Total sales increased 1.1% year on year to 112,171 million. Excluding March 1st sales of Highway Card toll cards, existing store sales decreased 1.9% (the March 1 impact of these cards was 0.6%). Average daily sales per store were 471,000, while the average amount spent per customer was 608, a decrease of 0.8%. The average number of customers per store per day was 777, down 1.2% year on year. One reason for these decreases was that there was one less Saturday and Sunday in March compared with the previous year. Good weather across Japan in March was not enough to counter this.

The rice dish category produced a sluggish performance for two main reasons: Lawson was unable to offer an alternative to beef bowls, which it was forced to stop selling, and it could not produce new products with higher perceived value just as growth in the Onigirya line plateaued. However, Lawson is stepping up efforts to expand sales of products imbued with greater value and that match customer needs, with the launch on April 1 of Buta Suki Don (pork bowls) (450 yen) being one example.

Lawson revamped its pasta lineup on March 9. The combination of a complete packaging makeover and emphasis on the quality of flour, olive oil and other ingredients drove double-digit growth in sales.

Bakery category sales remained robust on the back of new product launches in the Totte Oki Sengen series of original breads and other factors.

Fast food category sales rose year on year thanks to growth in sales of fried foods.

On March 30, Lawson started rolling out GU-GU-GU, an original series of instant food products that redefine the term instant. The brand name emphasizes three aspects of the ingredients (gu in Japanese)-the superior taste, size and volume of helpings. The lineup features instant noodles, miso soup, cup soup and other items, and are the fruits of a joint development initiative in each field with 12 well-known food manufacturers. For further details, please see the related news release (Japanese only).

DVD sales of Suiyoo Doo Deshoo were extremely strong (Parts 1 to 4). Orders can be made through Loppi multimedia terminals. Lawson also started taking orders for The Last Samurai DVDs through Loppi on April 1. Don't miss the chance to receive a free gift for advance orders while stocks last.

On March 26, Lawson started accepting orders for Mother's and Father's day gifts. This is the first year that Lawson has started accepting orders on the same day. Coinciding with this move, Lawson has bolstered its lineup of flower gifts and is expanding the lineup of food and other gifts.

Lawson repurchased treasury stock on the open market in March. Click here for the press release.

Lawson is scheduled to announce its operating results for the year ended February 29, 2004 on Wednesday, April 14. The earnings release and presentation material will be posted on this website. On April 2, Lawson renewed its corporate website. The revamped website is now easier to view and navigate, and makes it simpler for users to access the information Lawson discloses on a timely basis.