Prices as of 2026/10/30 close
Company comparison · Supermarkets & Food Distribution
Life is the largest by revenue at ¥881.3B, followed by Blue Zone (¥813.2B), Kobe Bussan (¥551.7B) and Create SD (¥497.1B).
Kobe Bussan has the highest operating margin at 7.2%, 4.3 points above the lowest, Life (3.0%).
Revenue growth in the latest results: Create SD +8.8%, Kobe Bussan +8.6%, Life +3.6%. For next year, Kobe Bussan guides for the fastest operating profit growth (+7.8%).
Life pays more on average — ¥5.57M against ¥5.30M at Kobe Bussan.
Over the past year the shares moved Blue Zone +19.4%, Life +3.0%, Create SD +0.2%, Kobe Bussan −20.3%.
Head-to-head wins18 metrics
One win per metric for the company with the best value. Metrics with no better or worse (P/E, average age, employees) are excluded.
ScaleInvestors
Kobe Bussan aheadLife 1 : Blue Zone 0 : Kobe Bussan 2 : Create SD 0
Revenue: Life ¥881.3B / Blue Zone ¥813.2B / Kobe Bussan ¥551.7B / Create SD ¥497.1B
ProfitabilityInvestors
Kobe Bussan aheadLife 0 : Blue Zone 0 : Kobe Bussan 4 : Create SD 0
Operating margin: Life 3.0% / Blue Zone 4.5% / Kobe Bussan 7.2% / Create SD 4.8%
GrowthInvestors
Kobe Bussan aheadLife 0 : Blue Zone 1 : Kobe Bussan 3 : Create SD 1
Revenue growth (YoY): Life +3.6% / Kobe Bussan +8.6% / Create SD +8.8%
Stock & balance sheetInvestors
Kobe Bussan aheadLife 0 : Blue Zone 1 : Kobe Bussan 2 : Create SD 0
Share price, 1 year: Life +3.0% / Blue Zone +19.4% / Kobe Bussan −20.3% / Create SD +0.2%
Pay & workforceJob seekers
Life aheadLife 2 : Blue Zone 0 : Kobe Bussan 0 : Create SD 1
Average salary: Life ¥5.57M / Kobe Bussan ¥5.30M
| Metric | Life | Blue Zone | Kobe Bussan | Create SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | ◎¥881.3B | ¥813.2B | ¥551.7B | ¥497.1B |
| Operating profit | ¥26.0B | ¥36.4B | ◎¥39.9B | ¥24.0B |
| Net income | ¥18.8B | ¥23.6B | ◎¥31.9B | ¥17.0B |
| Metric | Life | Blue Zone | Kobe Bussan | Create SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 3.0% | 4.5% | ◎7.2% | 4.8% |
| Net margin | 2.1% | 2.9% | ◎5.8% | 3.4% |
| ROE | — | 12.4% | ◎22.2% | — |
| Revenue per employee | ¥119M | — | ◎¥904M | — |
| Metric | Life | Blue Zone | Kobe Bussan | Create SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +3.6% | — | +8.6% | ◎+8.8% |
| Operating profit growth (YoY) | +2.9% | — | ◎+16.1% | +5.9% |
| Revenue CAGRlast 5 years | +3.0% | — | ◎+11.1% | +8.0% |
| Guidance: revenue growthnext FY plan | +4.7% | ◎+11.0% | +2.7% | +8.8% |
| Guidance: op. profit growthnext FY plan | +3.8% | +2.9% | ◎+7.8% | +5.5% |
| Metric | Life | Blue Zone | Kobe Bussan | Create SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share price, 1 year | +3.0% | ◎+19.4% | −20.3% | +0.2% |
| Share price, 3 months | −5.1% | +1.8% | ◎+2.6% | −9.3% |
| P/E (trailing)lower = cheaper | — | 16.2x | 20.4x | — |
| Equity ratio | — | 48.1% | ◎62.0% | — |
| Share price (close) | ¥2,470 | ¥1,877.5 | ¥2,933 | ¥3,170 |
◎ marks the best value for each metric. Revenue and profit are from the latest full-year earnings release; share prices are closing-price references; P/E = latest close ÷ trailing EPS. For banks and some other financials, revenue means ordinary income.
| Metric | Life | Blue Zone | Kobe Bussan | Create SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average salary | ◎¥5.57M | — | ¥5.30M | — |
| Starting salary (monthly) | ◎¥253,000 | — | ¥205,000 | ¥245,000 |
| Average tenure | 15.5 yrs | 7.3 yrs | 7.9 yrs | ◎22.6 yrs |
| Average age | 41.0 | 35.4 | 38.5 | 50.4 |
| Employees | 7,385 | 4 | 610 | 10 |
Average salary is for the reporting (parent) company and is affected by average age and job mix. Holding companies with few employees are left out of the salary comparison.
Close (Oct 30, 2026)
¥2,470+3.0% (1Y)
Life +3.0% over 1Y. Compared: Blue Zone +19.4%, Kobe Bussan -20.3%, Create SD +0.2%.
Reference chart of daily closing prices, not real-time quotes (split-adjusted; weekly closes before the last year). Each line shows the % change from the start of the period. Updated Oct 30, 2026.
Life2 segments
Blue Zone1 segments
Kobe Bussan3 segments
Create SD3 segments
AAverage annual salary from the securities filings: Life ¥5.57M, Kobe Bussan ¥5.30M. Life pays the most. Averages also depend on staff age and job mix, so check the average age too (Life 41.0, Blue Zone 35.4, Kobe Bussan 38.5, Create SD 50.4).
ARevenue in the latest results: Life ¥881.3B, Blue Zone ¥813.2B, Kobe Bussan ¥551.7B, Create SD ¥497.1B. Life is the largest by revenue at ¥881.3B, followed by Blue Zone (¥813.2B), Kobe Bussan (¥551.7B) and Create SD (¥497.1B).
AOperating margins: Kobe Bussan 7.2%, Create SD 4.8%, Blue Zone 4.5%, Life 3.0%. Kobe Bussan turns the highest share of sales into operating profit.
AShare price change over the past year (closing prices, for reference): Blue Zone +19.4%, Life +3.0%, Create SD +0.2%, Kobe Bussan −20.3%. Blue Zone has risen the most.
Comparing 4 companies (up to 4)
Sources: earnings releases (kessan tanshin), annual securities reports and other public information. Share prices are closing-price references, not real-time. Our data may contain errors; investment decisions are your own responsibility.
