Developing Capabilities to Address Community Issues and Online Sales

「The number of local governments covered by comprehensive partnership agreements expanded to 21, comprising 1 prefecture and 20 cities, from 18 as of the end of March 2025. At Actos Co., Ltd., swimming classes were outsourced by 7 local governments for 9 elementary schools.」

「The e-commerce division also worked to improve customer services, including expanding products eligible for same-day shipping. As a result, same-store sales increased 1.5% year on year in aggregate at Daiyu Eight Co., Ltd., Home Center Valor Co., Ltd. and Time Co., Ltd.」

「As part of efforts to address local community challenges, in October 2023 we entered into 2 agreements with Nagoya City: an agreement on cooperation in emergency activities during disasters with the Waterworks and Sewerage Bureau, and an agreement on cooperation in supplying emergency daily necessities and other goods during disasters with the Economic Affairs Bureau.」

「In the home improvement business, the company further expanded sales of private-label products, while promoting the development of professional tool and materials stores, e-commerce and digital marketing.」

「As part of efforts to address local community challenges, in March 2023 we entered into a comprehensive partnership agreement with Gifu Prefecture. We will pursue cooperation and collaboration in areas including creating secure living environments through food, building a healthy society, promoting the SDGs, and disaster prevention and response.」

「Meanwhile, the e-commerce business significantly outperformed the previous year, securing higher revenue.」

「Amid an accelerating shift to digital, including online purchasing driven by demand for contactless shopping and the growing use of cashless payments, the e-commerce business significantly outperformed the previous year and secured higher revenue.」

「In e-commerce, the online supermarket launched in collaboration with Amazon Japan G.K. on 30 June 2021 continued to grow steadily and contributed to expanding the company's share of its trading area.」

「On 30 June 2021, an online supermarket launched through collaboration with Amazon Japan G.K. The service for Amazon Prime members, using Supermarket Valor Takatsuji Store in Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, as its delivery hub, got off to a solid start.」

「In e-commerce, in addition to drive-through order collection through ainoma, a delivery service for business establishments, and expansion of delivery areas through partnerships with local businesses, preparations proceeded for the launch of an online supermarket in collaboration with Amazon Japan G.K., scheduled for summer 2021.」

「The Group advanced new initiatives promoting digitalization by leveraging its local market share, including expanding unstaffed sales through partnerships with local companies using the functions of ainoma, its business-delivery service, and conducting joint promotions across the 3 major businesses—supermarkets, drugstores and home centers—as customer-participation marketing using the app for its Lu Vit electronic money card.」

「In response to changes in lifestyles resulting from the prolonged period of requests to refrain from going out, the company began paid online fitness content distribution. It also introduced drive-through order collection and shopping-agent services based on the ainoma system, a delivery service for business establishments, and used the app for its proprietary electronic money, the Lu Vit card, for advance sales linked to customer preference surveys and product displays. Initiatives to explore new services and customer-participatory marketing also began to emerge across the various businesses.」

「While supermarkets, drugstores and home improvement stores refrained from flyer promotions in response to requests to ease congestion as a measure to prevent the spread of infection, stores in the supermarket business that had been converted into destination stores with strong traffic-driving products and categories posted particularly strong sales growth. In addition, in response to changing lifestyles resulting from requests to refrain from going out, the company introduced drive-through order collection and shopping-agent services based on the ainoma system, a delivery service for business establishments,」

「Internet sales by First Co., Ltd., which serve demand that physical stores cannot fully meet, continued to perform well. Sales also grew at Daiyu Eight Co., Ltd. and Home Center Valor Co., Ltd.」

「To capture demand that physical stores cannot fully serve, First Co., Ltd., which became a subsidiary in the previous fiscal year, opened a store on a new e-commerce site. Home Center Valor Co., Ltd. also opened a store on an e-commerce site based on First's system.」

「To capture demand that physical stores cannot fully serve, we opened a store on a marketplace-style e-commerce site under the HC Valor name, based on the system of First Co., Ltd., which became a subsidiary in the previous fiscal year.」

「To develop businesses that address local social challenges while coexisting with physical stores, we began selling food from mobile sales vehicles in Mizunami, Gifu Prefecture, in April 2018.」

「While utilizing the group's management resources, we will develop businesses that coexist with physical stores, including the provision of functions that address local social challenges and the expansion of online sales.」