Monthly Operational Summary FY2003 (May 2003)

Business Report

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Total sales decreased 2.0% year on year to 109,915 million. Existing store sales fell 1.9%, although existing store sales actually fell only 1.4% if sales of the discontinued Highway Card toll cards are ignored. Average daily sales per store were 471,000, while the average number of customers per store per day was 801, down 0.3%. Yen spent per customer was 593 on average, dipping 1.6%.

During the first quarter of the fiscal year, Lawson opened 97 stores and closed 116 stores, resulting in a total of 7,606 stores at May 31, 2003, 19 less than at February 28. Lawson is moving ahead with closing low-profit stores, but at the same time is steadily building up a stock of contracts as it works toward the goal for the current fiscal year of a net 200 increase in stores.

In May, the Onigiriya rice ball Sake Zuke Yaki (launched on May 13 at 160), the simultaneously released miso-soup Onigiriya No Miso Shiru: Kome Miso (150) and the green tea Onigiriya Rokucha (120), together with bakery items, ice cream and chilled drinks all performed well. However, sales slipped from April due to three main reasons: the Golden Week string of public holidays was one day shorter than the previous year; last year sales of Ghibli-related products associated with the movie Spirited Away (English title of the Japanese movie Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) boosted sales about 0.9%; and magazine sales dropped after enjoying high sales at this time last year spurred by the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/JapanT, co-hosted by Japan and Korea.

There was no change in beer and happo-shu trends, with the tax hike on the latter having little visible affect.

As previously reported, on May 21, Lawson was informed by a vendor, Sundelica Co., Ltd., that some ingredients had been mislabeled on rice balls sold at Lawson stores in the Miyazaki and Yamagata regions. The products concerned were Niigata Koshihikari Onigiri and Tori Gomoku Onigiri, which is no longer on sale. Sundelica reported that its Sendai First Sales Office had used different ingredients to those labeled that breached standards and proper quality labeling relating to processed foods under the JAS Law. Lawson is looking into the cause of this incident and redoubling efforts to prevent any reoccurrence. Further details can be found on this website at news release and top management message.

Lawson's 28th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders was held on Wednesday, May 27, 2003. Information on the resolutions can be viewed on this website.

Beef Curry and Natsu Yasai To Chikin No Curry, both launched on June 3 as part of continuous efforts to reconfigure the main dishes lineup, have won high marks. Lawson is also focusing on boosting persistently low sandwich sales and plans to launch on June 17 Chef's Sando, a new range of boxed sandwiches that are a departure from previous products. Together with mainstay Onigiriya rice balls and Area Ichioshi bento-boxes, these will gather momentum, leading to higher sales.

The annual 75-day summer gift season, from June 3 to August 16, is underway. Lawson is offering more choice than ever by beefing up its lineup of original products and continuing to offer the Takashimaya Gifts, which sold well in the winter gift season.

Monthly Data

For Print

Consolidated

Number of Stores

  MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB TOTAL
Opening 22 41 34 52 88 84 27 50 51 45 42 89 625
  Closure 17 39 9 14 16 18 23 17 23 16 5 27 224
Re-location 9 23 19 25 22 24 15 18 13 13 12 12 205
Subtotal 26 62 28 39 38 42 38 35 36 29 17 39 429
Total 7,621 7,600 7,606 7,619 7,669 7,711 7,700 7,715 7,730 7,746 7,771 7,821 7,821
Net Increase -4 -21 6 13 50 42 -11 15 15 16 25 50 196

Sales

  MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB
Total Sales
(¥millions)
110,970 106,538 109,915 110,078 116,409 121,103 111,288 112,467 108,954 116,517 105,774 101,746
All Stores yoy 98.8% 98.2% 98.0% 100.1% 96.0% 98.9% 101.7% 101.5% 103.5% 100.5% 101.3% 101.5%
Existing Store yoy 99.0% 99.0% 98.1% 99.4% 95.1% 97.8% 100.4% 99.9% 101.7% 98.7% 99.4% 99.6%
Ave.Daily Sales per store
(¥thousands)
476 473 471 488 497 514 488 476 477 491 445 457
Number of Customers (Number) 771 789 801 813 827 850 836 814 792 773 727 755
comparison
w/ previous yr
98.2% 98.8% 99.7% 97.8% 94.4% 97.7% 100.8% 99.7% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 98.8%
Spending per Customer (¥) 620 605 593 605 605 611 589 591 608 640 620 637
comparison
w/ previous yr
100.8% 100.2% 98.4% 101.6% 100.7% 100.1% 99.6% 100.2% 101.7% 98.7% 99.4% 100.8%

Number of Stores by Region and Prefecture

  MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB
Hokkaido 474 473 470 467 471 475 476 477 479 482 483 485
Tohoku 642 637 636 639 644 646 646 647 645 644 644 646
Kanto 1,923 1,928 1,933 1,943 1,958 1,980 1,984 1,991 1,999 2,010 2,013 2,028
Koshinetsu 315 312 311 311 312 312 310 310 308 308 308 311
Hokuriku 223 220 220 221 222 224 223 222 223 223 223 224
Tokai 625 622 624 627 632 629 625 626 630 631 639 644
Kinki 1,735 1,722 1,726 1,723 1,735 1,740 1,734 1,739 1,740 1,743 1,751 1,756
Chugoku 447 444 445 446 448 450 449 449 447 446 447 449
Shikoku 366 369 368 366 368 371 370 369 371 370 371 378
Kyushu 871 873 873 876 879 884 883 885 888 889 892 900
Total 7,621 7,600 7,606 7,619 7,669 7,711 7,700 7,715 7,730 7,746 7,771 7,821
Shanghai 103 106 109 116 120 126 129 134 144 146 148 153

* Note) excluding highway card

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