Phase II results showed growth, as the number of bottles of dairy products sold worldwide amounted to 37.37m bottles per day (up 5m bottles), and consolidated sales reached ¥378.3bn/$3.3m (up ¥28bn/$247m).
The new plan calls for that 37.37m bottles per day to rise to 43.5m bottles per day by 2020, and sales to rise by 20% to ¥454bn ($4bn).
Much of that growth is expected to be realized outside of Japan, with a 5m bottle increase to 33m bottles a day for its overseas business, compared to a 1.13m bottle increase to 10.5m within Japan.
Expansion of product range
Yakult is also looking to 29.8% growth in food and beverage consolidated sales for its overseas unit, as well as an 81.2% consolidated operating income rise for its food and beverages Japan division.
Its overseas division is looking to expand its lineup of products (low-calorie, low-sugar, functional products, etc.), and expand from being available in 32 countries and regions in 2016 to 40 by 2020.
Yakult said with the completion of its Yakult Central Institute, it will work to realize its corporate philosophy of “We contribute to the health and happiness of people around the world through pursuit of excellence in life science in general and our research and experience in microorganisms in particular.”