Elena

What Elena does

Elena Co., Ltd. (株式会社エレナ) is a privately held regional supermarket operator headquartered in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, founded in April 1959 (originally as Nakamura Foods Store) and incorporated as a kabushiki kaisha in 1979. The company operates 42 supermarkets under the "Ellena" banner across Nagasaki and Saga prefectures, including 4 franchise locations, with additional related-retail formats (4 TSUTAYA stores, 13 Daiso 100-yen stores, 1 Komeda Coffee location, and 2 Nakayoshi-mura hybrid produce-market/supermarket sites). Headcount stands at 3,100 total (450 full-time employees plus 2,650 part-time staff), with registered capital of ¥50,000,000.

The core business is grocery and fresh-produce retail, with explicit emphasis on local sourcing from Nagasaki and Saga producers, daily fresh-produce cycles, and a private-label tier ("Buyer's Commitment") that includes local specialties such as KIZDUKU craft beer, Nakayoshi-mura sobacha, and the Kuju Kujima brand fish. The operational technology stack is conventional retail: an in-house electronic money and loyalty point system called "Smart ELLECA" (1 point per ¥200 spent), an official mobile application with point balance, e-money charging and electronic receipts, gift cards, mobile sales vehicles ("Paopao-go"), and an online grocery delivery service ("Ellena Net Supermarket") operated on the Rakuten platform. Payment integrations span 10 QR-code schemes (PayPay, Merpay, auPAY, d-Barai, Rakuten Pay, YOKA!Pay, J-Coin Pay, QUO Card Pay, ALIPAY, WeChat Pay) plus major credit and debit networks (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Discover, Diners, EPOS, NC Card Hyakkaten). The company publishes a Google Calendar on its homepage, runs the NCC TV "Tokohapi" cooking program, maintains an active YouTube channel, and uses Instagram for community engagement, including organized parent-child summer research seminars.

Revenue is generated through direct retail of food, daily necessities, and household goods via 38 directly operated supermarkets plus 4 franchised stores, supplemented by e-commerce through the Rakuten Net Supermarket and adjacent franchise-retail revenue from TSUTAYA, Daiso, and Komeda Coffee operations. Pricing is store-level with periodic promotional circulars, and a customized customer loyalty layer (Smart ELLECA, T-Points, Rakuten Points) drives repeat purchase behavior. The company also runs certified supply programs such as the Nagasaki City Sashimi City Project certification for Shirotekka and a beef traceability system compliant with Japanese law. No public revenue figures are disclosed; the operating model is cash-flow funded with no external funding rounds recorded.

Name

Elena

Legal name

株式会社 エレナ

Website

https://ellena.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Elena Co., Ltd. (株式会社エレナ) is a privately held regional supermarket chain founded in 1959, operating 42 stores across Nagasaki and Saga prefectures in Japan, serving local consumers with fresh groceries, daily necessities, and related franchise retail formats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supermarket Retail (Grocery)

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (445110), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Supermarket Operators with In-Store Foodservice/Prepared Foods Focus (CRAHAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Value-Oriented Traditional Supermarkets (Non-Club) (CRAHAAAF), Grocery & Specialty Food Marketplaces (CRAFABAE)

Keywords

• Supermarket retail
• Fresh grocery sales
• Regional supermarket chain
• Online grocery delivery
• Private label groceries

Headquarters

HQ city

Sasebo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales: Direct retail sales of food, daily necessities, and household goods through physical supermarket stores and online supermarket platform.
2. Franchise Operations: Operates related businesses including TSUTAYA (4 stores), ダイソー (13 stores), コメダ珈琲店 (1 store), and なかよし村 (2 stores) as part of the group.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Elena operates a regional supermarket chain in Nagasaki and Saga prefectures selling fresh food (produce, seafood, meat), daily necessities, and household goods through 42 physical supermarket stores, an online grocery delivery service via Rakuten, and a mobile sales vehicle. The company supplements its core grocery retail with sub-brand retail formats (TSUTAYA, Daiso, Komeda Coffee), a hybrid producer-direct retail concept (Nakayoshi-mura), private-label products, and a Smart ELLECA electronic money and point card loyalty program.

Product overview

Elena (エレナ) is a regional supermarket chain headquartered in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, operating primarily in Nagasaki and Saga prefectures. The company offers a unified retail ecosystem consisting of: (1) Core supermarket operations under the エレナ brand with 42 stores featuring fresh produce, seafood, and daily necessities with a focus on local sourcing; (2) The hybrid retail format なかよし村 combining producer direct-sales with supermarket services; (3) Digital commerce through the official smartphone app, スマートELLECA electronic money/point card system, and エレナネットスーパー online delivery via Rakuten; (4) Related retail operations including TSUTAYA rental/retail stores (4 locations), ダイソー 100-yen stores (13 locations), and a コメダ珈琲店 coffee shop franchise; (5) Private label products featuring local specialties. The company also operates mobile sales (パオパオ号) and TV media programming (なかよしマルシェ).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• なかよし村: Combination stores featuring direct-sales produce markets alongside supermarket sections, operated by Ellena as a hybrid retail format combining local farmers' markets with general merchandise.

Products and services

• エレナ (Ellena) Supermarket Core supermarket retail chain with 42 stores (including 4 franchise locations) in Nagasaki and Saga prefectures, selling fresh produce, seafood, meat, daily necessities, and consumer goods with a focus on local procurement.
• なかよし村 (Nakayoshi-mura) Hybrid retail concept combining producer direct-sales of seafood and agricultural products with supermarket services; offers fresh local produce, handmade deli items, and everyday necessities in a single store format.
• スマートELLECA (Smart Elleca) Prepaid electronic money and loyalty point card with companion smartphone app; users can charge money, earn points (1 point per 200 yen spent), and use points as payment, with up to 2x points on Elleca-pay purchases.
• エレナ公式アプリ (Ellena Official App) Official Ellena mobile application for customers to check Smart ELLECA point balance, charge electronic money, receive promotional campaigns, view store flyers, and use electronic receipts.
• エレナネットスーパー (Ellena Net Supermarket) Online grocery ordering and home delivery service operated via the Rakuten nationwide supermarket platform, available in Sasebo area stores.
• エレナギフトカード (Ellena Gift Card) Prepaid gift card with stored value usable at Ellena stores for purchasing products, sold as a standalone gift item.
• TSUTAYA Stores (within Elena group) Rental and retail stores operated by Elena offering books, CDs, DVDs, comics, and stationery; 4 locations including one BOOK STORE format.
• ダイソー (Daiso) 100-yen Stores (within Elena group) Daiso 100-yen discount stores operated by Elena with 13 locations, selling household goods, daily necessities, and variety items.
• コメダ珈琲店 プラットモール長崎店 (Komeda Coffee Platt Mall Nagasaki) Komeda Coffee franchise operated by Elena at Platt Mall Nagasaki, offering Japanese-style coffee and light meals.
• パオパオ号 (Ellena Mobile Sales Paopao-go) Mobile sales vehicle service that brings grocery products to areas with limited supermarket access, providing convenient shopping access to underserved and elderly communities.
• バイヤーこだわり商品 (Buyer's Commitment Private Brand Products) Private label product line curated by Ellena buyers featuring local Nagasaki and Saga specialties, including local craft beer, sobacha, brand fish, and regional agricultural products.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration20 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RakutencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for online grocery delivery service 'エレナネットスーパー' using Rakuten nationwide supermarket platform. Enables customers to order groceries online for delivery from local エレナ stores.
• TSUTAYAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates 4 TSUTAYA locations (伊万里店, 島原店, 広田店, させぼ五番街店) as related business operations under the エレナ group.
• ダイソー (Daiso)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates 13 ダイソー locations as related business, including stores within エレナ premises (大村中央店 within エレナ大村中央店内).
• コメダ珈琲店minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates 1 コメダ珈琲店 location (プラットモール長崎店) as related business within Platt Mall Nagasaki.
• 清酒 杵の川 (Kinei Kinei)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal sake brewery collaboration to create 'KIZDUKU' special pure rice original sake. エレナ staff participated in rice cultivation from planting to harvest. Product released March 2026.
• 九十九島漁業協会coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 九十九島ヒラマサ brand fish - raised in National Park designated ria coast area, sold exclusively at エレナ.
• 昌陽水族 (Shoei Suisan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support recovery from red tide disaster and sell 戸石ゆうこうシマアジ brand fish. Cloud funding supported recovery.
• AJS (オール日本スーパーマーケット協会)minorOthersAJS membership - only company in Nagasaki prefecture with membership in this national supermarket association network.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Maruetsu (マルエツ): Kanto-area supermarket chain with similar mid-size footprint and emphasis on fresh and prepared foods. Comparable in digital/loyalty program sophistication and store-format mix.
• MaxValu Kyushu: Regional supermarket operator under the Aeon Group serving Kyushu, including overlapping geography with Elena. Directly comparable in store format, fresh-produce focus, and mid-market positioning.
• Aeon Kyushu: Supermarket subsidiary of the Aeon Group operating across Kyushu, including Nagasaki and Saga prefectures. Directly competes with Elena for the same regional grocery basket and runs its own private-label and prepared-foods programs.
• Youme Mart (ゆめマート): Hiroshima-based supermarket chain with operations across western Japan. Comparable in regional supermarket scale, fresh-produce focus, and private-label development.
• Inageya (いなげや): Mid-sized Tokyo-area supermarket chain with similar store-count profile to Elena and a comparable fresh-produce / prepared-foods emphasis. Useful comparable for regional supermarket unit economics.
• Life Corporation (ライフ): Osaka/Kansai-based supermarket chain focused on urban and suburban fresh-food retail. Comparable in mid-market positioning, prepared-foods emphasis, and store-count scale.

Regional players

• Co-op Kobe (コープこうべ): Member-owned cooperative grocer serving the Kansai region with strong prepared-foods and private-label positioning. Comparable as a regional supermarket with community-engagement focus and own-brand depth.
• Hello Day (ハローデイ): Fukuoka-headquartered supermarket chain serving northern Kyushu. Regional player with similar store-count scale and neighborhood-supermarket positioning; competes in adjacent prefectures to Elena.

Broad incumbents

• Aeon (イオン): Japan's largest supermarket and retail conglomerate; parent of Aeon Kyushu. Broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities across grocery, prepared foods, and online delivery via Onigo and Rakuten partnership.
• Ito-Yokado (イトーヨーカドー): Seven & i Holdings subsidiary operating large-format supermarkets across Japan. Broad incumbent with overlapping grocery, prepared-foods, and online delivery capabilities relevant to Elena's digital expansion plans.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/supermarket_ellena_official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Elena