GIFT HOLDINGS INC. (9279) Stock Price

Gift Holdings Co., Ltd. is a restaurant chain company centered on Yokohama ramen, operating under the concept of "Making ramen a gift to the world!" The company operates multiple ramen brands including "Machida Shoten," "Butayama," and "Ganso Aburado," and expands its business through both company-operated stores and ingredient supply to franchise partners and produce-model partners. The company actively pursues international expansion, operating stores in countries including the United States and China.

The company's revenue consists of two segments: company-operated stores and produce business. Company-operated stores generate sales through brand store operations, while the produce business employs a unique model in which the company provides operational expertise to new business owners in exchange for long-term supply contracts for its products. Rather than relying on traditional franchise fees and royalties, the business structure emphasizes consistent revenue from ingredient sales.

A key strength of the company is its in-house manufacturing of core ingredients. By producing noodles, broth, and chashu (roasted pork) in its own factories, the company achieves uniform quality and cost reduction. This enables store openings regardless of location—from near stations to roadside sites—and ensures stable ingredient supply to all company-operated, produce-model, and franchise stores. The company currently operates 901 stores and plans continued aggressive expansion both domestically and internationally.

Gift Holdings aims to be "a company that delivers the world's finest ramen globally" and is pursuing aggressive growth strategies both domestically and internationally. Under its medium-term management plan through October 2028, the company has set ambitious numerical targets: revenue growth of 20% or more, operating profit margin of 10% or more, and ROE of 20% or more. Long-term, the company targets 50% market share in the global ramen market, with a strategic pillar of securing equal shares in domestic and overseas markets.

The company's priority investment area is strengthening manufacturing and logistics infrastructure. Currently, it operates eight domestic factories: five noodle production facilities, one chashu (braised pork) facility, and two soup facilities. These work in coordination with four distribution centers in the Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, and Tohoku regions, establishing an efficient food supply system. This vertically integrated in-house manufacturing model achieves uniform quality and cost reduction, serving as a clear competitive differentiator. Additionally, the company is focusing on improving profitability per store through measures such as switching to induction cooktops and pilot testing 24-hour operations to enhance store-level operational quality.

For new market development, beyond its three existing formats—Machida Shoten, Butayama, and Ganso Aburado—the company plans to launch new formats through M&A and proprietary development. Store locations span all categories: near stations, roadside, and within commercial facilities, with model development stores designed to expand the potential of existing formats. In international expansion, the company prioritizes recruiting and developing overseas talent and establishing local food supply systems, with efforts focused on strengthening business foundations in the United States and China.

Regarding technological innovation, the company emphasizes DX promotion centered on building AI-driven management systems. Through automated ordering systems that simplify and standardize operations and logistics optimization, the company aims to improve overall operational productivity. Simultaneously, to address the industry-wide challenge of labor shortages, the company is taking a comprehensive approach including strengthened recruitment, reduced turnover initiatives, expanded foreign worker hiring, and wage increases—establishing a human resources foundation to support aggressive new store openings.