In a movement not perhaps shocking but at least against 22 years’ worth of practice, Yakult is going up in price. It still won’t set you back very much, $0.50 or so, but still. To add insult to injury, you’ll be paying more tax on it too, if Abe has his way. Is it time to take this to the streets?
ヤクルト、コスト増加を吸収できず 22年ぶり値上げ
2013/9/10 22:17
ヤクルト本社は10日、乳酸菌飲料「ヤク ルト」を11月４日に値上げすると発表し た。乳酸菌の量を３割増やし、標準的なヤ クルト１本（65ミリリットル）の希望小 売価格（税別）を現行の35円から５円 （14％）引き上げて40円にする。22年半 以上、価格が変わらず「物価の優等生」と もいわれたヤクルトだが、容器の原材料高 騰と円安でコストを吸収しきれなくなっ た。
国内では乳酸菌飲料や清涼飲料の価格競 争が激しい。宅配の販路を主力にするヤク ルトはスーパーなどでも値崩れしにくく、 これまでは価格を据え置いてきた。ただ、 中国など海外に事業を広げる中、「国内の 収益改善が大きな課題」（同社幹部）と なっていた。消費増税も控え、値上げを決 断した。
値上げの対象になるのは通常のヤクルト とカロリーを抑えた「カロリーハーフ」。 中身を変更し、商品名も「Ｎｅｗ （ニュー）ヤクルト」にする。売れ筋の５ 本パックは両商品ともに現行の175円か ら200円になる。同じ乳酸菌飲料のカルピ スは「コスト削減策を進めており、今のと ころ値上げの予定はない」としている。
10日の東京株式市場ではヤクルト本社の 株価が上昇。前日比310円（７％）高 の4625円で取引を終えた。ＳＭＢＣ日興証 券の沖平吉康アナリストは「値上げによる 販売数量減は限定的。営業利益を40億円強 押し上げそう」と分析する。市場では４月 に仏食品大手ダノンとの事業提携を解消し たことで「より株価を意識した経営にシフ トした」との見方も聞かれた。
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDD100QE_Q3A910C1TJ0000/
Yakult, unable to absorb cost increases, raises prices for first time in 22 years
Yakult Co. announced on the 10 th that the price of fermented milk drink “Yakult” would go up on 11/4. The volume of fermenting bacteria has increased 30% so the per unit price of one bottle of Yakult (65 ml) (including tax) will rise from the current 35 yen by 5 yen (14%) to 40 yen. Often called “an honor student of commodities prices,” Yakult hadn’t changed price in more than 22 years but with the sharp increase in the cost of the materials for the container and the cheap yen, it wasn’t able to absorb costs any more.
Domestic cost competition among fermented milk drinks and other cold drinks is fierce. Yakult, who’s main market is in home delivery, has had difficulty with price collapse in supermarkets and has held prices constant to date. It is in the middle of expanding operations in overseas markets like China, and “domestic revenue improvement has become a big challenge” (according to company managers). In preparing for the consumption tax increase, they decided on the price increase.
The price increase effects normal Yakult as well as low-calorie “Calorie-Half.” The contents will be changed, and the product name will be changed to “New Yakult.” The popular 5 pack of the same products will be raised from the current 175 yen to 200 yen. Regarding the fermented milk drink “Calpis,” it was explained that “Cost reduction measures are continuing and there is no plan to raise prices at present.”
On the 10 th , Yakult Co.’s stock price rose on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. From the previous day’s average price of 310 yen, it finished the day trading at 462.5 yen (7% increase). SMBC Nikko Securities analyst Yoshiyasu Okihira said, “The loss in sales due to the price increase will be limited. Operating income will probably increase by 4 billion yen.” In the market, it terminated joint operations with French food maker Danon and some have said that “this was a shift in management to focus on costs.”
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