Maruto

What Maruto does

Maruto Co., Ltd. (株式会社マルト) is a privately held regional food supermarket operator founded in 1964 and headquartered in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture. As of March 2026, the company operates 37 stores across Fukushima (Iwaki area, ~25 stores) and Ibaraki Prefecture (Hitachi and Mito areas, ~12 stores), supplemented by 5 specialty alcohol outlets under the 'Sake no Maruto' (酒のマルト) brand and the 'Kusuri no Maruto' pharmacy sub-brand. The company employs approximately 2,300 people and reported group sales of approximately 83.5-85.5 billion yen in fiscal year 2020, with a self-equity ratio above 70%.

The business is built on a dense regional retail network offering fresh produce, processed foods, daily necessities, and private-label prepared products developed in-house (including the 'Fukufuku Deli' line and award-winning karaage). Revenue is generated through transactional in-store retail sales, with supporting distribution through Maruto Net Supermarket (proprietary e-commerce delivery), Rakuten Ichiba and Rakuten National Supermarket marketplace storefronts, and the Tokushimaru mobile supermarket vehicle service for underserved areas. Core technology consists of standard supermarket operations with proprietary beef traceability (牛肉個体識別検索) and food radiation measurement systems, plus integrations with Rakuten Pay, au PAY, JACCS co-branded credit card, and the Tokubai flyer platform.

The company's go-to-market emphasizes community integration, including sponsorship of the Maruto Cup (マルト杯) youth sports tournaments, food education programs (食育推進室), and a loyalty ecosystem anchored by the Maruto Card membership program and Maruto mobile app. Maruto participates in the CGC Group cooperative for joint private-brand development and procurement. Recent strategic priorities have centered on omnichannel expansion, with Rakuten Pay rolled out across all stores in April 2023, the Maruto Rakuten Ichiba storefront opened in 2023, and the Rakuten National Supermarket delivery service launching in Ibaraki in March 2026 alongside Maruto Net Supermarket expansion into Iwaki in June 2026.

Name

Maruto

Legal name

株式会社マルト (Maruto Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://maruto-gp.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Maruto is a privately held regional Japanese supermarket operator founded in 1964, running 37 food retail stores across Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures, serving local community consumers with fresh foods, prepared dishes, private-label products, and growing e-commerce delivery through Rakuten.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Iwaki

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. In-store Retail Sales: Physical supermarket sales of fresh foods, daily necessities, prepared foods, and private brand products across 37 retail locations
2. E-commerce Delivery: Online supermarket delivery through Maruto Net Supermarket and Rakuten nationwide supermarket platform
3. Private Brand Products: Development and sale of Maruto private brand products including prepared foods, delicatessen items, and packaged goods

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Maruto operates a regional food supermarket chain of 37 stores across Fukushima Prefecture (Iwaki area) and Ibaraki Prefecture (Hitachi, Mito areas), selling fresh produce, processed and prepared foods, daily necessities, and private-label products. The company supplements its physical retail with online grocery delivery via Maruto Net Supermarket, the Rakuten National Supermarket platform, and a mobile supermarket service, while also operating specialty alcohol stores under the Sake no Maruto (酒のマルト) brand.

Product overview

Maruto operates a regional supermarket chain of 37 stores (as of March 2026) across Fukushima Prefecture (Iwaki area, 25 stores) and Ibaraki Prefecture (Hitachi, Mito, and Naka areas, 12 stores), positioned as a community-focused food supermarket under the slogan 'Fresh and Affordable.' The portfolio consists of a core supermarket business offering fresh foods, prepared dishes, private-label products, and daily necessities, supplemented by specialized alcohol retail outlets (酒のマルト), a proprietary e-commerce net supermarket platform, a Rakuten marketplace presence, and mobile supermarket services. Private-label offerings include the 'Fukufuku Deli' prepared food brand and branded rice onigiri products such as 'Matome,' 'Matobou Shimahokke,' and 'Uchimata Boushi.' The company also conducts food education and community health consultation programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• マルトカード: 会员カード服务，会员可享受积分和专属优惠
• マルトネットスーパー
• マルトアプリ
• くすりのマルト

Products and services

• Maruto Supermarket (スーパーマルト) Core food supermarket chain offering fresh produce, processed and prepared foods, daily necessities, and private-label products across 37 locations in Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures, serving local community consumers.
• Sake no Maruto (酒のマルト) Specialty alcohol retail stores under the 'Sake no Maruto' brand offering a curated selection of sake and alcoholic beverages. Five locations operate within the Iwaki area (東田店, 中岡店, 好間店, 岡小名店, 城東店).
• Maruto Net Shop / Maruto Net Supermarket (マルトネットスーパー) Proprietary e-commerce platform providing online grocery ordering and home delivery service for Maruto products and groceries covering the Iwaki and Hitachi areas of Ibaraki Prefecture.
• Rakuten National Supermarket Storefront (楽天全国スーパー出店) Online supermarket storefront on Rakuten's nationwide platform enabling home delivery, with Rakuten ID login, saved addresses and credit cards, and Rakuten point earning/spending, launched for Ibaraki Prefecture in March 2026.
• Tokushimaru Mobile Supermarket (移動スーパー「とくし丸」) Mobile supermarket vehicles bringing groceries to areas with limited store access, enhancing community food accessibility for elderly and underserved customers.
• Maruto Private Label / Fukufuku Deli (マルトPB/ふくふくデリ) Store brand product line including 'Fukufuku Deli' prepared foods and onigiri rice ball products such as 'Matome,' 'Matobou Shimahokke,' and 'Uchimata Boushi,' with some items winning national food awards.
• 8-Shu Dashi no Umi Shio Garlic Karaage (8種だしの旨塩にんにく唐揚げ) Private-label fried chicken product using Aizu no Chikara garlic from Fukushima Prefecture, rice flour, Marutomars salt from Okinawa, and enoki ice. Won the Kita-Nihon Super Retort Dept. Gold Award for 3 consecutive years (2023-2025).
• Maruto Card (マルトカード) Loyalty card program offering member-exclusive sales, promotions, point accumulation, and special discounts for frequent customers at Maruto stores.
• Maruto App (マルトアプリ) Smartphone application providing store flyers, promotions, and digital loyalty card services to customers for convenient access to store information and deals.
• Phone & Store Delivery Service (電話＆来店宅配サービス) Phone and walk-in delivery service available at selected store locations (Kubota, Furuishirado, Yunohashi) for senior customers and those unable to visit stores easily.
• Maruto Pharmacy (くすりのマルト) Pharmacy sub-brand operated by Maruto, offering pharmaceutical products and health-related services as part of the group's community offerings.
• Maruto Tsunagaru Marche (生産者さんとつながる市) Producer-linked market events connecting Maruto with local Fukushima and Ibaraki food producers, featuring in-store farmer markets and local product showcases.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 楽天グループ株式会社 (Rakuten)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 March 2026Maruto partnered with Rakuten for the Rakuten Nationwide Supermarket platform, enabling online grocery delivery in Ibaraki area. Also includes Rakuten Market store presence, Rakuten Pay mobile payment integration across all stores since April 2023, and Rakuten point system integration.
• CGCグループ (CGC Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGC Japan cooperative group membership for supermarket operators. Joint product development for private brand products through CGC group buying and development meetings. Maruto participates in CGC gift catalog programs and group-wide promotional campaigns.
• 宝酒造株式会社minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint cooking events and food education programs. Collaboration on cooking classes featuring sake and mirin usage in cooking.
• 株式会社明治minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint cooking event for Christmas cake making classes with dairy company Meiji.
• ハウス食品株式会社minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular spice cooking seminars and curry cooking classes. Long-running partnership since at least 2012.
• キリンビバレッジ株式会社minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer vacation cooking classes for families using Koiwai dairy products.
• エバラ食品工業株式会社minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBQ events and food education programs with Ebara Foods.
• とくし丸 (Tokushimaru)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMobile supermarket partnership bringing grocery delivery to areas with limited access to stores.
• 常磐大学minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity collaboration for product development projects and student involvement in food product creation.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aeon Retail: Largest supermarket operator in Japan, operating Aeon, MaxValu, and other formats. Serves as the dominant competitor in Maruto's broader category and across all of Japan, with overlapping grocery and prepared-food offerings.

Others

• Rakuten Group: Strategic partner and digital ecosystem enabler. Comparable as a peer because Rakuten operates the National Supermarket e-commerce platform on which Maruto is launching, and powers Maruto's payment, point, and marketplace integrations across the business.
• CGC Japan: Cooperative buying group for regional supermarket operators in Japan, of which Maruto is a member. Highly relevant as a peer because CGC coordinates private-brand product development, procurement, and joint promotions for its member supermarkets including Maruto.

Direct peers

• Heiwado: Regional supermarket chain operating primarily in western Japan (Kansai, Chubu). Directly comparable to Maruto in regional concentration strategy, store-format focus, and community-embedded positioning.
• Maruetsu: Tokyo-area supermarket chain known for fresh foods and prepared meals. Comparable to Maruto in store format, fresh-produce emphasis, and competitive overlap in the greater Kanto region.
• MaxValu: Discount supermarket subsidiary of Aeon Group operating across Japan. Comparable to Maruto in store-format focus on groceries and prepared foods, though at significantly larger scale and with greater procurement leverage.
• York Benimaru: Regional supermarket chain operating across the Tohoku and Kanto regions of Japan, owned by Seven & i Holdings. Closely comparable to Maruto in geographic focus (Tohoku/northern Kanto), store count, and emphasis on fresh and prepared foods.
• Life Corporation: Mid-size Japanese supermarket chain focused on fresh foods and private-brand products in urban and suburban areas. Comparable to Maruto in private-label strategy, fresh-produce emphasis, and target customer demographic.

Regional players

• Izumi: Regional supermarket and retail company based in western Japan, with a hybrid supermarket and shopping-center format. Comparable mid-size operator, but operating in a different geography than Maruto.
• Fuji: Regional supermarket chain based in Shikoku and western Japan. Operates a comparable mid-size grocery-retail model focused on fresh foods, but in a non-overlapping geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZJp5cGCl3VDxk1eIx5eTQA
• Facebookfacebook.com/maruto.gp
• Instagraminstagram.com/maruto_supermarket_official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maruto-k.k.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maruto