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Would you please tell us about the initiatives from the second quarter (July–September) onward to increase sales volume of the Yakult 1000 series?
In the home delivery channel, we will focus on encouraging in-home consumption and acquiring new customers. Key initiatives include training programs for Yakult Ladies, sample subsidies, and enhancements to the Yakult Delivery Net online ordering service.
In the retail store channel, we will expand distribution of Y1000 Toshitsu Off at convenience stores, support promotional activities in collaboration with supermarket partners, enhance product value at the point of sale, and create highly visible product displays.
Additionally, a joint consumer campaign covering both the home delivery and retail store channels is scheduled to launch in October.
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The number of bottles sold for domestic dairy products in the first quarter (April–June) was lower than in the same period last year. What do you identify as the main contributing factors?
In the home delivery channel, both the number of customers of and the average revenue per customer from Yakult 1000 products fell below last year’s levels, which we recognize as a key challenge.
In the retail store channel, although Y1000 Toshitsu Off was launched in April, it did not attract as many new customers as anticipated.
For the New Yakult series, the number of customers declined by 10% year-on-year, and we have yet to reverse the downward trend in sales volume.
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Domestic operating profit in the first quarter (April–June) declined by approximately 3.8 billion yen. What were the main contributing factors?
The main factors were a decline in gross profit due to lower sales volume, higher raw material costs, and increased fixed costs such as labor costs. Additionally, an increase in selling, general and administrative expenses also contributed to the decline in operating profit.
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What is your approach to domestic expense execution for the current fiscal year (fiscal 2025)?
We plan to invest in necessary marketing activities to drive sales growth while maintaining a balanced approach to expenses management in order to achieve our operating profit target.
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Please share your view on the impact of competitors’ price revisions in August and your domestic pricing strategy for the fiscal year 2025.
Competitors’ price revisions for drinkable yogurt may have a modest, positive impact on our fermented milk products. As for domestic pricing, we currently have no plans to revise prices, but will consider adjustments as needed, taking into account factors such as rising raw material costs.
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Would you share the monthly number of bottles sold and year-on-year comparison for Guangzhou Yakult and Yakult (China) Corporation during the second quarter (April–June)?
The number of bottles sold in Guangzhou Yakult and Yakult (China) Corporation, as well as the year-on-year comparison for the second quarter (April–June), are as follows:
April: 4.88 million bottles per day (106.7% YoY)
May: 5.19 million bottles per day (106.0% YoY)
June: 5.24 million bottles per day (103.6% YoY)
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Would you share an overview of the sales performance in PT. Yakult Indonesia Persada during the second quarter (April–June)?
Consumption remains sluggish, and April sales volume was significantly below the previous year due to the timing shift of religious events. However, starting in June, we launched Yakult Mango Flavor, and year-on-year sales volume grew by double digits. It has received positive feedback from both customers and Yakult Ladies, and strong performance is expected to continue from July onward.
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Would you share an overview of the sales performance in Yakult Vietnam Co., Ltd. during the second quarter (April–June)?
The number of bottles sold in the second quarter was 104.1% year-on-year, which may indicate a slowdown compared to the 113.3% achieved in the first quarter (January–March).
This is thought to be due to positive reactions following the launch of Yakult Light in April last year, contrasting with the price revisions implemented in April and May of this year.
With continued expansion of Yakult Ladies organizations and the number of our partner stores, we expect sales performance to remain strong going forward.
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Would you share the key factors behind the decline in operating profit in the Asia-Oceania region during the first quarter (January–March)?
Although there were profit-increasing factors, such as higher gross profit from increased number of bottles sold and reduced fixed costs following the closure of the Shanghai plant in December 2024, these were offset by profit-decreasing factors, including higher selling expenses—mainly in Guangzhou Yakult and Yakult (China) Corporation—resulting in a decline of approximately 300 million yen in operating profit.
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Why is operating profit in the Asia-Oceania region expected to increase by approximately 2.5 billion yen on a currency-neutral basis in the full-year plan for fiscal year 2025?
Compared to the previous year, we anticipate stronger growth in the number of bottles sold in the second half of the fiscal year (July–December) than in the first half (January–June), which is expected to lead to increased gross profit and higher operating profit.
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What were the reasons for the decline in the number of bottles sold by Yakult S.A. De C.V. (Mexico) in the second quarter (April–June)?
The main reasons were overall sluggish consumption due to economic uncertainty caused by tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and fewer business days in April due to the timing of Semana Santa (Holy Week) being different from last year. As demand is now recovering, we expect sales volume to rebound going forward.
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Would you please tell us about the current sales situation in Yakult U.S.A. Inc.
As we are nearing the limit of our production capacity, there are restrictions on developing new business partners. While demand remains high, we are conducting sales activities with consideration for the balance between production capacity and sales volume, so growth is expected to be gradual rather than rapid.
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What is the outlook for overseas operating profit in fiscal year 2025?
The negative impact of currency conversion on operating profit is expected to be smaller in the second half than in the first half. Since we also plan to increase sales volume more in the second half, we expect operating profit to grow from the second half onward.
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Following the downward revision of the full-year plan for fiscal year 2025, are there any changes to the medium-term management plan (2025–2030)?
There are no changes to the medium-term management plan (2025–2030).
