Materiality:Coexistence with local communities

Coexistence with local communities

As a community-based food supermarket, our group contributes to local communities through our business activities. Through the new stores in depopulated and aging communities, improving store management systems after various disasters and Covid-19, and the partnerships and cooperative systems through agreements with local governments. we are fulfilling our function as a lifeline for community.

Community contributions and welfare activities for customers

Openings in small municipalities

Since 2015, Douhoku Arcs has opened a series of "Da*Marche" stores as a model for small commercial areas, and currently operates seven stores. The stores are located in cities and towns with a population of 3,000 to 4,000 around Asahikawa City, and play a role as food infrastructures where many customers have difficulty shopping. The Da*Marche Utashinai store (Utashinai City, Hokkaido) opened in April 2023, will be the first new supermarket in the city in 14 years. In cooperation with local government, an experiment of a pick-up service is being conducted. It is expected to be a model case study for future community development.

Da*Marche Utashinai Store (Douhoku Arcs)

Delivery from the integrated distribution center "DaMC" to "Da*Marche"

Cooperation and support for community events

In order to create local communities and help our customers healthy life, our group companies cooperate and support sports competitions and other events., BELJOIS has held the "Chibikko Kenko Marathon" (Children's Health Marathon) since 1986. We donate 1,000 yen for each finisher to a fund for children affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Since 2011, its total amount raised has exceeded 30 million yen.

The 37th BELJOIS Cup and S&B Cup Chibikko kenko Marathon (September 2022)

Donation of plastic bag proceeds

ARCS group uses the proceeds from plastic shopping bags for environmental conservation and social welfare activities. Hokkaido CGC member companies of our group donate all proceeds from the sale of plastic shopping bags to the Hokkaido CGC Green and Heart Fund. In fiscal year 2022, 69.34 million yen had be donated to the fund. Since 2008, the total amount donated to the fund was 798.07 million yen.

Tree-planting activities at CGC's Usakumai Forest

Activities to maintain local lifelines with local governments

Signing of cooperation agreements with local municipalities/organizations

ARCS Group has concluded cooperation agreements with 53 organizations, including 39 local governments, 7 private companies, and 7 firefighting and medical institutions. For examples, RALSE has concluded "Disaster Supply Agreements" with the cities of Sapporo, Chitose, and Ishikari. Universe established a "Disaster Stockpile Warehouse" in 2007 for food and daily necessities which will be supplied to victims in disaster. In addition, Dounan Ralse has concluded a "Comprehensive Collaboration Agreement" with Hakodate City, and has installed a Hakodate Citysupplied disaster supply warehouse at its Super ARCS Chiyogadai Store, which opened in September 2022. what's more, FUKUHARA has also concluded a "Food Drive agreement" with the Tokachi Regional Promotion Bureau and provides food to local welfare organizations through the bureau.

Universe and Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture Signing Ceremony for Collaboration Agreement

Food Drive Poster (FUKUHARA)

Building BCP for Disasters

ARCS Group is continually reviewing its Business Continuity Plan (BCP). Triggered by the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake, we develop a manual for power outages, and together with the organization of priority operations, recovery procedures, and personnel assignments. we are building a response system for large disasters and emergency. In addition, some Group companies have emergency stockpiles of drinking water, powdered milk, food, batteries, etc., which are replaced according to their expiration dates on a rolling stock basis.

Emergency Disaster Transport Vehicle (Universe)

Response to the Covid-19

Amidst the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, as lifelines for the community, we have continued to operate with the cooperation of customers to prevent the spread of infection. we put the safety and security of customers and employees as the top priority. Employees of food supermarkets are "essential workers" who are indispensable for life, and although they were exposed to infection risk and mental stress everyday, the headquarters and the frontline worked together to keep the stores open as a "Life Defense Force" that supplies "food = life itself".