Total sales decreased 1.2% year on year to 110,970 million. Existing store sales fell 2.0% and average daily sales per store were 476,000. The average number of customers per store per day was 771, down 1.8%, and yen spent per customer on average decreased 0.2% to 614. Existing store sales would only have declined 1.0% were it not for the absence of sales of Highway Card expressway toll cards (50,000,30,000), which have now been discontinued(10,000 cards have now been continued).

While existing store sales (excluding the abovementioned effect of Highway Card sales) decreased, partly as a result of bad weather, sales of main dishes matched the previous year for the fifth consecutive month. Earnings of franchise owners have been trending upward since the latter half of last year for this and other reasons.

Area Ichioshi bento-boxes sold well. In April, Lawson will sell established products such as the Niigata Koshihikari rice ball Konbu Jime Mentaiko (160) and Kodawari No Beef Curry (490). The latter, which was previously cooked using processed ingredients, is now being made by raw materials.

Sales of soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and ice cream struggled as temperatures nationwide were lower than the previous year. Soft drinks sales, in particular, were sharply down. Conversely, oden noodles, Chukaman dumplings and other hot foods benefited from the lower temperatures, with demand increasing.

Cakes which were ordered in advance for the early-March Hina (the Doll's) festival and various desserts, such as extra-smooth crème caramels, also sold well.

On March 15, Lawson started accepting orders for Mother's Day gifts. Lawson is redesigning store sales areas in April to match the mood of the season when people start making short-trips and outings as the temperature rises.

On March 25, Lawson announced it was deepening its alliance with the Postal Services Agency (now called Japan Post) to place mailboxes in its stores. On March 27, Lawson announced it would open Convenience Banks

offering banking and convenience store services, the first stage comprising an alliance with Hokuriku Bank. In these ways, Lawson continues to vigorously create new business models that offer customers greater convenience.

Lawson repurchased 1,349,000 shares of treasury stock with a total value of 4.4 billion during March in accordance with a resolution approved by the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders in May 2002. Lawson plans to continue implementing a flexible capital policy, taking into account such factors as its share price and stock market conditions.

Lawson plans to announce its earnings for fiscal 2002 on Tuesday, April 15. Various reports associated with fiscal 2002 results will be made available on this website