About ARCS Group

About ARCS Group

The ARCS Group is a food distribution group with 10 food supermarkets and one affiliated operating company with locations in Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Northern Kanto.​

ARCS COMPANY, LIMITED is a pure holding company that owns shares of the operating companies and, as a parent company, supervises the entire group and formulates strategies.​

The operating companies are engaged in community-based food supermarkets and related businesses guided by the ARCS Group’s strategy.​


In 2002, RALSE Co., Ltd. (Sapporo) and Fukuhara Co., Ltd. (Obihiro) merged to establish ARCS Co., Ltd. Subsequently, in 2004, Dounan Ralse Co., Ltd. (Hakodate) and Fuji Co., Ltd. (Asahikawa) joined the group. In 2009, TOKOU STORE Co., Ltd. (Sapporo) also became part of the group. In the fiscal year ending in February 2011, the ARCS Group achieved annual revenue of 300 billion yen, marking a significant milestone as the first in Hokkaido's retail industry to achieve this turnover.​


In 2007, The ARCS Group signed a franchise agreement with CAINZ Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Beisia Group, and opened the first “CAINZ HOME" store in Hokkaido.​


In 2011, Universe Co., Ltd. (Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture) and Shinohara Shouten Co., Ltd. (Abashiri City) joined the group. In 2012, JOIS Co., Ltd. (Morioka, Iwate Prefecture) became part of the group. Additionally, in 2014, Bell plus Co., Ltd. (Morioka, Iwate Prefecture) also joined the group. The ARCS Group achieved annual revenue of 500 billion yen in the fiscal year ending in February 2016.​


In 2019, Ito Chain Co., Ltd. (Shibata Town, Miyagi Prefecture) joined the group, and in 2021, Otani Co., Ltd. (Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture) became part of the group. As of May 27, 2025, the group operates a total of 374 stores.​

ARCS Group net sales and ordinary income trends ​

Note: *"Accounting Standards for Revenue Recognition" will be applied from FY2022.

Market Share​

*Market share: Share of food sales. Each figure is estimated by our company based on the "2024 Food Supermarket Yearbook".

About "Yatsugatake Mountain Range Management“

In order to maintain close relationships with customers while enabling speedy management decisions, the ARCS Group does not aim to become a single large corporate entity towering like Mt. Fuji. Instead, we seek to form a corporate alliance made up of companies of similar size, aligned like the Yatsugatake Mountain Range.

The origin of this concept can be traced to an editorial written by Hirotaro Higuchi, former Honorary Chairman of Asahi Breweries, Ltd., published in The Nikkei on May 11, 2000, entitled “Urgently Establish a New Japanese-Style Management Model.” In the article, he argued that while companies resembling Mt. Fuji may appear impressive, they inevitably become distant from their customers and are unable to respond closely to their needs. He further stated that, going forward, group management composed of companies of approximately the same size—like the Yatsugatake Mountain Range—would be required.

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