Kobe Bussan, which runs a national discount supermarket chain, posted non-consolidated July sales of ¥50.6bn, up 7.6% from a year earlier. Gross profit held roughly flat at ¥5.09bn (99.0% of last year's July) and operating profit slipped to ¥2.86bn (94.3%). Ordinary profit is where the month's numbers stop looking routine: it fell to ¥1.36bn, about 19% of what the company booked in July last year.
| Metric | July 2026 value | Year-on-year |
|---|---|---|
| Sales | ¥50.6bn | +7.6% |
| Gross profit | ¥5.09bn | -1.0% (99.0% of prior year) |
| Operating profit | ¥2.86bn | -5.7% (94.3% of prior year) |
| Ordinary profit | ¥1.36bn | 19.3% of prior year |
The company traces the gap to its yen forward contracts, which it uses to manage currency risk. Last July, the yen weakened month over month, so Kobe Bussan booked a mark-to-market valuation gain on those contracts. This July ran the other way: the yen strengthened toward month-end, producing a valuation loss that dragged ordinary profit down, on top of the base effect of not repeating last year's gain. Management describes the swing as a one-off, non-cash accounting effect and says its hedging program is otherwise working as intended.
The underlying retail business shows no sign of strain. Kobe Bussan opened five new stores in July, taking its supermarket network to 1,144 locations, 32 more than a year earlier. Product shipments to stores across the country rose 6.5% year on year, with shipments to directly managed-area stores up 6.1% and existing directly managed stores up 4.5%. The company credits its recurring monthly discounts and irregular "bargain price" promotions, along with steady demand for chicken products and frozen vegetables, for keeping shipment volumes climbing.
The figures are unaudited monthly estimates, subject to revision once Kobe Bussan closes its books for the period. The company's next monthly IR update, covering August, is scheduled for September 18.