A vertically integrated manufacturing and retail model spanning procurement, processing and sales

「In the produce division, the Valor Dessert Center, opened in November 2025, strengthened the supply system for fresh-fruit desserts from greengrocers. The products had been introduced at 90 stores by the end of the fiscal year, supporting sales growth in the category and higher profits through reduced operating requirements. In the bakery division, the Hokoku Club Ena plant of 中部フーズ株式会社 began operations in September 2025.」

「Investment in facilities including a bakery dough factory and a fruit dessert factory enabled us to achieve both quality improvements and cost control as the opening areas and scale of operations expanded.」

「The company advanced initiatives including the establishment of new factories to strengthen the manufacturing capabilities of functional companies supporting its core supermarket (SM) business.」

「In this business, the company strengthened the food processing and wholesale operations supporting its fresh-foods and prepared-foods divisions while pursuing its destination-store strategy. At 株式会社バロー, sales increased after tuna nigiri sushi with negitoro won the top gold award in the fresh and daily-delivery foods category at Tokubai's 2024 National Supermarket Delicious Foods Popularity Contest, and same-store sales for the interim period increased 5.2% year on year.」

「In this business, food processing and wholesale operations supporting the strengthening of the fresh-foods and prepared-foods divisions contributed. At 株式会社バロー, same-store sales increased 4.7% year on year, and the gross profit margin also rose, resulting in higher revenue and profit for the business as a whole.」

「Synergies are expected from the strong affinity with 中部流通株式会社, which plans and designs packaging for the group's private-label products at supermarkets, drugstores and home centers, among others, and supplies flexible packaging film. Making a key supply-chain player a subsidiary is expected to improve supply-chain visibility and enable appropriate inventory management in intermediate distribution.」

「Synergies are expected from the strong affinity with 中部流通株式会社, which plans and designs packaging for the group's private-label products at supermarkets, drugstores and home centers, among others, and supplies flexible packaging film. Making a key supply-chain player a subsidiary is expected to improve supply-chain visibility and enable appropriate inventory management in intermediate distribution.」

「At the group's core company, 株式会社バロー, the company rebuilt the SM Valor Mizunami store in Gifu Prefecture and converted it into a destination store with stronger products leveraging its manufacturing capabilities and a clearly defined customer purpose.」

「In the SM business, food processing and wholesale businesses supporting the strengthening of the fresh-foods and prepared-foods divisions contributed, as did companies made subsidiaries in the previous fiscal year.」

「The company continued its ongoing initiatives, including focusing on sales of group-manufactured and private-label products and pursuing economies of scale through joint procurement and joint sales under the capital and business alliance with the company, 株式会社アークス and 株式会社リテールパートナーズ.」

「株式会社フェイス has expanded its business by steadily importing frozen vegetables from Chinese factories and trading companies and selling them mainly to food wholesalers serving the boxed-meal and institutional-catering industries. The company's consolidated subsidiary 中部流通株式会社 operates a wholesale business for food, general merchandise and materials. Through this share acquisition, it will strengthen quality control in China, expand its product range and grow its import business.」

「By making maximum use of the expertise and infrastructure held by 株式会社いのすや through this share acquisition, the company will further advance the evolution of the group's vertically integrated food retail model.」

「In October 2020, the company revamped its private-label products under two brands, valor select and valor plus. It also focused on product development using the group's procurement and manufacturing functions, advancing the reciprocal supply of raw materials and expanding sales through group companies.」

「By making maximum use of the expertise and infrastructure held by 有限会社滋賀中央パック through this share acquisition, the company will further advance the evolution of the group's vertically integrated food retail model.」

「By making maximum use of the expertise and infrastructure held by 大東食研株式会社 through this share acquisition, the company will further advance the evolution of the group's vertically integrated food retail model. In September, it also acquired the business of Nigiritate, a rice-ball specialty store, through a business transfer to improve procurement and manufacturing efficiency and enable flexible expansion alongside the Delica Kitchen prepared-food specialty stores.」

「Focused sales of core products, including Ginger-Scented Young Chicken Tatsuta-Fried, led to improved factory productivity.」

「Because coordination among the group's procurement and manufacturing functions was also a challenge, the company developed and introduced a tuna rice bowl and grilled Sanriku Kinka mackerel sushi rolls using seafood ingredients handled by 株式会社ダイエンフーズ and 本田水産株式会社 at Sushi Takumi, a takeout sushi specialty store opened by 中部フーズ株式会社 in Nagoya in March.」

「In the fruit division, which maintained strong sales, the company built a flexible procurement system centered on direct shipment from producing areas, supplemented by use of regional markets and shared sourcing among group companies. In the fresh-fish division, it developed new suppliers and significantly increased sales of tuna, sashimi platters developed with particular attention to product quality, and sashimi-cut sets whose successful sales at flagship stores had spread to other locations.」

「In the fruit division, which maintained strong sales, the company built a flexible procurement system centered on direct shipment from producing areas, supplemented by use of regional markets and shared sourcing among group companies. In the fresh-fish division, sales of sashimi platters remained firm, while the company developed new suppliers, expanded tuna sales and strengthened sales capabilities, including by having group companies compete with one another on sales volume.」

「In the fruit division, which maintained strong sales, the company built a flexible procurement system centered on direct shipment from producing areas, supplemented by use of regional markets and shared sourcing among group companies. In the fresh-fish division, sales of its sashimi platter, whose product specifications had been reviewed in the previous fiscal year, remained firm. The company also worked to strengthen sales by developing new suppliers and expanding tuna sales, including by having group companies compete with one another on sales volume.」

「In the prepared-foods division, where the company was advancing product development, it opened Delica Kitchen Amagasaka in March 2019, following Delica Kitchen Hoshigaoka, which opened in September 2018 as its first street-front store. The new store was located in a commercial facility developed beneath an elevated railway line, and the company introduced more basic prepared foods and meal breads to capture demand for dinner in addition to lunch.」

「In the prepared-foods division, the company revamped 21 boxed-meal and rice-bowl varieties and introduced Japanese prepared foods using seasonal vegetables. Japanese eggplant fried and simmered in broth became a summer hit product, simmered taro grew into a product generating steady sales through the fall, and Kaga-style fried fish with daikon simmered in a sweet soy-based broth became a product generating steady sales year-round.」

「In the prepared-foods division, the company revamped 17 boxed-meal and rice-bowl varieties and introduced Japanese prepared foods using seasonal vegetables. Japanese eggplant fried and simmered in broth became a summer hit product, while simmered taro grew into a product generating steady sales through the fall. In September 2018, the company opened Delica Kitchen Hoshigaoka, its first street-front prepared-food specialty store, in Nagoya, and introduced new prepared foods and meal breads to capture demand for dinner in addition to lunch.」

「In the prepared-foods division, where the company was advancing product development, it revamped 7 boxed-meal varieties and introduced Japanese prepared foods using seasonal vegetables. Japanese eggplant fried and simmered in broth became a hit product in June. The company also continued to see steady sales of the San Gen pork tender loin cutlet rice bowl and of yakisoba and takoyaki, which had been developed since the previous fiscal year.」

「In the prepared-foods division, the company worked to improve and develop basic products. Sales of yakitori, for which the cooking method had been revised, increased 1.5 times year on year, while sales of yakisoba, takoyaki and other products increased 1.9 times, contributing to improved profitability at the manufacturing stage. The production methods for 8 varieties of its core hand-rolled rice balls and 6 varieties of its specialty rice balls were changed, resulting in rice balls that brought out the umami of the rice and the natural flavor of salt. In September 2017, to improve product strength, the company opened Delica Kitchen Kintetsu Passe in Nagoya as its second prepared-food specialty store.」

「To improve product strength, the company opened Delica Kitchen Kintetsu Passe, also in Nagoya, in September, following the opening of Delica Kitchen KITTE Nagoya, a prepared-food specialty store opened in March 2017.」

「At the V・drug Gifu Prefectural Office West store, Gifu Prefecture, which opened in September, the company installed produce and fresh-meat sections operated by 株式会社タチヤ in addition to a prepared-food section.」

「The company also pursued product development using its infrastructure and product development at stores. Sales of yakitori, for which the cooking method had been revised, doubled year on year, while sales of yakisoba, takoyaki and other products increased 1.8 times year on year. Executing a sales plan focused on selected products and expanding their distribution also helped secure manufacturing profits, as shown by the increase in factory shipment value. In addition, to strengthen seafood procurement and improve product strength, which had been challenges in recent years, the company acquired shares in 本田水産株式会社, a seafood processor based in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, in April 2017 and made it a subsidiary.」

「In March 2017, the company opened Delica Kitchen KITTE Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, a prepared-food specialty store, to enhance product strength.」

「At V・Drug Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture, which was renovated in October 2016, 中部フーズ株式会社 undertook the in-store production and sale of prepared foods and bakery products for the first time outside its SM operations, attracting new customer segments.」

「The company also focused on product development using its infrastructure. 中部フーズ株式会社, which manufactures and sells prepared foods, regularly revamped its own-developed products and improved the texture and flavor of basic products such as fried chicken and kinpira burdock.」

「The company also focused on developing products to enhance store competitiveness. At its livestock processing centers, it reviewed product specifications, while 中部フーズ株式会社, which manufactures and sells prepared foods, increased sales volumes by partially changing the ingredients in its core products to improve flavor, among other measures.」

「The opening of the Kani Process Center, the company’s 5th meat-processing facility, established a system for supplying meat to all SM Valor stores and enabled more efficient store operations and optimized personnel allocation.」