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Would you please tell us about the purpose behind launching New Yakult Peach Flavor and its current sales situation?
By launching New Yakult Peach Flavor, our aim was to remind customers of Yakult’s presence and to reinvigorate overall sales of Yakult products at retail store channels. Although it has not yet resulted in an increase in total sales volume of Yakult products, we are beginning to see certain positive effects, such as broader reach among customer segments we had not previously captured—particularly women in their 40s and younger.
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Would you please tell us about the current sales situation of Yakult 1000 products and Y1000 products?
[Yakult 1000 Products]
In December, the number of bottles sold of Yakult 1000 products was approximately 1.73 million per day. The number of newly acquired customers in November and December was lower than in the same period last year, resulting in a decline in the overall customer base. Customer spending per person has also decreased by around three points.
In the fourth quarter (January–March), we aim to increase the number of bottles sold by enhancing the activities of Yakult Ladies through initiatives such as consumer campaigns, at-home consumption promotion campaigns, and sales incentive programs for our marketing companies.
In addition, data from the Yakult app, which has been in operation since March last year, shows higher purchase amounts and continuation rates among app users compared with non-users. We therefore plan to accelerate user acquisition and use the app as a key tool to help restore sales.
[Y1000 Products]
In December, the number of bottles sold of Y1000 products was approximately 950,000 per day. The number of bottles sold of Y1000 Toshitsu Off (a reduced sugar-type product), which launched in April, has been below expectations. We believe this is due to a decline in both the number of supermarket customers and unit sales per store, as well as a lower number of convenience stores handling the product—where the number of stores stocking the product is about 16,000 fewer compared with Y1000.
In the fourth quarter, we aim to increase the number of bottles sold through reinforcing storefront promotional activities at supermarkets and through promotional support programs at convenience stores.
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Would you share the combined monthly number of bottles sold and year-on-year comparison for Guangzhou Yakult and Yakult (China) Corporation during the fourth quarter (October–December)?
The combined number of bottles sold in Guangzhou Yakult and Yakult (China) Corporation, as well as the year-on-year comparison for the fourth quarter (October–December), are as follows:
October: 4.13 million bottles per day (108.8% YoY)
November: 3.78 million bottles per day (102.4% YoY)
December: 3.47 million bottles per day (123.5% YoY)
fourth quarter total: 3.79 million bottles per day (110.6% YoY)
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Would you please tell us the recent composition ratio based on the number of bottles sold of flavored products at Guangzhou Yakult and Yakult (China) Corporation?
The composition ratio of the number of bottles sold for flavored products is slightly below 20%, representing an increase of approximately 10 percentage points compared to the same period last year.
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Would you please tell us about your strategy for the future rollout of flavored products in Guangzhou Yakult and Yakult (China) Corporation?
We recognize that the introduction of two flavored products has brought our product lineup in Guangzhou Yakult and Yakult (China) Corporation to a reasonably sufficient level. Going forward, rather than increasing the number of flavored products indiscriminately, we will consider options such as replacing existing flavors and will continue to develop a product strategy that contributes to further sales growth.
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Would you please tell us about the background behind the recovery trend in performance in the Americas region from the third quarter (July–September) and the outlook for its sustainability?
The launch of flavored products in Yakult S/A Ind. E Com. (Brazil) and Yakult S.A. De C.V. (Mexico) starting in September has been successful, leading to an increase in the number of bottles sold. In the fourth quarter (October–December), the Americas region achieved approximately 5.88 million bottles sold per day, or 102.5% compared with the previous year, maintaining strong performance. As we see further growth potential for flavored products, we expect continued growth in results from January onward.
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Would you please tell us about the current sales situation of flavored products in Yakult S/A Ind. E Com. (Brazil) and Yakult S.A. De C.V. (Mexico) by sales channel?
In the home‑delivery channel, Yakult Ladies in both countries have been actively handling the products, resulting in a smooth and favorable start. In the retail store channel, Yakult S/A Ind. E Com. (Brazil) has been selling in line with existing plans, while Yakult S.A. De C.V. (Mexico) has experienced a slower start due to certain chain stores where product distribution has not progressed sufficiently. We expect the number of bottles sold to increase gradually as distribution coverage improves over time.
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Would you please tell us the scheduled start of operations for the second U.S. plant that is currently under construction?
We initially planned to begin operations in September 2026, but due to delays in the procurement of materials and equipment, we expect a delay of several months. While the exact start‑up timing is still under review, we currently anticipate that operations will begin in the fiscal year ending March 2028.
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Would you please tell us the sales composition ratio of flavored products in Yakult S/A Ind. E Com. (Brazil), Yakult S.A. De C.V. (Mexico), and PT. Yakult Indonesia Persada in the third quarter (July–September), as well as your outlook going forward?
In the third quarter, the share of flavored products was approximately 10% in Yakult S/A Ind. E Com. (Brazil), about 7% in Yakult S.A. De C.V. (Mexico), and around 16% in PT. Yakult Indonesia Persada. Going forward, we expect the ratio in each country to reach around 20%, similar to the level in Guangzhou Yakult and Yakult (China) Corporation.
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Is there any risk that an increasing sales composition ratio of flavored products in the future could undermine the value of Yakult products as health foods and consequently weaken our brand strength?
Flavored products are merely a means to broaden customer reach, and we take great care not to position or promote the flavors themselves as the primary appeal. Even for customers who begin consumption because of the flavor, we emphasize the scientific evidence behind Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota and encourage continued intake so they can experience its health benefits. Through this approach, we believe customers will come to understand the health value that Yakult products offer.
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Would you please tell us about the progress toward the full‑year consolidated operating income target of 48.5 billion yen and your outlook for achieving it?
In Japan, as the current number of bottles sold of our dairy products is significantly below the current plan, we therefore believe it will be difficult to achieve that operating income target. On the other hand, the Asia and Oceania region has returned to both revenue and profit growth since the third quarter (July–September), and total overseas sales volume for the full year (January–December) is exceeding the current plan. In addition, the yen is approximately 2–3% weaker compared with the level assumed when the plan was formulated, which provides a positive impact of around 1 billion yen on overseas operating profit. Taking all of this into account, we expect the decline in domestic performance to be offset by overseas results, bringing consolidated operating income close to the target level.
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Would you please tell us about your approach to shareholder returns?
There is no change to our policy of placing utmost priority on continuously increasing dividends based on the concept of progressive dividend payment, while flexibly carrying out share buyback with 70% in total payout ratio as a guideline. For the current fiscal year ending March 2026, we plan to pay a total dividend of 70 yen per share, consisting of a regular dividend of 66 yen and a commemorative dividend of 4 yen. For the next fiscal year ending March 2027, we will consider the dividend level by taking this 70yen amount into account.
