Retail Partners

What Retail Partners does

Retail Partners Co., Ltd. (株式会社リテールパートナーズ, TSE Prime: 8167) is a Japanese pure holding company founded in 1954 and headquartered in Hofu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, that manages and operates a regional supermarket platform through three wholly-owned operating subsidiaries: Marukyu Co., Ltd. (108 stores in Yamaguchi and parts of Hiroshima), Marumiya Store Co., Ltd. (93 stores in Oita and Miyazaki), and Marukiyo Co., Ltd. (82 stores in Fukuoka and surrounding areas), for a total of 283 storefronts across 10 prefectures in western Japan serving general consumers and shopping-vulnerable populations.

The group sells fresh foods, processed foods, and daily necessities through physical supermarket banners (Marukyu, Aruku, Marumiya Store, Marukiyo, Shinsen Ichiba/ARUCO) and complementary channels including net supermarket home delivery (Marukyu Rakuraku-bin) and the Tokushimaru mobile sales vehicle for shopping-disadvantaged elderly customers. Underlying operational technology includes the Electronic Ordering System (EOS) introduced in 1980, Point of Sale (POS) systems introduced in 1992, and the centralized Marukyu Process Center operational since October 2020, which consolidates temperature-controlled and hygienic food processing and distribution for the group.

Retail Partners generates revenue primarily through standard supermarket transaction-based sales across its 283-store footprint, supplemented by e-commerce delivery and mobile sales service fees. The company is publicly listed (46,646,059 issued shares; 29,631 shareholders as of August 31, 2025) with registered capital of ¥7.218 billion, and pursues growth through regional consolidation: it transitioned to a pure holding company structure in July 2015, integrated Marukiyo in March 2017, formed the New Japan Supermarket Alliance with Arcs and Baro Holdings in December 2018, and continued bolt-on acquisitions of Hattori (March 2023) and Nagano (June 2025).

Name

Retail Partners

Legal name

株式会社リテールパートNERS

Website

https://retailpartners.co.jp

Company type

Public

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supermarket Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511)

SIC

Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Supermarket retail
• Grocery operations
• Food retail
• Holding company
• Consumer goods distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Hofu

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Supermarket Retail Operations: Retail Partners generates revenue primarily through the sale of food and daily necessities via its three supermarket operating subsidiaries (株式会社丸久, 株式会社マルミヤストア, 株式会社マルキょう). The group operates 283 stores across 10 prefectures in western Japan, generating recurring revenue from in-store and e-commerce (net supermarket) sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Retail Partners is a pure holding company that operates a regional supermarket platform in western Japan through three main operating subsidiaries—株式会社丸久 (108 stores), 株式会社マルミヤストア (93 stores), and 株式会社マルキョウ (82 stores)—selling fresh foods, groceries, and daily necessities through 283 physical storefronts across 10 prefectures. The group also offers home delivery (マルキュウらくらく便), mobile sales vehicles (とくし丸), and online net supermarket services to extend reach to shopping-disadvantaged and elderly customers.

Product overview

Retail Partners is a pure holding company operating a multi-brand supermarket platform through three main subsidiary groups: 株式会社丸久 (108 stores in Yamaguchi/Hiroshima), 株式会社マルミヤストア (93 stores in Oita/Miyazaki), and 株式会社マルキョウ (82 stores in Fukuoka region). The platform provides group-wide management, strategic oversight, and operational coordination for regional supermarket chains including the マルキュウ, アルク, 新鮮市場 brands, offering fresh foods, daily necessities, and supporting services such as home delivery (マルチユウらくらく便), mobile sales (とくし丸), and online shopping through net supermarket services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• アルク: 主力スーパーブランド。1998年に1号店を開店。以後山口県を中心に店舗展開。
• マルキュウ
• マルミヤストア
• マルキョウ
• マルキュウらくらく便
• 新鲜市場 / 新鮮市場AX
• くしげ（ぐんまみやが）

Products and services

• Retail Partners Group Supermarket Operations (283 physical stores) Network of 283 physical supermarket stores across 10 prefectures in western Japan, operated by three core subsidiaries (株式会社丸久 with 108 stores, 株式会社マルミヤストア with 93 stores, and 株式会社マルキョウ with 82 stores), selling fresh foods, groceries, and daily necessities directly to individual consumers under multiple regional brand banners including マルキュウ, アルク, 新鮮市場, and マルキョウ.
• Marukyu Rakuraku-bin Home Delivery Service (マルキュウらくらく便) Home delivery service operated by subsidiary 株式会社丸久, offering fresh foods, general food products, and daily goods to customers in Yamaguchi Prefecture and parts of Hiroshima Prefecture. Designed to serve elderly and shopping-disadvantaged populations.
• Tokushimaru Mobile Sales Vehicle (移動販売車 とくし丸) Mobile supermarket vehicle service providing grocery access to shopping-obstacle areas (買い物弱者), serving elderly and mobility-limited customers in rural communities where physical supermarket access is limited.
• 09 Shop / Net Supermarket (ネットスーパー) Online supermarket service operated on the Rakuten market platform, offering delivery of food and household goods directly to consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Food bank and food drive activities conducted at 20 stores, 32 food bank posts, and 28 food drive events, supporting 61 children's meal organizations (FY2021)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 日本個別株デューデリジェンスセンター (Japan Individual Stock Due Diligence Center)minorOthers · 23 November 2025A Japanese investment research center identified Retail Partners as one of 20 companies positioned to benefit from M&A-driven roll-up strategies in essential infrastructure sectors amid Japan's structural challenges of population decline, successor shortages, and labor shortages.
• テラサイクルジャパン合同会社 (Terracycle Japan GK)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021Terracycle Japan GK participates in the ONE FOR OCEAN project led by株式会社丸久, which collects ocean plastic waste from coastal cleanups and converts it into raw materials for shopping baskets manufactured by Terracycle.
• 日本水产株式会社 (Nippon Suisan Co., Ltd.)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2021Partner in the ONE FOR OCEAN project (海洋プラスチックごみ問題解決 initiatives) alongside株式会社丸久 and other companies, contributing to environmental sustainability efforts.
• 株式会社エフピコ (FP Corporation)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2021Partner in the ONE FOR OCEAN project, providing support for plastic recycling and environmental initiatives.
• 国分西斯株式会社 (Kokubu Seiyaku West Japan Co., Ltd.)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2021Partner in the ONE FOR OCEAN project for ocean plastic waste reduction.
• 損害保険ジャパン株式会社 (Sompo Japan Insurance Inc.)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2021Partner in the ONE FOR OCEAN project for environmental sustainability.
• テーブルマーク株式会社 (Table Mark Co., Ltd.)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2021Partner in the ONE FOR OCEAN project for environmental sustainability.
• 株式会社日本アクセス (Nippon Access Inc.)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2021Partner in the ONE FOR OCEAN project for environmental sustainability.
• フジッコ株式会社 (Fujicco Co., Ltd.)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2021Partner in the ONE FOR OCEAN project for environmental sustainability.
• 丸大食品株式会社 (Marudai Food Co., Ltd.)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2021Partner in the ONE FOR OCEAN project for environmental sustainability.
• 株式会社アークス (Arcs Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2018In December 2018, Retail Partners entered into a capital and business alliance with株式会社アークス and株式会社バローホールディングス, forming the 'New Japan Supermarket Alliance' (新日本スーパーマーケット同盟). This strategic alliance enables shared procurement, logistics optimization, and collaborative growth strategies among regional supermarket operators across Japan.
• 株式会社バローホールディングス (Baro Holdings Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2018In December 2018, Retail Partners entered into a capital and business alliance with株式会社アークス and株式会社バローホールディングス, forming the 'New Japan Supermarket Alliance' (新日本スーパーマーケット同盟). This strategic alliance enables shared procurement, logistics optimization, and collaborative growth strategies among regional supermarket operators across Japan.
• 山口県販売協力店連携協議会 (Yamaguchi Prefecture Sales Cooperation Store Council)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Established in 2009 by supermarket companies operating in Yamaguchi Prefecture to promote local production for local consumption (地産地消), including product promotion campaigns and store-level competitions. 88 stores participated as of February 2022.
• 山口県 (Yamaguchi Prefecture)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2012In June 2012, Retail Partners signed a comprehensive regional activation partnership agreement (地域活性化包括連携協定) with Yamaguchi Prefecture. The agreement covers regional welfare support, local production for local consumption (地産地消), tourism promotion, shopping support for vulnerable populations, food education, disaster response, elderly support, and childcare support.
• 株式会社イズミ (Izumi Co., Ltd.)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2005Capital and business partnership established in October 2005 with株式会社イズミ, a major regional supermarket operator.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Trial Holdings: Aggressively expanding discount supermarket chain with growing footprint across Japan. Threatens regional supermarket operators like Retail Partners through value-format competition.

Direct peers

• Arcs Co., Ltd. Hokkaido-based supermarket holding company and core member of the New Japan Supermarket Alliance alongside Retail Partners and Baro Holdings. Operates regional grocery stores under the Arcs banner.
• Heiwado Co., Ltd. Regional supermarket chain headquartered in Shiga Prefecture operating stores across Kansai and Hokuriku regions. Comparable size and regional supermarket positioning to Retail Partners.
• Izumi Co., Ltd. Major Kyushu-based supermarket operator with established capital and business alliance with Retail Partners since 2005. Operates similar multi-format grocery retail and serves comparable western Japan regional customers.
• Maruetsu (Aeon subsidiary): Tokyo metropolitan area supermarket chain offering fresh foods and daily necessities. Comparable supermarket operations though concentrated in Kanto rather than Kyushu/Chugoku regions.
• Life Corporation: Kansai-based supermarket chain with strong private-label offering and growing footprint. Comparable scale and value-oriented supermarket positioning.
• Baro Holdings: Regional supermarket holding company and core alliance partner in the New Japan Supermarket Alliance. Closest peer in operating model and regional supermarket strategy.
• Okuwa Co., Ltd. Wakayama-headquartered supermarket chain operating stores in Kansai and Tokai regions. Comparable format and mid-sized regional supermarket operator profile.

Broad incumbents

• Maxvalu (Aeon subsidiary): Multi-format supermarket chain operating under Aeon group across Japan. Comparable store-level retail operations and small-format supermarket strategy targeting regional communities.
• Aeon Co., Ltd. Japan's largest retail conglomerate operating supermarkets, GMS, drugstores, and financial services. Largest incumbent competitor across most Japanese regions though much broader than Retail Partners' regional supermarket focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries7 records

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 Retail Partners