Japanese sweets maker Imuraya sells record 290 million ice lollies amid pandemic

Sweets maker Imuraya Group Co. sold a record 290 million units of its Azuki Bar ice lolly series to help push its sales to 42.1 billion yen and increase its net profit by 4.7 times from last year to 650 million yen in the fiscal year ending in March 2021.

The stay-at-home trend due to the pandemic buoyed the company's sales of ice lollies.

The Tsu, Mie Prefecture-based firm also sells "yokan” jelly, “shiruko” soup, frozen meat buns, and a new bun product of soybeans instead of pork that have proved popular.

Price drops also helped boost Imuraya’s profits.

However, Imuraya's sales of “nikuman” or buns filled with meat and “anman” or bean paste-filled buns were sluggish.

Imuraya is looking to post sales of 41 billion yen and an 820 million yen net profit in fiscal 2021 ending in March 2022.

Based on its 3-wear midterm management plan through fiscal 2023, Imuraya anticipates sales of 46.5 billion yen and an increase in its overseas business ratio to 7.5 percent from 5.4 percent in fiscal 2020.

Imuraya is seeking to bolster sales of frozen sweets in Southeast Asia, primarily in Malaysia, where it has an affiliate corporation.