We held dialogues on the results of evaluation, between senior management, such as COO of Seven & i Holdings, and experts on CSR. The experts offered advice to management based on the expanding scale of Seven & i’s business and along-term perspective.

In Japan the number of seniors living alone is increasing every year, and by 2030 it is expected to have increased by 1.5 times from 2010. Meanwhile, expectations of a sharp decline in neighborhood social infrastructure, such as retail stores, government offices and bank branches, are causing concern over an increase in people suffering inconvenience in daily life. To address such social issues, the Group will create new shopping support services byutilizing the infrastructure it has built up, including its store network and logistics and information systems.

In response to growing customer interest in food safety, companies are being urged to tighten their quality control systems even further. Stores are also viewed as playing an increasingly important role as lifestyle infrastructure amid widespread concern over whether people will be able to buy essential products and services for living as usual in the event of a major disaster. We are responding to these concerns by devoting even greater efforts to creating products and stores that are safe and reliable.

The Seven & i Group has continued aggressively opening new stores and developing products and services. However, the increasing number of stores, products, and services has been accompanied by an increase in electricity consumption and waste volume. We are addressing this issue by making effective use of limited resources and reducing the environmental impact of our business activities.

Over 20,000 varieties of fauna and flora are said to be facing extinction around the world today. Production plants in developing countries are considered to be troubled by human rights issues relating to workers, such as low-paid labor and child labor. This environment is driving an increasing interest in “ethical consumption,” which looks beyond price and quality to consider ethical aspects related to the global environment and society. We will strive to respond to these concerns as we create products.

A company’s true competitive strength springs from its human resources. In Japan, however, the birth rate is in decline, and the population is advancing in age. Over the next 30 years or so, the productive-aged population is projected to decline by over 20 million. To create appealing, fulfilling workplaces, we will develop systems that enable all employees to work to their individual potential regardless of their personal situations. We will also focus on supporting working women in general, not only our own employees, by providing products and services to help women who are tackling the challenge of raising children while working.