ASICS posted sales of ¥270.2 billion and operating profit of ¥60.7 billion for January–March 2026, both record highs for a first quarter. While growth in brands including Onitsuka Tiger contributed to the results, the discussion examined how companies should understand communities of consumers and connect them to expanding sources of value.
ASICS continues to grow as a sports-fashion brand. Its consolidated results for January–March 2026 showed sales of ¥270.2 billion and operating profit of ¥60.7 billion, both record highs for a first quarter. Onitsuka Tiger made a significant contribution, and the company attributes its growth to the expanding support base for the brand beyond the traditional boundaries of sports.
The article cites The Community Economic Sphere (界隈経済圏), a book by Makiguchi Shoji (牧口松二), a professor at the Faculty of Commerce at Kyushu Sangyo University. It introduces his view that communities are naturally occurring connections among consumers and are not something for companies to conquer. Companies should respect the context of these communities and engage as participants helping to resolve their problems.
The article also explains the importance of a strategy to increase category entry points (CEPs), which broadly communicate value to light users by drawing on the concerns and context of these communities. The idea is that increasing the number of situations in everyday life in which consumers recall a product through CEPs can drive corporate growth.
Makiguchi Shoji (牧口松二), a professor at the Faculty of Commerce at Kyushu Sangyo University, discusses his experience in brand strategy and advances the concept of community economic spheres through the publication of his book. The article argues that companies should not seek to make themselves the central figures in these communities, but should engage as constructive participants.