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Total sales rose 8.5% year on year to 126,298 million yen, while existing store sales increased 4.3%. Average daily sales per store were 526,000 yen, and the average amount spent per customer decreased 1.6% to 587 yen. The average number of customers per store per day was 894, up 5.9% year on year. Last year, customers rushed to buy tobacco products ahead of a tax increase, which pushed up sales. While this mostly affected sales in June 2003, sales on the first of the following month also benefited, pushing up sales for July 2003. On a comparative basis, this held down the year-on-year increase in sales in July 2004. Excluding this effect, existing store sales rose 6.3% year on year.
Sales were strong in July thanks to generally good weather. There were, however, some negative factors. The large typhoon that struck western Japan, particularly the Shikoku region, at the end of July forced the cancellation of many summer festivals and fireworks displays, severely denting sales in some areas. A second negative factor was lower sales of concert tickets than the previous year, when sales were high due to strong demand for tickets to GLAY and other concerts. This had a negative impact on sales of approximately 1 percentage point.
On a more positive note, products that traditionally perform strongly in summer, such as cold noodles and health drinks, recorded double-digit growth in sales. This was due to several factors, including ongoing measures to strengthen product lineups selling well, successful efforts to improve the accuracy with which stock is ordered to match demand, and record high temperatures in Japan, which stood in stark contrast to last year's cool summer. Standout performers were ice cream, which posted growth of around 50%, and soft drinks, sales of which rose roughly 20%.
In the rice dish category, existing store sales exceeded the previous year, partly due to the beneficial effect of introducing new rice ball products. Furthermore, sales of boxed lunches are gradually improving, paced by a 30% year-on-year rise in sales of Unagi Kabayakiju, an eel dish sold to coincide with mid-summer. As was reported in the media, some Lawson stores began selling Tawara Musubi Makunouchi boxed lunches (530 yen) on August 3, offering customers an enhanced taste experience. These boxed lunches are made using the latest food processing equipment and are sold at around 5,000 Lawson stores in the Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka regions. LAWSON plans to gradually increase the number of such products and expand sales nationwide based on how well they are received by the market.
The fast food category continued where it left off in June with the introduction of another new product in July, 210-yen Karaagekun Garlic Pepper. Sales in this category grew strongly.
Consolidated |
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MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | JAN | FEB | TOTAL | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opening | 32 | 54 | 50 | 50 | 74 | 98 | 28 | 56 | 72 | 81 | 23 | 93 | 711 | |
Closure | 33 | 44 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 29 | 29 | 21 | 24 | 6 | 13 | 276 | |
Re-location | 17 | 23 | 17 | 21 | 16 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 9 | 179 | |
Subtotal | 50 | 67 | 34 | 40 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 31 | 28 | 22 | 22 | 455 | |
Total | 7,803 | 7,790 | 7,806 | 7,816 | 7,851 | 7,909 | 7,896 | 7,911 | 7,952 | 8,005 | 8,006 | 8,077 | 8,077 | |
Net Increase | -18 | -13 | 16 | 10 | 35 | 58 | -13 | 15 | 41 | 53 | 1 | 71 | 256 |
MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | JAN | FEB | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Sales (¥millions) |
112,171 | 111,695 | 113,267 | 112,411 | 126,298 | 125,392 | 114,143 | 117,137 | 112,261 | 121,509 | 109,655 | 102,646 | |
All Stores yoy | 101.1% | 104.8% | 103.0% | 102.1% | 108.5% | 103.5% | 102.6% | 104.2% | 103.0% | 104.3% | 103.7% | 100.9% | |
Existing Store yoy | * 98.1% | 100.8% | 99.1% | 97.9% | 104.3% | 99.5% | 98.5% | 100.1% | 98.7% | 99.8% | 98.9% | 99.6% | |
Ave.Daily Sales per store (¥thousands) |
471 | 484 | 474 | 486 | 526 | 519 | 488 | 484 | 479 | 499 | 447 | 464 | |
Number of Customers | (Number) | 777 | 808 | 799 | 833 | 894 | 862 | 838 | 815 | 809 | 795 | 737 | 763 |
comparison w/ previous yr |
98.8% | 100.5% | 97.8% | 100.6% | 105.9% | 99.4% | 98.4% | 98.5% | 100.1% | 100.1% | 99.7% | 99.5% | |
Spending per Customer | (¥) | * 608 | 598 | 592 | 581 | 587 | 602 | 580 | 592 | 589 | 622 | 604 | 603 |
comparison w/ previous yr |
* 99.2% | 100.4% | 101.3% | 97.4% | 98.4% | 100.1% | 100.0% | 101.7% | 98.6% | 99.7% | 99.2% | 100.1% |
MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | JAN | FEB | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hokkaido | 482 | 484 | 484 | 484 | 491 | 494 | 494 | 492 | 493 | 495 | 495 | 494 |
Tohoku | 644 | 646 | 647 | 645 | 652 | 661 | 658 | 663 | 684 | 704 | 702 | 721 |
Kanto | 2,031 | 2,025 | 2,034 | 2,044 | 2,049 | 2,060 | 2,061 | 2,068 | 2,078 | 2,092 | 2,095 | 2,114 |
Koshinetsu | 307 | 305 | 305 | 306 | 307 | 306 | 305 | 305 | 304 | 306 | 305 | 308 |
Hokuriku | 225 | 226 | 229 | 230 | 232 | 233 | 232 | 233 | 234 | 234 | 234 | 236 |
Tokai | 641 | 636 | 637 | 636 | 643 | 646 | 645 | 645 | 645 | 644 | 643 | 647 |
Kinki | 1,747 | 1,741 | 1,738 | 1,739 | 1,738 | 1,753 | 1,755 | 1,758 | 1,764 | 1,764 | 1,763 | 1,774 |
Chugoku | 449 | 450 | 454 | 454 | 458 | 463 | 459 | 459 | 458 | 461 | 462 | 463 |
Shikoku | 375 | 370 | 372 | 373 | 374 | 382 | 377 | 377 | 378 | 384 | 384 | 387 |
Kyushu | 902 | 907 | 906 | 905 | 907 | 911 | 910 | 911 | 914 | 921 | 923 | 933 |
Total | 7,803 | 7,790 | 7,806 | 7,816 | 7,851 | 7,909 | 7,896 | 7,911 | 7,952 | 8,005 | 8,006 | 8,077 |
Shanghai | 160 | 165 | 168 | 172 | 177 | 184 | 186 | 197 | 204 | 210 | 212 | 215 |
* Note) excluding highway card