SKYLARK GROUP pricing strategy using "restaurant-specific analysis"
In Japan’s dining industry, price strategy shapes consumer trust. SKYLARK GROUP, leveraging years of experience and its CCCMK partnership, develops refined, market-based pricing strategies to meet evolving customer needs. (2025.07.11)
What is the SKYLARK GROUP?
The SKYLARK GROUP is a restaurant chain whose management philosophy is "Creating valuable wealth."With a core business of various table restaurants serving Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine, the company currently operates approximately 3,100 stores, serving a total of approximately 350 million customers annually.
Evolving pricing strategies from in-house data to the market
In recent years, rising prices have led to a tendency to save money and changes in food needs, making pricing strategies increasingly important. As consumer purchasing behavior becomes increasingly diverse and competition intensifies, restaurant companies are being asked to adjust prices flexibly. The SKYLARK GROUP has undertaken a review of its strategy, going beyond conventional boundaries, with the mission of "providing as many customers as possible with affordable, delicious food in a comfortable space with pleasant service."
Nagayoshi: "Until now, we have been using our own POS data to conduct various data analyses. Thanks to our collaboration with CCC MK HOLDINGS, with whom we have had a long-standing partnership since 2006, we have steadily accumulated knowledge about data analysis. On the other hand, pricing strategies, especially the menu pricing process, are still in the development stage, and until now pricing has been determined mainly based on the company's own sales data and product sales performance.
However, the situation in the world has changed dramatically over the past few years, and we have realized the importance of reflecting the needs of the world from a broader perspective. Our desire to offer products that would satisfy our customers at attractive prices grew stronger, and we began looking for new data to support the pricing process. "
Nagayoshi: "The analysis required for determining prices often requires quantitative research such as questionnaires and qualitative research that digs deeper into insights, but this method takes time and money to produce results. With the market environment changing at a dizzying pace, spending three to four months on research and then several more months to create a menu poses a major challenge in terms of speed.
In this regard, CCC MK HOLDINGS uses its household accounting app "Recica" to collect various purchasing data from various aspects of daily life based on receipt information, allowing it to use market feedback in its analysis in a timely manner. This is what I was most looking forward to when we first met. "
CCC MK HOLDINGS representative: "We started out feeling our way around when it came to price analysis methods, but by sharing our findings with each other, we were able to deepen our common understanding and define our requirements, and through repeated trial and error, we were able to gradually give shape to our requests.
The SKYLARK GROUP had been using Market Watch, a marketing tool specializing in the food category, utilizing data from Resica, and had been evaluating it for its cross-business and cross-distribution purchasing data. We proposed this idea, believing that if Skylark could create an analysis board that reflected information specific to the restaurant industry and make full use of this tool, it could have a positive effect on their pricing strategy. "
Nagayoshi: "Speedy decision-making is one of our strengths, and everything went smoothly from when we received the proposal until we got started. During the weekly meetings, we sometimes faced difficult challenges and made vague requests, but CCC MK HOLDINGS persevered and worked hard to meet them. As we received more and more feedback, the idea gradually took on a more concrete form. "
Three restaurant-specific analyses that support pricing
This initiative, which began with a consultation regarding Skylark Holdings' pricing strategy, lasted approximately three months and was launched in September 2024 as three restaurant-specific analyses to optimize pricing strategies.
(1) Mode price analysis
Based on data from "Recica," we provide an analysis board that allows you to compare competitors, such as the price ranges of each chain nationwide and price differences between the same chains. For example, when it comes to the menu of a family restaurant, you can understand market trends such as "What price range is the most common for this menu item?"By utilizing this analysis board, the market price range for products becomes clear and the price difference (high/low) with competitors can be seen at a glance, allowing you to understand your company's positioning and set strategic prices.
(2) Price acceptability analysis
This is an analysis board that can measure the acceptability of a price range that is acceptable to consumers. PSM analysis using consumer surveys is common, but this has been replaced with Receica data. It is important to determine the appropriate price because if the price is too low, customers will become concerned about the quality, and if it is too high, they will move on to other menu items or other restaurants. By using this board, you can understand consumer acceptance and consider product pricing in detail.
(3) Period comparison analysis
Period comparison analysis is an analysis board that focuses on consumer behavior. For example, when you take action regarding price, you can understand customer trends, such as whether customers will accept the price or whether they will move on to other restaurants. By using this analysis board, you can compare the appropriateness of prices after price revisions over time. By comparing past data with the current situation, we can understand the global economic situation and changes in consumer purchasing behavior, enabling us to make strategic price adjustments. These analyses allow us to better understand how price influences customer choices.
Nagayoshi: "There are many opportunities to utilize 'Most Frequent Price Analysis' in particular. This board allows you to narrow down to specific categories and compare the frequency of menu items across price ranges. Furthermore, by comparing your own brand with the market as a whole, you can clearly understand your company's strengths and challenges. In fact, after analyzing the most common prices in the market and checking trends in main menu items, we found that cheaper and simpler items were appearing more frequently. Based on this analysis, Gusto has taken concrete steps to expand its menu of small, affordable meals. "
Challenging the evolution of the restaurant industry with data-driven marketing
Although this new restaurant-specific analysis is still in its infancy, we believe it will be extremely useful as a tool for quickly identifying and optimizing changes in the competitive environment and pricing strategies, and that it could become an engine for increasing corporate value.
Nagayoshi: "I feel that the strength of CCC MK HOLDINGS' database marketing is that they possess a wide range of data that cannot be obtained by the company alone, including the abundant purchase data of V POINT. By organically linking and analyzing this data, I believe we are able to develop strategies based on a deep understanding of the market and customers.
In the future, we hope to work together to develop even more effective strategies tailored to each target demographic and further evolve data-driven marketing. "
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