TSUTAYA's annual DVD rentals reached a record high of 742.24 million units.

2012.01.27 Press Releases
Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd.

—The average number of DVDs rented per person per year also reached a record high of 28.9—

At all 1,416 TSUTAYA stores nationwide and through the internet home delivery rental service TSUTAYA DISCAS, the total number of video software rentals from January to December 2011 reached a record high of 742.24 million units (106.9% year-on-year)*. The average number of rentals per person over the year, calculated by dividing the number of registered T-CARD members by the total number of TSUTAYA DISCAS members, also reached a record high of 28.9 units.

Regarding rental trends, the number of rentals increased compared to the previous year from April to June 2011, when theaters were affected by the postponement of theatrical releases, and in May, it reached a record high of 115.6% for the year. Another factor contributing to the growth is the introduction of new rental DVD services that were not available before, such as the "mail return service" which allows customers to return rented items by mail, and the "request order service" which allows customers to rent titles that are not in stock at the store. These services have attracted people who previously wouldn't rent because they couldn't return the items or because the titles were unavailable. By genre, rentals of Japanese films were strong, up 112% compared to the previous year, and rental numbers exceeded the previous year's figures for all genres except American dramas.

*The total number of rentals includes DVDs, Blu-rays, and VHS tapes. The rental figures on the graph for dates before 2006 represent rentals only at TSUTAYA stores. According to the Japan Film Producers Association, the number of movie theater attendees is based on data from the Japan Film Producers Association.

[Reference materials]
■Mail return service
The "Mail-in Return Service," which launched nationwide in November 2010, saw a total of 450,000 uses across all stores in December 2011 (a 215% increase in usage per store compared to the previous year). In addition to customers who rent or return items while traveling, such as during visits home or business trips, our services are also used by people who live far from our stores, especially in suburban and rural areas. During periods of heavy snowfall, the proportion of users from Hokkaido and other remote areas is particularly high, and at some stores, more than 10% of customers use the postal return service. Furthermore, for users in urban areas, the ability to rent without worrying about when to return items, and the fact that up to six items can be returned at once for just 100 yen, tends to result in a higher average number of items rented per transaction.
■Request-based ordering service
The "Request and Order" service, which launched nationwide in October 2011, allows customers to request DVDs and Blu-rays that are not in stock at any given TSUTAYA store. The service will then order them from a centrally managed inventory of 150,000 titles and lend them to them.
■Rental status by genre
As symbolized by the fact that a Japanese film became the most rented title in TSUTAYA's annual rental rankings for the first time in history, the number of rentals for Japanese films was strong, up 112% compared to the previous year. In addition, the number of rentals for all genres except for foreign TV dramas, including foreign films, anime, and Korean TV dramas, exceeded the previous year's figures.
■TSUTAYA 2011 DVD Rental Annual Ranking
Rank Title Genre Category
1. Confessions (Japanese film)
2. Knight and Day (Foreign Film)
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (Foreign Film)
4. Bayside Shakedown: The Movie 3 - Release Them! (Japanese Film)
5. The Karate Kid (Foreign Film)
6. Inception (Foreign Film)
7. Resident Evil IV: Afterlife (Foreign Film)
8. The Secret World of Arrietty (Anime)
9. THE LAST MESSAGE Umizaru (Japanese film)
10. The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Foreign Film)

Documents related to this matter

TSUTAYA's annual DVD rentals reached a record high of 742.24 million units.

Inquiries regarding this matter
Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd.
TSUTAYA Business Public Relations Officer: Yuta Takahashi
TEL: 03-6800-4464/FAX: 03-3760-6020