Message from the President

Our group cannot exist without involvement in local communities and society. Since our founding, this belief has been articulated in our aim to be the top store in the region and in Izumi's four dreams: local communities, customers, employees and tenants. Many employees are members of their local communities and the same goes for their family members. The same is also true of our tenants and business partners. We continue to survive in a symbiotic relationship, influencing each other's survival.
    However, climate change, natural disasters and social changes such as the falling birthrate and aging population pose a threat to this sustainability. The natural disasters that have occurred frequently in Western Japan since 2014 are a reminder that sustainability is not a given. Both as disaster victims living in disaster-hit regions ourselves and as those responsible for a lifeline that delivers sustenance to disaster-hit regions, we have acutely experienced the "gratitude" in such eventualities.

    In 2021, we adopted " Filling our employees with pride and joy as we continue contributing to communities and our customers’ lives" as our management philosophy. Based on our guiding principles since our foundation, this philosophy is a declaration of intent to be more involved than ever before in local communities. This philosophy also underlies our long-term goal of "contributing to town development that makes life easier and drives population growth" as well as the Izumi Group Health Management Declaration enacted in 2023.
    The realization of a sustainable society requires a strong commitment combined with concrete everyday efforts. We have summarized the various initiatives needed to achieve this in our four material issues (materiality): ● Local communities and customers; ● Environment; ● Safety and security; and ● Diversity, and we are incrementally implementing initiatives every day in line with our 2050 vision "youme MIRAI Action."
    For example, we have now concluded more than 60 agreements on disaster relief supplies and evacuation facilities with local governments all over Japan. This number has increased consistently every year, and if we include comprehensive agreements covering employment creation, industry promotion and child care support, the number of agreements is more than 100. We are also working to tackle climate change issues, which could potentially impact the sustainability of our business activities, through initiatives to reduce CO₂ emissions and plastic bag usage associated in our store operations.
    Sustainability also means a continuous positive cycle. At our Youme Town malls, we are also working to establish childcare support centers in collaboration with local governments and organizations, as well as planning malls where an entire floor is used as a support center. Places like these, if they are bustling with families and young people, also bring enjoyment to elderly customers who enjoy the hustle and bustle and, above all, breathe new life into towns. Our malls may also promote an increase in people moving to the surrounding area, attracted by an environment with childcare support. And if the children they have eventually become new customers...These are the kind of long-term dreams that are, in my view, one of the rewards of sustainability. This also applies within the Company. We are working to strengthen our human capital management through the gradual concrete development of leave systems and support systems that make working easier for employees caring for children as well as for employees in various other circumstances.

    The richness of life will be protected and enhanced through specific individual initiatives and preserved into the future. The Izumi Group will continue rising to challenges both in its "business activities" and when "solving social issues," and will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society through specific actionable measures. We appreciate your continued understanding and support.

Izumi Co., Ltd.
President and Representative Director
Shigeki Machida