SUPPORT FOR­INDIVIDUALS IN­PURSUING THEIR
INTERESTS

Lifetime Value of Different EPOS Card Types

Twofold tosevenfoldincrease©2023 HERALBONY Co., Ltd.

Chiikawa EPOS Card©nagano / chiikawa committeeStandard EPOS cards

42

Supporting individuals in pursuing their interests has been
defined as a priority measure for MARUI GROUP’s impact
targets. MARUI GROUP is committed to supporting stakeholders in pursuing their individual interests. For this reason, we areundertaking a variety of projects, through EPOS cards, in-store
events, and other venues, to support the diverse passions andvalues of individuals.
This commitment to individual interests is founded on theimportance of one’s interests toward heightening feelings ofindividual empowerment as well as the fact that our interests
are a source of happiness, an emotional safe haven in which

we can be ourselves. If we want to empower people, physically,mentally, and socially, we must abandon prior restrictions
imposed on people’s interests to create a society in which
everyone is respectful of each other’s interests.
A core element of businesses supporting individual interests
is MARUI GROUP’s credit cards that allow individuals to engage
with their interests. These cards include collaboration cards
with anime or manga works, video games, or musicians. Highapplication numbers have been seen for such collaboration
cards, which tend to have levels of lifetime value that are two toseven times greater than that of standard EPOS cards.
Collaboration cards have been developed based on proposals from a wide range of employees, including those in fintech

Diverse Support for the Diverse Interests of Individuals
K-POP MARUI GROUP is supporting K-POP
fans through a variety of initiatives,
including pop-up events related toK-POP and the running of fan clubs for
new artists. Our first official TikTokaccount, which was set up in June
2022, was also done for the purpose ofsupporting K-POP fans.

Anime The Anime Business Department wasset up at MARUI CO., LTD., in 2016, andis staffed primarily by anime-loving
employees. Since establishing thisdepartment, we have proceeded toarrange multiple events and issue EPOS
cards based on customers’ interests.
Recently, we have even been partneringwith YouTubers and VTubers.

Korean Cosmetics In 2021, we opened our KOREAJU
Korean cosmetic boutique shop. WithKOREAJU, MARUI GROUP seeks toprovide a venue through which cus­
tomers can learn about new Koreancosmetic items via the KOREAJU
e-commerce site, in-store events,and social media.

Gaming MARUI GROUP has practiced cocreation with Mirrativ since March2023. Mirrativ is one of Japan’s largest
video game streaming platforms interms of streamers of smartphonegames. Specifically, we offer theMirrativ EPOS Card to support Mirrativstreamers and hold pop-up events.

EVANGELION EPOS Card©

EPOS cards that support individual interests

divisions as well as in retailing and co-creative investmentrelated divisions, leading to the creation of some 60 collaboration cards (as of September 30, 2023). A number of these cards
have been developed by employees pursuing their own individual interests, and the ability to make one’s passion one’swork in this manner has made collaboration card development
a highly motivating task for employees.

Incorporation of Altruism into Credit Card Frameworks
MARUI GROUP has recently been expanding its range of EPOS
cards that allow users to make contributions to society.
Examples of these cards include the HERALBONY Card, whichlinks card use to donations to artists who have disabilities, andthe Tokubigumi EPOS Card, which provides donations to theTokugawa Art Museum.
Such credit cards that support individual interests whileallowing users to contribute to society invite users to movebeyond self-interest pursuits of one’s passions and take analtruistic approach of gaining happiness by making others
happy. This approach translates to selfless acts directed towardthe object of one’s passion. By incorporating such altruism orselfless acts, which are often cited as the motivating force
behind donations in cultural anthropology terms, into credit
card frameworks, MARUI GROUP aims to create new markets
while shaping people’s values.
MARUI GROUP is turning its attention to the potential ofleveraging altruism to transform a capitalistic economy, inwhich buyers and sellers are only able to connect through thetrading of money and goods, into a gift economy. There is still alot of potential to support individual interests, and the desired
impacts of our initiatives toward achieving this end are something that can only be generated through co-creation withstakeholders.

Comments at Strategy Committee Meetings
Pertaining to EPOS Cards Supporting
Individual Interests

Since we began offering EPOS cards that support
individual interests, development has not been a task
limited to specific individuals. Of course, Epos Card
will look at things like compliance but we are letting
anyone take part in developing a card based on
individual interests, and we are seeing this donein all sorts of divisions. (Yoshinori Saito)

EPOS cards that support individual interests are atextbook example of a marketing pull. There is noneed for a push. Fans will even do the work ofspreading the message by themselves. Also, suchcards feature high lifetime value. If we can think ofways to encourage customers to use their cards
more frequently as their primary credit card, we can
expect even higher lifetime value. (Hiroshi Aoi)

SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL INTERESTSSUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS

Background of Support for Individual Interests

HERALBONY Card

In the past, credit cards have purely been sterile toolsof function. However, MARUI GROUP’s approach oftransforming these cards into something thatsignifies membership into a given fan community has
allowed cards to evolve past their function to provide
an aesthetic pleasure. (Yasunori Nakagami)

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KEY POINTS■ Full utilization of MARUI GROUP assets
in projects combining EPOS cards,
e-commerce, and store events■ Direct promotions targeting artist’s fans

MARUI GROUP has defined support forindividuals in pursuing their interests asa priority measure for its impact targets.
Our approach toward offering this support goes beyond the interests of customers to also mobilize the interests ofour employees, which has led to thecreation of new businesses in various
divisions. People’s interests can include

artists or anime or video game characters. Moreover, one’s interests, which areoften seen as a personal matter, canalso have the power or the potential
to significantly impact society.
The ZUTOMAYO EPOS Card, whichfeatures a design inspired by the popularband ZUTOMAYO, was developed following a proposal by a music-loving
employee in the E-Commerce Business
Department of MARUI CO., LTD. By
assessing their own feelings with regard

Other Collaboration Cards Developed by the E-Commerce Business Department

Tokubigumi EPOS Card

Kyusonekokami EPOS Card

The Tokubigumi EPOS Card is a collaboration card with theTokugawa Art Museum that features the museum’s six
katana sword logo, which is popular among sword fans.
Donations of ¥1,000 are made for each new application for
a Tokubigumi EPOS Card, and cardholders may choose tomake donations using their EPOS points in amounts of ¥1per point. We also arrange Tokubigumi Festival in-store
events together with the Tokugawa Art Museum and sellrelated merchandise via our e-commerce sites.

The Kyusonekokami EPOS Card is a collaboration cardwith Kyusonekokami, a rock band that has fostered abase of hardcore fans with its unique aesthetic. Themouse character that acts as the band’s trademark
prominently adorns this card. We also offered, via oure-commerce sites, a Kyusonekokami merchandise bundle
commemorating the launch of this card that contained aT-shirt, a postcard featuring messages from the band
members, and three other items.

to artists, this individual realized that
there had to be a lot of people whowanted a way to feel connected to theirfavorite artists aside from going toconcerts and listening to their songs.
For the project team, we recruited
fans of ZUTOMAYO from within theCompany. The perspective of thesepassionate fans was used to craft
designs for collaboration merchandise,card application bonuses, and promotions that would seize the hearts ofhardcore fans. These efforts clearlyresonated with ZUTOMAYO fans.
The ZUTOMAYO EPOS Card isadorned with a design produced byanimator Hanabushi from ZUTOMAYOCARD -THE BATTLE BEGINS-, the official
ZUTOMAYO trading card game. This
card proved to be a highly desirable item
for fans and, thanks in part to various
collaborative events, the ZUTOMAYOEPOS Card set a new record for thenumber of first-day card applications.

changed when we defined our support
for individuals to pursue their interests
as a priority measure for our impact
targets. This opened the door for
employees of all organizations to thinkup services for supporting individualinterests and to develop cards.
The ZUTOMAYO EPOS Card is the third
collaboration card proposed by theE-Commerce Business Department ofMARUI CO., LTD. All three cards that cameout of this department have been accompanied by e-commerce promotions as wellas in-store events, thereby succeeding in
attracting new cardholders.
We also offer a number of otherpopular EPOS collaboration cards that
support individuals in pursuing theirinterests (see pages 48 and 49). A
shared characteristic of these cards ishow, rather than MARUI GROUP creatinga new character or brand, we capitalizedon the emotional ties of existingcommunities.
The ZUTOMAYO EPOS Card is a primeexample of a mutually beneficial businessventure for sharing happiness advancedby an artist, customers who are fans ofsaid artist, and MARUI GROUP.

Option for Anyone to Develop a Card

CO LLABO R ATION CA RD

ARTIST PARTNERSHIPSMARUI GROUP has continued to support individuals in pursuing their interests throughmeans such as the provision of EPOS collaboration cards, exclusive collaboration
merchandise, and in-store pop-up events that seize the hearts of fans. Such collaboration has included the ZUTOMARUI event that was arranged as a celebration of the fifth
anniversary of ZUTOMAYO, a band with a large following among Generation Z.
44In the past, our collaboration cards haveprimarily been developed by a limited
range of organizations. However, this all

VOICE

Hisano Kidokoro
Business Planning Section,
E-Commerce Business Department
MARUI CO., LTD.

Synergies Generated by Supporting 
Individual Interests
The COVID-19 pandemic put a stop toevents like concerts. Robbed of thisopportunity for connecting with myfavorite artists, I sought new avenues forfeeling this connection. This made mestart thinking about what MARUI GROUP
could do to help music fans from facing
a similar predicament, which led to thestart of this project. The response fromcustomers mirrored my feelings exactly,
and this filled me with joy. When the
manufacturer posted information on thecollaborative merchandise production
process, fans were quick to spread thenews. This really opened my eyes to thesynergies that can be generated by
supporting individual interests.

Comments from ZUTOMAYO Fans
I was thrilled that my first credit
card featured ZUTOMAYO!

SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL INTERESTSSUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS■ Project team members assembled
through recruitment employees who arefans of artist

Linking of Employee Interests withCustomer Interests

I am so happy that something
I use every day can also symbolize
my connection with ZUTOMAYO.

I’m definitely applying for a
ZUTOMAYO EPOS Card once
I finish high school.

Information on MARUI GROUP’sefforts to support individuals inpursuing their interests(in Japanese only)45Creation of a Truly Inclusive Society

SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS

Credit Card That Is Also a Work of Art
There is a limit to the extent to which
we can encourage people to use theHERALBONY Card purely by promoting
its social contributions. Given the wide
range of options for donating to socialcauses, there is no real need to makeone’s social contributions through acredit card.
Nevertheless, the HERALBONY Cardis able to provide an appealing option byoffering its own unique value as an art
product or, in other words, a credit cardthat is also a work of art. The sensibilities of the type of person who will enjoy
a card of this nature is related to thepriority measure of supporting thepersonalities of individuals as defined as
one of our impact targets 2.0. Thisfeature, combined with the additional
benefit of helping people with disabilities
achieve independence, makes theHERALBONY Card a viable option for
guiding society in a positive direction.
Aggregate transactions through theHERALBONY Card amounted to ¥900
million on March 31, 2023, and the total
number of cards issued has surpassed
8,000. The HERALBONY Card transcends the numerical values of pointand cash returns to propose a new formof value for the credit card seen throughthe intersection of art and social contributions, and the number of people whoembrace this value continues toincrease.

AR T AND S O CIA L WEL FA REHERALBONYHERALBONY Co., Ltd., is a company that has declared its intent to act as a social experiment in the area of social welfare. Specifically, this company aspires to create a newculture centered on the art of artists with disabilities. MARUI GROUP has been engaged inco-creation with HERALBONY since the fall of 2021. By combining the strengths of ourrespective businesses, we are working to create a more inclusive society.

46

VOICE

KEY POINTS■ Credit card proposing new value at intersection of art and social contributions■ Donations made to HERALBONY of ¥1,000 at time of application and using EPOS points
accrued in an amount equivalent to 0.1% of purchase amounts thereafter■ Support for independence of artists with disabilities■ Swift co-creation made possible by card issuance assets■ Option to choose from eight designs (as of November 30, 2023)

Emi Sagayama
Account DepartmentHERALBONY Co., Ltd.

Clear View of Fans
Since the launch of the HERALBONY
Card, I have noticed synergies being
created with HERALBONY’s consumeroriented businesses. MARUI GROUP hasa valuable asset in the form of its EPOS
cards, and the opportunity to entrustthem with the development of the related
frameworks and systems was incrediblyappealing. I am very grateful that wewere given this opportunity. One of thedraws of art comes from how the artists
use it as an expression of their own
passions. I am so happy of how theHERALBONY Card has given us sucha clear view of the fans who support
our efforts.

Comments from Customers on theAppeal of the HERALBONY CardI get all excited just by looking atits incredible design.

SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS

Established by brothers Takaya andFumito Matsuda in 2018, HERALBONY is acompany that forms art licensing agreements with artists who happen to havedisabilities. To date, this company has
developed products based on data from
more than 2,000 works of art. Theseworks have been used for a wide variety ofapplications, ranging from product packages and apparel items to hotel room
interiors and building walls. HERALBONY
is motivated by its mission of unleashingdistinctive designs to transform the imageof people with disabilities. By displaying
the unique expressions of individual artists
in public spaces, HERALBONY proposes apath toward the creation of a truly inclusive society.
In February 2021, HERALBONY participated in Marui Co-Creation Pitch, a program for soliciting ideas for co-creative
ventures with MARUI GROUP, where thecompany claimed the grand prize as wellas the audience prize. Its award-winningproposal was for a scheme of donating aportion of the points accrued throughcredit card use to social welfare organizations. Employees inspired by the ideals of
this proposal participated in the cocreation process, which culminated in theissuance of the HERALBONY Card inNovember 2021. When one signs up for aHERALBONY Card, a donation of ¥1,000
is made to HERALBONY, and subsequent
donations are made using EPOS points
accrued in an amount equivalent to 0.1%
of purchase amounts. Through
HERALBONY, these donations are used tofund the creative activities of artists andthe promotion of their works and todonate to social welfare organizations.

It is great how the card letsanyone contribute to society.
It is a source of pride that I am
able to make a contribution,
albeit a small one, toward
helping people with disabilities
just by shopping.
The card is an amazing innovation that transforms the experience of paying for purchases
into an act of joy and socialcontribution.

Receipt of 2023 Good Design Award
The HERALBONY Card was among theaward winners in the 2023 Good DesignAward, a program that recognizes
superior designs aimed at fulfilling agiven goal or realizing a specific idea.
This award is a symbol of the acceptance of the ideals encapsulated inthe card.

47

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2023©ZUTOMAYO©

©

うかうか©Moomin Characters™​©2023 NAOKI HASHIMOTO©CHIMITAN©2023 Naoki Hashimoto©

©2023 NEXON Korea Corporation All Rights Reserved.

©

©

©King Record Co., Ltd.

©SDR

©2023 HERALBONY Co., Ltd.

©CHOCOLATE Inc.

©[NOiD] / murffin discs©LYRICAL NANOHA PROJECT©naganoTM & ©TOHO CO., LTD.

©Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

©CAPCOM CO., LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

©2023 San-X Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

©

©

©
©NO CORPORATION©PENGUINBOX©
© studio U.G. - NishimuraYuji©2023 San-X Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

©2023 NetEase, Inc.

©

©

A CARD FOR EVERY TASTEMARUI GROUP offers a robust lineup of EPOS collaboration cards adorned with designs that reflect
people’s interests in relation to popular anime works, video games, artists, or other passions. Thislineup is constantly expanding through the efforts of employees across MARUI GROUP, allowing anincreasingly wide range of customers to find a card they love.
48

Complete list of EPOS collaboration cards (in Japanese only)www.eposcard.co.jp/gecard/portal/index.html

49