Charle

Basic Information

Stock Code
9885
Industry
Wholesale Industry
Category Detail
Mail Order & Online Shopping
Prefecture
Hyogo Prefecture
Establishment Year
November 1975
Listing Year
October 1990
Official Website
https://www.charle.co.jp/
TSE Information
TSE Information
Yahoo! Finance
Yahoo! Finance
Other Companies
Laxas Technologies, RIZAP Group, Miratap, TENTIAL, Felissimo, yutori, Sanpō Denki, Classicom, Nanshin, Scroll, Belluna, SEHI, Belluna

Overview

Charle is a wholesaler founded in 1975 that specializes in women's underwear, with door-to-door sales and mail-order sales as its mainstays, also handling health foods and cosmetics, and possesses a unique sales network.

Current Situation

In 2023, Charle maintained non-consolidated sales of approximately 19 billion yen and net profit of approximately 1 billion yen, steadily expanding its business through an agency system centered on door-to-door sales. Its core women's underwear sales are based on unique fitting session sales, building close relationships with customers. It is also focusing on internet mail-order and catalog sales to diversify sales channels. Based on steady management since its founding, it promotes product development to support women's beauty and health. It is actively engaged in community contribution activities, including rooftop greening for environmental consideration and ongoing support for the Pink Ribbon movement. In the long term, it aims to enhance brand value while responding to intensifying competition in the mail-order industry, anticipating expansion in the wellness market. Recently, it has also launched women-only fitness salons to develop new customer segments.

Trivia

Interesting Facts

  • Company name derives from French actor Charles Boyer, adjusted to 'Charle' for stroke count
  • Nearest station to head office has sub-station name 'Charle Head Office Mae'
  • Promotes multifaceted sales channels themed on women's health and beauty
  • Established unique door-to-door sales model using fitting sessions
  • Founding couple started women's underwear sales in Kobe and continues to this day
  • Supporting Pink Ribbon movement since 2004, donating portion of product sales
  • Diverse sales formats from door-to-door to mail-order and store sales
  • Consistently focused on women-oriented products since founding, earning market recognition
  • Implemented 50% greening of head office building rooftop and walls for environmental consideration
  • Many agencies are former general consumers, creating a unique business model

Hidden Connections

  • Founder's Hayashi family has history related to former representative director and internal management control
  • Strengthening influence on industry competitors by expanding mail-order business in apparel wholesale sector
  • Expanding collaboration with beauty industry through salon business in women-oriented health food market
  • Employees participate in black soybean cultivation in Tamba Sasayama City, Hyogo Prefecture, contributing to regional revitalization
  • Actively involved in product donations and fundraising for Great East Japan Earthquake support
  • Diversifying beyond clothing wholesale into health support products and services
  • Possesses strong competitive advantage through unique agency network in mail-order industry
  • Complex history involving name changes and MBO at founding related to management rights transfer

Future Outlook

Growth Drivers

  • Rising women's health consciousness and wellness market expansion
  • Digital shift in mail-order market and e-commerce reinforcement
  • Qualitative improvement of agency network and promotion of corporatization
  • Increase in real experience provision through store and salon expansion
  • New product development and market launch in cosmetics and health foods
  • Promotion of sustainable management in collaboration with local community
  • Marketing optimization through customer data utilization
  • Productivity improvement and talent development through work style reforms
  • Expansion of environmental impact reduction measures considering global warming
  • Brand strengthening to differentiate from emerging competitors

Strategic Goals

  • Complete shift from door-to-door to online-centered sales
  • Achieve annual sales exceeding 30 billion yen
  • Improve agency corporatization rate to over 50%
  • Expand sales ratio of health foods and cosmetics to over 40%
  • Achieve carbon neutrality as part of environmentally considerate management
  • Ongoing expansion of community contribution activities
  • Enrich product lineup specialized in women's health support
  • Improve brand recognition through store expansion
  • Enhance employee diversity and work-life balance
  • Improve sustainability information disclosure

Business Segments

Agency and Authorized Dealer System

Overview
Sales channels where agencies and authorized dealers sell to customers through fitting sessions.
Competitiveness
Powerful fitting session network and customer-close sales
Customers
  • Agency Operators
  • Authorized Dealer Corporations
  • Individual Sellers
Products
  • Women's Underwear
  • Health Foods
  • Cosmetics

Mail-Order Business

Overview
Direct sales routes via internet and catalogs.
Competitiveness
Development of mail-order exclusive products and e-commerce reinforcement
Customers
  • General Consumers
  • Senior Demographic
  • Health-Conscious Demographic
Products
  • Underwear
  • Health Foods
  • Cosmetics

Store Sales

Overview
Operation of physical store 'CHARLE the STORE' in Osaka City and women-only salons.
Competitiveness
Brand value enhancement through real experiences
Customers
  • Urban Female Customers
  • Fitness Users
Products
  • Women's Underwear
  • Esthetic Services

Health Support Business

Overview
Business centered on health foods and women-only fitness.
Competitiveness
Specialized product and service rollout for health support
Customers
  • Health-Conscious Women
  • Middle-Aged and Senior Women
Products
  • Health Foods
  • Fitness Services

Competitive Advantage

Strengths

  • Unique sales network through agencies and authorized dealers
  • Customer-close sales model using fitting sessions
  • Product development capabilities and brand recognition for women
  • Dual deployment of mail-order and door-to-door sales
  • High evaluation from community collaboration and social contributions
  • Solid management base in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture
  • Real customer experience provision through store expansion
  • Expansion of health-oriented product lineup
  • Industry-specific expertise and history
  • Stable financial base and long-term continuity

Competitive Advantages

  • Maintains competitiveness with unique sales channels centered on fitting sessions
  • Strengthens sales force and achieves stable revenue by corporatizing agencies
  • Market differentiation through product development focused on women's health and beauty
  • Expands customer coverage with hybrid model of door-to-door and mail-order
  • Enhances corporate brand through active regional environmental and social activities
  • Improves customer satisfaction with real services via stores and salons
  • Expands reach to younger demographics through online reinforcement
  • Stability and reliability of management since founding
  • Accurate response to growth markets in health foods and cosmetics
  • Specialized know-how and group network cultivated in women-focused business

Threats

  • Revenue pressure from intensifying competition in mail-order industry
  • Risk of declining door-to-door sales population due to aging
  • Disruptive competition with emerging e-commerce companies
  • Risks from regulatory tightening or quality issues in health food market
  • Impact on sales channels from natural disasters or pandemics
  • Risk of brand obsolescence due to changes in consumer preferences
  • Customer loss from insufficient investment in digital marketing
  • Risk of declining sales power from agency/authorized dealer attrition
  • Profit margin deterioration from intensified price competition
  • Cost pressure from rising raw material and logistics expenses

Innovations

2023: Complete Overhaul of E-commerce Platform

Overview
Optimized mail-order site for smartphones to improve convenience.
Impact
Contributes to expanding young customer base

2022: Adoption of New Materials for Functional Innerwear

Overview
Developed new material innerwear with enhanced sweat-wicking, quick-dry, and antibacterial properties.
Impact
Contributed to 20% increase in sales volume

2021: Development of New Women-Only Fitness Business Format

Overview
Opened salon 'More Regime' combining esthetics and fitness.
Impact
Promotes new customer acquisition and service diversification

2020: Enhanced Active Ingredients in Health Foods

Overview
Launched supplement series with 30% increased collagen content.
Impact
Increased repeat customers and customer satisfaction

Sustainability

  • Promotion of energy savings through rooftop and wall greening
  • Social contribution activities through Pink Ribbon movement
  • Review of product packaging to reduce environmental impact
  • Support agreement for local products to revitalize regional agriculture
  • Energy reduction through Cool Biz and Warm Biz initiatives
  • Waste reduction and recycling promotion in sales activities
  • Sustainable management including women's health support
  • Employee environmental awareness improvement and internal training
  • Strengthening sustainability collaboration with business partners
  • Consideration and promotion of sustainable raw material procurement
  • Active consideration of renewable energy introduction
  • Participation in environmental events in collaboration with local community