Marketing Policy

Our Corporate Action Guidelines state that “We endeavor to display information that is accurate and easy to understand for customers to make an appropriate selection of products and services so as not to mislead them.” Moreover, Seven & i Holdings is promoting the following together with each operating company.

  • Circulate all information if it is for the sake of customers – even negative information
    (for example: it is dangerous or not good for you to consume this)
  • Take care to use images, language and expressions that are appropriate for the target audience in TV commercials and advertising
  • Go beyond the legally required minimum when providing information on health, the environment, and other sustainability issues

Ito-Yokado will check before releasing advertising media such as newspaper fliers, pamphlets, and television commercials to ensure that the product information and price information is correct, and that no information is included that could mislead customers. In particular, when displaying overlapping prices, such as discount prices, rates and price comparisons, approval is required from the specialist department, the FT (Fair Trading) Committee. Moreover, Ito-Yokado is also obliged to check the drafts of newspaper fliers and so forth against the approved draft.

Preventing Inappropriate Labeling

Seven & i Holdings holds a twice-yearly training session on the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations to educate newly appointed purchasing staff at each Group company about laws that protect consumers. In the session they learn that there are tough restrictions against mislabeling products and services with respect to their quality, content, price, and other aspects. They also learn that providing excessive premiums to consumers is prevented by limits on maximum amounts for premiums, and so forth.

To ensure that we do not use expressions that could mislead customers, we have provided the “Self-check guideline for unclear labeling” and “Self-check guideline for unclear labeling – Menu version” as unified guidelines for the entire Group. For example, the label “brand beef” can only be applied to items that are registered trademarks. There are standards for each production area and organization on the number of days the cattle is reared, its food, and other such items. These must also be met. The product quality standard stipulates that the meat must be equivalent to grade 4/5 or higher.

Ban on Sales to Minors

Seven and i Holdings has taken measures to prevent the sale of alcohol or tobacco to minors at stores. One measure to prevent sales of alcohol and tobacco to underage customers is group them distinctly from other products, and with regard to alcohol, to use a POP display to explain clearly that the products are alcohol. In addition, by erecting POP displays and putting up posters, and using store broadcasts, we draw attention to the fact that sales of these items to minors are banned.

When the target items are scanned at the checkout, a voice is played back to tell the checkout operator that they need to perform an age check. This system also helps to prevent sales to minors.

Labeling of Allergens

At Seven & i Holdings, we seek to enable people with allergies to select products with confidence. To this end, we strive to provide clear labeling to let customers know which products contain which allergens, whether they are procured from our business partners or prepared in-store. We display allergens that are required to be labeled by the Food Sanitation Act, as well as those that are recommended to be labeled. For example, we publish information on the Internet about our use of “specified ingredients” and “specified ingredient equivalents” in in-store prepared products at Seven-Eleven Japan stores (fried food, Japanese hotpot, and Chinese-style steamed buns) and menu items at Denny’s.