AEON Co., Ltd.

On the day the liquor tax reform unified the tax rates on beer, happoshu, and third-category beer, discounted beer hit store shelves nationwide. With the new tax rate, prices were cut by about 9 yen per 350 milliliters, and manufacturers aiming to expand demand have successively renewed their flagship products. Aeon is holding a fair adapted for home consumption from the world's largest beer festival, Oktoberfest, at about 2,450 stores nationwide through the 12th, offering beer and sausages imported directly from Germany. The MEGA Don Quijote Omori Sanno store set up displays promoting the price cuts and a tasting corner, and its operator, Pan Pacific International Holdings, increased inventory above normal levels. While some say there is little movement toward lowering prices at restaurants, the gyoza specialty chain Nikujiru Gyoza no Dandadan is running a campaign through the 31st offering draft beer at 55 yen off at all its stores.

With the tax rate on beer and beer-like beverages set to be unified on October 1, Japan's four major brewers are stepping up their sales promotions. As the price gaps between beer, low-malt beer and third-category beer narrow and demand for beer is expected to expand, each company is focusing on revamping its flagship products and advertising, energizing the sales battle. Asahi Breweries has renewed Asahi Super Dry and Kirin Brewery has renewed Ichiban Shibori Draft Beer, while Asahi President Kazuo Matsuyama handed out free cans of beer on the 30th in front of JR Yurakucho Station, with about 60,000 cans to be distributed at seven locations nationwide including Tokyo and Osaka. Suntory is converting its third-category Kinmugi into beer and launching a new commercial featuring actress Rei Dan and actor Ryoma Takeuchi, while Sapporo Breweries is focusing on Black Label and rolling out its largest-ever marketing campaign. Retailers are also cutting prices on their private brands: Aeon will lower the price of its 350-milliliter canned Premium Draft Beer by 11 yen to 162 yen from October 1, and Ito-Yokado will also cut its 330-milliliter Lager Beer by 11 yen to 162 yen from the 1st.

Aeon has announced its consolidated results for the first quarter of the fiscal year ending February 2027. Operating revenue rose 14.6% year-on-year to 2.9419 trillion yen, while operating profit increased 33.6% to 75.2 billion yen, marking a record high for a first quarter. Quarterly net profit was 13.8 billion yen, swinging from a loss of 6.5 billion yen in the same period last year. The consolidation of Tsuruha as a subsidiary contributed to group synergies, with the health and wellness business and the developer and entertainment business driving performance, while the general merchandise store business and supermarket business posted operating losses. The full-year consolidated earnings forecast remains unchanged.

Aeon reported consolidated results for the March–May 2026 quarter, with operating profit rising 33.6 percent year on year to 75.2 billion yen, marking a second consecutive record high for the period. While its core general merchandise and food supermarket operations were sluggish, profits surged at Aeon Mall's tenant specialty stores, and the January acquisition of major drugstore chain Tsuruha Holdings as a subsidiary also contributed.

Aeon announced on the 8th that it will revise packaging for some cooked noodle products under its private brand Topvalu, changing specifications for around 20 items in July. For chilled Chinese noodles, the inner tray will be eliminated and replaced with film, while for cold soba noodles the dipping sauce cup will be removed, reducing plastic use per container by 10 to 20 percent. With petroleum product prices such as plastics rising due to the impact of the Strait of Hormuz closure from the Iran conflict, the company aims to cut packaging material costs without changing contents or prices, maintaining affordable price points. Going forward, Aeon plans to expand efforts such as reducing band colors and thinning trays across other products.