Following an Aggressive Growth Path in the Japanese Market

In the Candy Toys and Collection Candy businesses, we offer approximately 400 different items per year in response to market needs and trends. For the Candy Toys Business, we maximize the strengths of Bandai to the fullest to realize low cost and high quality, thereby creating value unique among confectionery manufacturers and gaining the support of consumers. Thanks to this support, we have created many successful products whose sales exceed 1 million units.
As for the Collection Candy Business, we release products from the perspective that IPs include in their broadest sense not only a variety of characters but also diverse forms of entertainment such as sports and the performing arts. Through this approach, we have been expanding our connections with fans year by year. Our mainstay wafer product category, in particular, has grown to become an indispensable presence in the confectionery aisle, with annual sales exceeding 140 million wafers.

This multifaceted business portfolio has helped attract a wide base of target customers to the confectionery aisle, ranging from children to adults and including both men and women.
Regarding product development for the Candy Business, we not only follow trends but also pursue value that appeals to children of all generations. This sentiment is embodied by the Candy Business Department’s focus on providing fun and confectionery-based modeling distinctive to Bandai which sets the department apart in the confectionery industry and has resulted in the creation of successful new brand series such as Charapaki, Tsuri Gummies, and Choco Parking. We will continue to carefully nurture our brands while looking ahead 10 to 20 years, aiming to elevate them into brands that transcend generations.
Such long-term nurturing of a single product can be more difficult than creating a successful new product. It is important to never be satisfied with simply maintaining the specifications a product had at its launch. We must listen sincerely to customer feedback and constantly evolve. Such initiatives have enabled the Candy Business to continue expanding year after year, and we have achieved significant growth in only five years for our main Charapaki series, whose annual sales in Japan alone have reached 36 million units, and the Tsuri Gummies series, whose annual sales have reached 30 million units.

Strategically Approaching the Asian and North American Markets

The candy and food businesses are affected by the strict regulations established by each country in terms of import, export, and other phases of our operations, in addition to preferences such as flavor, which are influenced by culture and ethnic characteristics. We must also consider religious beliefs regarding food. To address each of these matters and thereby achieve full-scale overseas expansion, we have to localize our production and development systems and establish businesses based on local production for local consumption.
We seek to achieve these aims in Asia first, and to this end we have built a foundation for local production for local consumption, outsourcing manufacturing to 11 confectionery production factories over the past three years. Through this initiative, we have been able to expand the variety of confectioneries that can be produced and provide a stable supply of products at competitive prices. Most important, we have been able to develop flavors that meet local tastes.
As a result, we have been able to rapidly expand the Candy Business in Asia. Drawing on our success in Asia, we aim to extend this supply chain building to the North American region under the next Mid-term Plan, which begins in FY2029.3.

Using the Candy Business as the Closest Contact Point with Customers

I believe that the Candy Business Department plays an important role in realizing the Group’s Mid- to Long-term Vision of “Connect with Fans.” Our products are sold mainly in supermarkets, convenience stores, and other outlets that consumers frequent in daily life, so they are always close to fans. For this reason, we will continue to value our connections with fans, serve as a gateway to the Bandai Namco Group, and contribute to value creation.
We hope to always remain close to our fans across the world and to continue providing joy in their daily lives and creating extensive and deep connections with them.