Enhancing the product assortment to meet everyday needs

「まず、グロッサリーをはじめとするCBS商品について「売り場作りや商品構成、価格設定を見直す」。」

「Sales of convenience store daily-delivery products, including prepared rice products, prepared breads and deli foods, exceeded the previous year’s level.」

「Amid continued inflation, we expanded the assortment of TOPVALU, AEON Group's private-label brand, to support customers' comfortable daily lives.」

「We worked to expand the assortment to meet the polarization of customers' consumption patterns between price and value. Same-store daily sales per MINISTOP store were 100.6% of the previous year, average same-store customer numbers were 98.8%, and average same-store spend per customer was 101.8%.」

「We also expanded the assortment of fresh foods and household goods and advanced the realization of one-stop, short-time shopping.」

「For the convenience-store product rice balls revamped last September, we launched the "Always ¥98 Before Tax" series, which customers could purchase every day at a bargain price, and promoted initiatives to establish it as a standard product. From July onward, we launched a total of 6 products in the series, further expanded the range of affordable products, promoted them as a unified offering, and worked to establish their sales-floor presence and strengthen the assortment.」

「As a result, TOPVALU sales grew by more than 110% year on year in the cumulative consolidated first-quarter period.」

「In confectionery and snacks, sales were lifted by introducing jumble-display fixtures at 1,635 stores and promoting complementary purchases through high-volume displays.」

「In confectionery and snacks, sales were lifted by introducing jumble-display fixtures at 1,622 stores and promoting purchases through displays designed to increase customers' willingness to buy.」

「In the assortment, communications and sales-promotion campaigns for attractively priced products and bargains addressing customers' heightened concerns about household finances, sales were lifted by expanding the assortment of AEON Group-exclusive products, including TOPVALU Best Price, which benefit from the AEON Group's economies of scale, in soft drinks, RTD beverages and Western spirits. In snacks and confectionery, sales were also lifted by expanding the assortment of attractively priced products, centered on original products, and by promoting complementary purchases through the introduction of jumble-display fixtures at 783 stores as of the end of May 2023.」

「For soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, we used AEON Group-exclusive products, including TOPVALU Best Price, which benefit from the AEON Group's economies of scale, and expanded the assortment so customers could purchase attractively priced products with confidence every day.」

「For convenience-store products, we expanded the sales areas for frozen foods and alcoholic beverages in response to changes in customers' lifestyles. To offer customers appealing flavors and enjoyment, we also strengthened the assortment of original products, including boxed meals, salads and sweets supervised by several well-known restaurants, as well as snack foods and beverages inspired by our popular fast-food products.」

「In response to increased demand for at-home drinking during the COVID-19 pandemic, we expanded the alcoholic-beverage sales area. We also expanded our original "Yamitsuki Kitchen" frozen-food series to meet demand from customers seeking to reduce the effort required for cooking, and progressively added frozen-food display equipment.」

「Sales of alcoholic beverages, for which at-home drinking increased because of restrictions on serving alcohol at restaurants, and tobacco, which was heavily affected by price revisions resulting from the tax increase, exceeded the previous period.」

「We launched products that combined affordable prices with satisfying taste, including the more deliciously revamped Chashu Pork Boxed Meal, the "Zusshiri Goku!" series known for its exceptional volume, and station-bento-style boxed meals.」

「New boxed meals launched monthly, including station-bento-style boxed meals developed to provide a travel-like experience while people refrained from going out, and products in the "Zusshiri Goku!" series known for their exceptional volume, were well received, lifting boxed-meal sales above the year-earlier period. We also strengthened the assortments of alcoholic beverages, for which at-home drinking increased because of restrictions on serving alcohol at restaurants, and sweets that had received favorable attention after being featured on television programs. Sales of both categories exceeded the year-earlier period.」

「Sales of alcoholic beverages, sweets and sushi, whose assortments were strengthened in response to changes in people's lifestyles, exceeded the year-earlier period and continued to grow.」

「For convenience-store products, we used same-store support expenses introduced this period to strengthen, according to location, the assortment of product groups experiencing increased demand.」

「Using the same-store support expenses introduced this period, we strengthened the assortment of product groups suited to the increase in opportunities to eat at home, including sweets and sushi.」

「For convenience-store products, demand for masks and hygiene products increased, driving growth in sales of paper and hygiene products. As people spent more time at home, sales of sweets, ice cream and alcoholic beverages, among other products, exceeded the year-earlier period. As opportunities to eat at home increased, sales of frozen foods, processed foods and seasonings, among other products, also exceeded the year-earlier period.」

「For convenience-store products, we implemented rice-ball-centered promotional initiatives, including changing the price of all rice balls to ¥100 before tax in July, launching a television commercial highlighting that rice balls were always ¥100, and promoting products purchased together with rice balls. As a result, the number of rice balls sold was 151.9% of the previous period, and sales were 135.0%.」

「For convenience-store products, we launched a television commercial at the time of the consumption tax increase highlighting that rice balls were always ¥100. As a result, the number of rice balls sold in the consolidated third quarter increased to 179.4% of the year-earlier period, while sales reached 153.2%, both showing strong performance. Noodles, prepared foods and salads also performed strongly, driven by rice balls. For sales-floor development, we promoted 52-week merchandising and operated an automatic replenishment system to prevent stockouts of best-selling and standard products.」

「For convenience-store products, we changed the price of rice balls to ¥100 before tax from 2 July. As a result, the number of rice balls sold in August was 167.2% of the year-earlier period, while sales were 140.8%, both showing strong performance. For sales-floor development, we promoted 52-week merchandising and operated an automatic replenishment system to prevent stockouts of best-selling and standard products.」

「For convenience-store products, we focused on improving ordering of daily-delivery products. As a result, sales of individual rice balls were 106.5% of the year-earlier period, exceeding the previous year, and daily-delivery product sales are also showing signs of improvement year on year.」

「For convenience-store products, salads and frozen foods exceeded the previous year as a result of sales-floor development and product development adapted to market changes.」

「For convenience-store products, magazines and newspapers remained weak, but salads and frozen foods, which were重点 areas for strengthening during the period, exceeded the previous year. Tobacco sales also exceeded the previous year on demand for bulk purchases following the tobacco tax increase.」

「Salads, a key focus in the first half, performed strongly at 115.8% of the year-earlier period. We also responded to record heat in July and August, with soft drinks, frozen foods and ice cream, among other products, performing strongly and exceeding the previous year.」

「For convenience-store products, we worked to improve ordering of best-selling products and strengthen the assortment. In particular, we expanded the sales-floor space and assortment for salads, lifting salad sales to 115.0% of the year-earlier period. We also worked to extend the sales periods of rice-based foods, extending the sales periods of 3 boxed-meal items and improving the assortment.」

「To realize the vision of stores that customers want to visit every day, we monitored ordering and sales progress in categories frequently appearing on the dining table, resulting in strong performance by daily products such as eggs, tofu and natto. In response to working women's needs for time-saving and convenient products, chicken breast, bagged salads and prepared salads also performed strongly.」

「For convenience-store products, efforts to strengthen product development and the assortment paid off, with rice-based foods, prepared foods, noodles, bread and sweets, among other categories, exceeding the previous year throughout the first half.」

「For chilled boxed meals, chilled sushi, prepared sandwiches and microwaveable noodles, we expanded the assortment and implemented sales-promotion measures using WAON, resulting in strong sales of daily-delivery products.」

「For convenience-store products, we worked to strengthen daily-delivery products, actively expanding the assortment and implementing sales-promotion measures using WAON.」

「For convenience-store products, we worked to strengthen the assortment of daily-delivery products and increased sales in categories including rice-based foods, dairy products, daily products and prepared foods. However, this was not enough to offset the prolonged weakness in tobacco and magazine sales, and total sales were slightly below the previous year.」

「Together with franchisees, we worked to strengthen the assortment to meet customers' everyday needs.」