Challenging conditions in the eyeglass retail market driven by cost-conscious consumers and competition in sales and pricing
First written in FY2017-Q1. 14 of 31 entries say "Restated". Latest entry: FY2026-H1.
No other company in this theme has enough history to compare yet.
- FY2026-H1RestatedAnnual report
「Although interest in protection against ultraviolet rays increased amid extremely hot weather, sales of sunglasses increased only slightly year on year because of intensifying competition with other industry peers and other factors.」
The disclosure continued to note that, although demand factors led to higher sunglasses revenue, intensifying competition with other industry peers constrained sales growth. - FY2025RestatedAnnual report
「The optical industry continues to compete on price to acquire customers, resulting in lower average selling prices and continued market contraction.」
The disclosure continued to describe a challenging market environment, with ongoing low-price competition, lower average selling prices and market contraction. - FY2025-H1Face-to-face sales have normalized, but revenue remains below pre-pandemic levelsAnnual report
「Following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, face-to-face sales at stores that had been affected by the pandemic had almost returned to normal. However, revenue declined 0.3% year on year to ¥7,643 million and had still not returned to pre-pandemic levels.」
The disclosure noted that face-to-face sales had almost returned to normal, while total company revenue declined 0.3% year on year and remained below pre-pandemic levels. - FY2024WorsenedAnnual report
「The optical industry continues to compete on price to acquire customers, resulting in lower average selling prices and continued market contraction.」
The disclosure explicitly identified continued lower average selling prices and market contraction caused by low-price competition as risks, in addition to the existing focus on saving money and price competition. - FY2024-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「Operating results for the third quarter of the consolidated cumulative period benefited from the recovery in face-to-face sales at stores that had been affected by the pandemic, following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the reclassification of COVID-19 as a Class 5 infectious disease. Revenue increased 4.8% year on year to ¥11,237 million, but customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, remained slow to recover, and revenue had not fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.」
Although revenue increased year on year, the disclosure continued to note the slow recovery in customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, and the failure of revenue to return to pre-pandemic levels. - FY2024-Q2Revenue increased, but recovery to pre-pandemic revenue levels remained incompleteAnnual report
「Operating results for the second quarter of the consolidated cumulative period benefited from the recovery in face-to-face sales at stores that had been affected by the pandemic, following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the reclassification of COVID-19 as a Class 5 infectious disease. Revenue increased 6.8% year on year to ¥7,664 million, but customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, remained slow to recover, and revenue had not fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.」
The disclosure noted the recovery in face-to-face sales and the 6.8% year-on-year increase in revenue, while continuing to state that customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, remained slow to recover and revenue had not returned to pre-pandemic levels. - FY2024-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「Operating results for the first quarter of the consolidated cumulative period benefited from the return of customer traffic following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the reclassification of COVID-19 as a Class 5 infectious disease. Revenue increased 3.9% year on year to ¥3,614 million, but customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, remained slow to recover, and revenue had not fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.」
The disclosure noted the recovery in customer traffic and year-on-year revenue growth, while continuing to state that customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, remained slow to recover and revenue had not returned to pre-pandemic levels. - FY2023RestatedAnnual report
「Revenue increased 2.9% year on year to ¥14,198 million, but customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, remained slow to recover, and revenue had still not returned to pre-pandemic levels.」
Although revenue returned to growth, the disclosure continued to state that customer traffic and revenue levels, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, had not returned to pre-pandemic levels. - FY2023-Q3Revenue increased, but the recovery to pre-pandemic levels remained incompleteAnnual report
「Revenue increased 2.6% year on year to ¥10,724 million, but customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, remained slow to recover, and revenue had still not returned to pre-pandemic levels.」
Although revenue increased year on year, the disclosure continued to note the slow recovery in customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, and the failure of revenue to return to pre-pandemic levels. - FY2023-Q2Revenue increased, but the recovery to pre-pandemic levels remained incompleteAnnual report
「Revenue increased 7.3% year on year to ¥7,177 million, but customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, remained slow to recover, and revenue had not returned to pre-pandemic levels.」
Although revenue increased year on year, the disclosure continued to note the slow recovery in customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, and the failure of revenue to return to pre-pandemic levels. - FY2023-Q1Revenue increased, but the market has yet to recover to pre-COVID-19 levelsAnnual report
「Operating results for the first quarter of the consolidated cumulative period benefited from the gradual return of customer traffic as the COVID-19 situation relatively stabilized and activity restrictions were gradually eased. Revenue increased 10.3% year on year to ¥3,479 million, but customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, remained slow to recover, and revenue had not returned to pre-pandemic levels.」
The disclosure noted the recovery in customer traffic and year-on-year revenue growth, while stating that customer traffic, particularly at stores in large commercial facilities, remained slow to recover and revenue had not reached pre-pandemic levels. - FY2022-Q3Customer traffic is recovering, but the market has yet to recoverAnnual report
「During the third quarter of the consolidated cumulative period, sales of the secondary core sunglasses category struggled, but sales of the core eyeglasses category and the secondary core hearing aid category exceeded the same quarter of the previous year. As a result, overall revenue increased year on year, although it had not returned to pre-COVID-19 levels.」
Sales of eyeglasses and hearing aids exceeded the previous year’s level, while sunglasses sales struggled, and overall revenue had not returned to pre-pandemic levels. - FY2022-Q1WorsenedAnnual report
「Personal consumption is expected to remain weak, as the recovery in employment and income conditions has been delayed and is affecting consumer sentiment.」
The disclosure expressed concern that weak consumption would continue against a backdrop of the delayed recovery in employment and income conditions and the resulting impact on consumer sentiment. - FY2021-Q2WorsenedAnnual report
「Revenue in the first quarter of the consolidated fiscal period was affected by the spread of COVID-19 from the beginning of the period through May, including temporary closures and reduced operating hours at some in-store locations other than roadside stores, as well as a temporary decline in customer traffic as people refrained from going out. Sales of the core eyeglasses category fell 32.6% year on year, while sales of the secondary core categories of hearing aids and sunglasses declined 41.2% and 54.9%, respectively.」
The decline in customer traffic caused by temporary closures, reduced operating hours and requests to refrain from going out materialized as lower sales of eyeglasses, hearing aids and sunglasses. Although some recovery was seen in the second quarter, revenue remained significantly lower on a cumulative basis. - FY2021-Q1WorsenedAnnual report
「The spread of COVID-19 significantly affected the sales trend during the first quarter of the consolidated cumulative period, as some in-store locations other than roadside stores were temporarily closed (79 stores) or operated on reduced hours (168 stores), and customer traffic temporarily declined as people refrained from going out.」
Requests to refrain from going out, temporary closures at 79 stores and reduced operating hours at 168 stores led to a significant decline in customer traffic, directly affecting optical retail sales through lower consumer activity. - FY2020WorsenedAnnual report
「In addition to these conditions, uncertainty about the outlook has increased further because of the severe deterioration in the overall economy caused by the spread of COVID-19 and the decline in consumer activity resulting from requests to refrain from going out, the closure of commercial facilities and reduced operating hours. Sales and price competition among peers has also intensified, and the challenging business environment is expected to continue, making it difficult to secure profits.」
The disclosure gave greater emphasis to the difficulty of securing profits and intensifying competition, with the added effects of the spread of infection, requests to refrain from going out, and lower consumption caused by commercial facility closures and reduced operating hours. - FY2020-Q3WorsenedAnnual report
「Revenue declined year on year because of lower sales volumes of lower-priced eyeglasses, weak sunglasses sales due to poor weather, including more days with insufficient sunlight, and the negative effect of last-minute demand ahead of the consumption tax increase.」
The disclosure noted that intensifying competition, poor weather and the post-consumption-tax-increase backlash appeared as weak performance in lower-priced eyeglasses and sunglasses and as a revenue decline. - FY2020-Q2WorsenedAnnual report
「Revenue declined mainly because intensifying competition reduced sales volumes of lower-priced eyeglasses and poor weather, including more days with insufficient sunlight, weighed on sunglasses sales. However, last-minute demand ahead of the consumption tax increase limited the decline to a slight decrease in revenue.」
In addition to lower sales volumes of lower-priced eyeglasses because of intensifying competition, weak sunglasses sales due to poor weather were identified as a specific factor behind the revenue decline. - FY2020-Q1WorsenedAnnual report
「Revenue declined because sales of the core eyeglasses category fell, mainly due to lower sales volumes in the lower-price segment, while sales of hearing aids, sunglasses and optical products also struggled, resulting in weak performance across the product portfolio.」
The disclosure noted that, in addition to lower sales volumes of lower-priced products, hearing aids, sunglasses and optical products also struggled, resulting in weak performance across the product portfolio. - FY2019RestatedAnnual report
「As customers’ needs have diversified, including growing interest in hobbies, sports and health alongside changes in individual lifestyles and values, the delayed recovery in consumer sentiment has made it increasingly important to address customers’ preference for saving money. Against this backdrop, sales and price competition among peers has also intensified, and the challenging business environment is expected to continue, making it difficult to secure profits.」
The full-year disclosure continued to state that the business environment would remain challenging for securing profits because of consumers’ preference for saving money, increasingly diverse needs, and intensifying sales and price competition. - FY2019-Q3WorsenedAnnual report
「Although consumer sentiment is showing signs of improvement, personal consumption remains weak and has yet to achieve a full-scale recovery, as a combination of natural disasters that occurred one after another from summer onward, higher fresh food and energy prices, and the negative wealth effect associated with the recent stock market decline has weighed on consumption.」
The disclosure noted that, despite signs of improvement in consumer sentiment, personal consumption remained weak because of the effects of natural disasters, higher food and energy prices, and the stock market decline. - FY2019-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「Although consumer sentiment is showing signs of improvement, personal consumption has yet to achieve a full-scale recovery.」
The disclosure continued to note that, despite signs of improvement in consumer sentiment, a full-scale recovery has yet to be achieved. - FY2019-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「Personal consumption has yet to achieve a full-scale recovery, as the recovery in consumer sentiment has stalled against a backdrop of concerns over higher consumer prices and future increases in social insurance contributions.」
The disclosure continued to note the delayed recovery in consumer sentiment against a backdrop of consumer prices and social insurance contributions. - FY2018RestatedAnnual report
「The delayed recovery in consumer sentiment has made it increasingly important to address customers’ preference for saving money. Against this backdrop, sales and price competition among peers has also intensified, and the challenging business environment is expected to continue, making it difficult to secure profits.」
The full-year disclosure continued to state that the market environment would remain challenging for securing profits because of consumers’ preference for saving money and intensifying sales and price competition. - FY2018-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「Personal consumption has also been gradually recovering, and consumer sentiment is showing signs of improvement. However, sluggish wage growth, higher social insurance contributions and the shift in consumer prices to year-on-year growth are weighing on disposable income, and consumers continue to favor saving money.」
The disclosure noted signs of a recovery in personal consumption, while consumers continue to favor saving money against a backdrop of sluggish wage growth, social insurance contributions and higher prices. - FY2018-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「Although personal consumption has been gradually recovering, consumers continue to favor saving money, as sluggish wage growth, higher social insurance contributions and the shift in consumer prices to year-on-year growth have weighed on disposable income.」
The disclosure noted that personal consumption is recovering, while consumers continue to favor saving money against a backdrop of sluggish wage growth, social insurance contributions and higher prices. - FY2018-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「Although personal consumption is gradually recovering, consumers continue to favor lower prices because real income growth remains weak.」
The disclosure noted that personal consumption is gradually recovering, while consumers continue to favor lower prices against a backdrop of weak real income growth. - FY2017RestatedAnnual report
「The optical retail market remains challenging amid intensifying sales and price competition among companies.」
The full-year disclosure continued to describe a challenging optical retail market resulting from intensifying sales and price competition. - FY2017-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「The optical retail market remains challenging as weak consumer sentiment persists, compounded by intensifying competition among companies.」
The challenging optical retail market, driven by weak consumer sentiment and intensifying competition among companies, continued to be noted. - FY2017-Q2WorsenedAnnual report
「The optical retail market remains challenging as consumer sentiment stays weak amid an increased focus on saving money, compounded by intensifying competition among companies.」
The wording was strengthened from a “continued” to a “growing” focus on saving money and from competition to “intensifying” competition among companies. Sales of lower-priced products also struggled to grow. - FY2017-Q1First statedAnnual report
「The optical retail market remains challenging, with companies facing intense sales and price competition while customers continue to favor lower prices.」
The continued focus on saving money and the competitive environment were noted for the current quarter.