PLANT Co.,Ltd.

Specializing in rural areas with a population of 30,000 to 50,000 within a 20-30 minute drive, the company operates a supercenter format offering approximately 180,000 items at a single store. It has a trading area characteristic that makes it difficult for urban-type competitors to enter, and has established itself as a "foundation of daily life" that comprehensively supports the everyday lives of local residents.

As part of the R-9 initiative (a ¥900 million reduction in labor costs through operational reforms), the company completed the installation of self-checkout registers at all 23 stores. The increase in the number of customers using self-checkout has reduced register-related labor costs, achieving SG&A expenses of ¥20,307 million in FY2025 (ending September 2025), down 1.3% year on year. Progress is being made in mechanization to address structural challenges such as population decline and rising labor costs per unit.

With the aim of reducing opportunity losses and disposal losses in the meat department and shortening in-store work time, the company began operating a process center in October 2024. Positioned as a major project within total capital expenditures of ¥1,268 million, this contributed to a ¥503 million year-on-year increase in tangible fixed assets. The initiative simultaneously achieves quality stabilization through centralized processing and improved store operational efficiency.

Building a profit structure capable of maintaining price competitiveness in daily necessities through productivity improvement, in-store operational improvements, and DX-driven SG&A expense control. SG&A expenses for the first half were ¥9,966 million, nearly flat year on year, indicating continued implementation of these measures. However, they have not yet been sufficient to offset the decline in sales.

Promoting a shift from defensive to offensive store and sales floor development aimed at strengthening competitiveness. Working to improve gross margin and destination-shopping appeal through enhanced private brand (PB) product development and closer coordination among merchandising, sales, and promotion functions. The gross profit margin for the first half was 22.8%, roughly flat compared to the same period of the previous year (22.7%), indicating that substantial improvement in gross margin has not yet been achieved.

Reducing checkout-related labor costs through the introduction of self-checkout registers at all stores. Completion of the rollout has been confirmed in previous reports, and the resulting cost savings are considered to be contributing to keeping SG&A expenses flat.

The process center, which began operating in October 2024, has achieved reductions in waste losses and improved operational efficiency in the meat department. This has contributed to controlling cost of sales, with the cost of sales ratio for the first half improving slightly to 77.2% (compared to 77.3% in the same period of the previous year).

At the Board of Directors meeting on April 28, 2026, a resolution was passed to cancel 247,000 shares of treasury stock (3.20% of total shares issued), with cancellation scheduled for May 12, 2026. The interim dividend was also increased by ¥10 year on year to ¥40, and the full-year dividend forecast is set at ¥95 (up significantly from ¥75 in the previous fiscal year), reflecting a substantial dividend increase. This initiative is being implemented as part of management practices that place emphasis on cost of capital and stock price.