardware, tools and workwear. The repair supplies and building materials divisions also performed well, approaching the strong results of the previous-year period. The core divisions generally remained robust.」

「Operating revenue substantially exceeded the previous fiscal year, as several factors combined. Demand increased for hygiene products, mainly disinfecting products, alcohol-based disinfectants, masks and thermometers for infection prevention, and exceptional stay-at-home demand emerged as consumers spent more time at home, increasing demand for gardening products, including garden plants, and DIY and home repair-related products. Sales of seasonal products also remained firm during the midsummer heat and severe winter. As a result, customer visits increased, which had a knock-on effect on other divisions and led to higher sales.」

「During the nine months ended 31 December, sales and operating revenue increased substantially year on year. Factors included continuing demand for hygiene products, mainly disinfecting products, alcohol-based disinfectants, masks and thermometers for infection prevention while the end of the novel coronavirus pandemic remained unforeseeable; increased demand for gardening products, including garden plants, and DIY and repair-related products as consumers spent more time at home, generating exceptional stay-at-home demand; and the success of measures previously implemented to strengthen the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools businesses. In addition, demand for preparations against typhoons increased in September, while in October and November there was no longer an impact from the decline in consumption following the consumption tax increase that had occurred in the previous year.」

「Sales increased substantially year on year, owing to higher customer visits resulting from increased demand for hygiene products, mainly alcohol gel and masks for infection prevention, as well as gardening products and DIY and repair-related products benefiting from stay-at-home demand amid calls to refrain from going out, together with a recovery in demand for summer products as temperatures rose during midsummer.」

「Sales increased substantially year on year, driven mainly by everyday goods, including hygiene products for infection control, as well as gardening products, home repair products and other items benefiting from stay-at-home demand amid calls to refrain from going out.」

「Nevertheless, revenue in the home improvement business exceeded that of the previous fiscal year as performance remained firm, particularly in the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools segment, following promotional initiatives including a sale commemorating the home improvement business's 50th anniversary.」

「In the home improvement business, sales of seasonal summer products were sluggish because the rainy season ended late, and winter products got off to a slow start because temperatures remained relatively high from November onward. Nevertheless, sales exceeded those of the same period of the previous year owing to stronger promotional activity ahead of the consumption tax increase, including the home improvement business's 50th-anniversary campaign.」

「In the home improvement business, sales were below the same period of the previous year in early spring, mainly in the gardening and agriculture segment, because temperatures were low. In May, favorable weather supported growth in customer numbers, and performance remained firm.」

「Nevertheless, the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools segment continued to perform steadily during the fiscal year as the company's longstanding efforts to strengthen its product lineup and sales initiatives bore fruit, and revenue from the segment exceeded that of the previous fiscal year.」

「Nevertheless, even in such a commercial environment, revenue from the company's core gardening, agriculture, materials and tools segment grew steadily and exceeded the level of the same period of the previous year.」

「In the home improvement business, the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools segment continued to perform steadily despite unfavorable weather and generated higher revenue than in the same period of the previous year.」

「In the home improvement business, the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools segment continued to perform steadily, generating higher revenue than in the same period of the previous year.」

「Growth in revenue from the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools segment, the company's core business, contributed to the overall increase in revenue.」

「In particular, the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools segment, the company's core business, continued to perform steadily.」

「Against this economic backdrop, revenue and operating revenue for the nine months ended 31 December remained firm, particularly in the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools segment, supported in part by efforts to strengthen price competitiveness as a key initiative. However, growth stalled from September onward because of unfavorable weather and other factors, and gross profit fell slightly below the same period of the previous year.」

「The gardening, agriculture, materials and tools segment remained above the level of two years earlier, as it had in the cumulative first quarter.」

「In particular, the gardening, agriculture, materials and tools division exceeded even the level recorded two years earlier.」