JCCU reported on its business performance for FY2025, its policies for FY2026, and progress in the CO・OP Brand Development and Merchandising.

In FY2025, sales at regional consumer co-ops continued to increase year on year. Total sales at 117 major regional consumer co-ops nationwide were estimated at ¥3.1054 trillion, representing 101.0% of the previous year's level. While the home delivery business remained largely unchanged at 100.2% year on year, the retail store business maintained its growth, reaching 102.5% year on year.

Sales in the home delivery business were estimated at ¥2.1253 trillion, remaining broadly unchanged at 100.2% of the previous year's level. Amid rising prices, the average spending per customer increased to 102.0% of the previous year's level, while the number of customers declined to 98.1% and the number of items purchased fell to 96.5%.

Recruitment difficulties and labour shortages continue to affect both co-op employees and outsourced service providers, making it increasingly difficult to secure sufficient personnel and creating constraints on business operations.

Sales in the retail store business were estimated at ¥995.4 billion, reaching 102.5% of the previous year's level and exceeding both the budget and the previous year's results. This growth was supported by higher average prices per item, reflecting rising food prices overall, particularly the sharp increase in the price of rice, a staple food.

The cumulative number of store customers exceeded the previous year's level, while estimated average spending per customer rose to 102.2% year on year. However, amid growing efforts by consumers to protect household budgets and reduce spending, the number of items purchased per customer remained below the previous year's level at 98.4%.

The ordinary surplus margin, an indicator of business profitability, was -2.28%, down 0.28 percentage points from the previous fiscal year. Although higher unit prices increased sales and the gross surplus, both personnel and operating expenses rose. As these cost increases exceeded the growth in the gross surplus, overall profitability declined.

The total membership of JCCU member co-ops nationwide, including Health and Welfare Co-ops and School Teachers' Co-ops, was estimated at 31.09 million, representing 100.7% of the previous year's level and reflecting steady growth.

JCCU's total sales on a non-consolidated basis reached ¥449.9 billion, up 1.0% year on year. Sales of the CO・OP Brand Product totaled ¥366.3 billion, an increase of 1.8% year on year, with all product categories recording growth. However, business conditions remained challenging when the impact of price increases on unit prices is taken into account. By product category, agricultural and livestock products and frozen foods performed particularly well.

Sales in the Carrot Business, which mainly supplies national-brand (NB) household goods and daily necessities, totaled ¥31.6 billion, down 3.1% year on year. The Carrot Business provides co-op members nationwide with household goods and everyday consumables through dedicated catalogues and other channels.

In addition, sales in the catalogue business, which supplies clothing and other products, totaled ¥48.6 billion, down 1.7% year on year, while sales in the gift business reached ¥3.2 billion, down 0.7% year on year.

In the CO・OP Brand Product Business, JCCU will promote three key initiatives aimed at developing products that encourage greater use of co-op services and contribute to membership growth.

The first initiative is "Price Measures." To ensure that CO・OP Brand products continue to support members in their daily lives, JCCU will work with member co-ops to expand the availability of lower-priced products and implement large-scale promotional campaigns. JCCU will also continue to redevelop key products to maintain their affordability and value for money.

The second initiative is "Promoting Product Value,"with a stronger focus on developing products whose appeal and benefits are clearly communicated to consumers. JCCU will expand the availability and promotion of products that particularly appeal to younger consumers, including Kirakira Step, a baby and toddler food range developed in response to feedback from parents.

Kirakira Step is a range of processed foods for babies and young children designed to reduce the time and effort required for meal preparation while providing safe and reliable food options for families with young children. JCCU will also pursue the development of new products that offer distinctive value unique to consumer co-ops.

The third initiative is "Creating an Efficient Product Line-up through Nationwide Standardization." JCCU will strengthen efforts to make key products commonly available across co-ops nationwide, creating a more efficient product assortment while reducing unnecessary duplication.

JCCU will also reduce costs by reforming business processes and improving productivity through the introduction of new systems and the use of AI. The resulting cost savings will be passed on to member co-ops and their members.

Regarding progress in the CO・OP Brand Product Business, total sales of products supporting ethical consumption reached ¥284.4 billion based on prices paid by co-op members, up 4.0% year on year.

Progress was also made in switching to more environmentally friendly packaging materials. Sales of products carrying the Eco Mark, an environmental label established by the Japan Environment Association, increased by 32.8% year on year, while sales of products bearing the FSC certification mark rose by 3.1%. These products contributed to the overall expansion of the ethical product range.

As part of its efforts to reduce food loss, JCCU began developing products in spring 2023 under the theme "Making the Most of What Would Otherwise Go to Waste," using ingredients that had previously had no viable outlet through conventional distribution channels.

The initiative has attracted strong interest from co-op members. CO・OP Green Smoothie, for example, has grown to annual sales of approximately ¥390 million, helping to raise awareness of the initiative and enhance brand value. The range currently includes 16 products, with cumulative sales reaching approximately ¥1.1 billion in FY2025.

In April 2026, JCCU launched CO・OP Ripe Kabosu Drink, a new product made using kabosu, a citrus fruit widely enjoyed in Japan and particularly associated with Oita Prefecture. JCCU will continue developing products that contribute to reducing food loss.

The "Nationwide Campaign to Support Everyday Living," launched in response to rising prices, entered its fifth year. In FY2026, the campaign was expanded from once a year to twice a year, with campaigns held in spring and autumn. From April 1, 2026, JCCU also introduced an intellectual property-based collaboration for the first time in the campaign, partnering with the TV anime ONE PIECE(©尾田栄一郎／集英社・フジテレビ・東映アニメーション).

The number of products covered by the campaign increased to approximately 300, about 1.3 times the previous year's figure. Sales rose by 18.9% year on year, while the number of items sold increased by 19.3%. By category, sales growth was driven by products for which consumers are particularly price-sensitive, including everyday food staples and essential items that help households manage their budgets amid growing cost-of-living pressures.