Bandai Namco's half-year profit jumps 27% as Gunpla and its Cross Store format carry the group past weaker games and film units
One Bandai Namco division is doing almost all the work: Toy-Hobby's profit jumped 55% on Gunpla and capsule-toy demand, including a store format now spreading through Japanese malls, while its games and film businesses both lost ground.
Bandai Namco Holdings' operating profit rose 27.3% to ¥134.3bn in the half year to September, the company said in results filed 10 November, as group sales rose 13.1% to ¥728.5bn and net profit rose 26.1% to ¥99.5bn. Almost all of the gain came from one division: the Toy-Hobby segment, which covers Gunpla model kits, capsule toys, trading cards and confectionery, grew sales 29.6% to ¥412.0bn and profit 55.4% to ¥101.1bn, with Bandai Namco crediting steady demand both in Japan and overseas for Gunpla, Ichiban Kuji collectible lottery goods, trading-card products and its Gashapon capsule-toy line, built around Gundam, Dragon Ball, One Piece and Tamagotchi characters. A tariff refund booked by its North American subsidiary also added to the segment's profit.