MonotaRO, which handles industrial materials and equipment, has increased revenue and operating profit for 16 consecutive years. Executive Officer Yohei Yuki (勇木 洋平) aims to achieve further growth through the full-scale rollout of a purchasing AI agent.
MonotaRO, a major online retailer of industrial materials and tools, is said to have increased revenue and operating profit for 16 consecutive years.^(This suggests stability in the company's business scale and performance, with its inventory and product selection cited as strengths.) The company handles 28 million products, and its logistics facilities stock as many as 700,000 items.
The company has indicated that it will strengthen its use of AI powered by purchasing data, analyzing and optimizing customers' purchasing behavior through enhanced search functionality. A purchasing AI agent is scheduled for full-scale rollout by year-end. It is expected to enable customers to search for products using descriptions such as “that thing I bought before to get rid of a hornet's nest,” even when they do not know the product number.
The company has disclosed its investment plans and growth targets. It plans to invest ¥50 billion in a logistics center in Mito and triple per-person productivity using state-of-the-art equipment. It aims to grow sales by more than 15% annually and double its scale in five years. Regarding its initiatives for investors, the company indicated that it would prioritize growth investment while targeting a payout ratio of at least 50%.