Kotobukiya Co. reported largely flat third-quarter profits as strong domestic plastic model sales offset weakness in its figure product segment.
The Tokyo-based hobby goods maker maintained its operating profit at ¥701 million ($5.8 million) for the nine months through March, slightly down 1.8% from a year earlier. Sales increased 2.2% to ¥10.86 billion ($89.7 million), the company said in a statement Thursday.
Kotobukiya’s self-developed “Arcanadia” and “Megami Device” plastic model lines drove sales growth despite intense competition in Japan’s figurine market. However, the company’s figure products category struggled without major hit releases compared to the previous year, despite contributions from its “HORROR” series.
Retail performance improved with the opening of a new Namba store, steady VTuber merchandise sales, and increased foreign tourist traffic. North American operations expanded following the March launch of a U.S. e-commerce site, while Asian markets saw growth mirroring domestic trends.
The company, which outsources manufacturing primarily to China, maintained its full-year forecast of ¥1.7 billion in operating profit on ¥17 billion in sales.
