Core Insights - Sally's profitability is under pressure in the Chinese market despite overall growth in sales and net profit for the fiscal year 2025 [2][3][4] Group 1: Financial Performance - For the fiscal year 2025, Sally's total sales reached 256.71 billion yen, a year-on-year increase of 14.3%, with net profit at 11.16 billion yen, up 37% [2] - The Asian segment, primarily driven by the Chinese market, generated sales of 83.80 billion yen, a 7.4% increase, but operating profit declined by 12.8% [4] - In major cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing, sales were 21.90 billion yen, 24.50 billion yen, and 8.81 billion yen respectively, with growth rates of 2.4%, 6.6%, and 2.3% [7] Group 2: Market Challenges - Same-store sales in the Chinese market have been consistently declining, particularly in the North, East, and South regions [8][9] - Operating profits in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing fell by 23.6%, 27.3%, and 20.3% respectively, indicating a significant drop in profitability despite increased store openings [7] Group 3: Strategic Initiatives - Sally plans to continue its expansion strategy, with 40 new stores in Japan and 121 in overseas markets, including China and Southeast Asia, for the fiscal year 2026 [12] - The company is also investing approximately 30 million USD to build a new factory in Guangzhou to reduce ingredient costs and improve operational efficiency [16] - Sally has established a wholly-owned subsidiary in Wuhan to manage its restaurant operations, signaling a push into the central China market [14]