Photo/Illutration The Azuki Bar ice lolly, Imuraya Group Co.’s flagship product (Provided by Imuraya Group Co.)

Sweets maker Imuraya Group Co. is doing brisk sales of ice lollies and other items buoyed by the trend for people to stay home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Imuraya's net profit rose 4.7 times from the previous year to 650 million yen ($5.94 million) in fiscal 2020 ending in March 2021, the company, based in Tsu, Mie Prefecture, announced on May 10.

The company's Azuki Bar ice lolly series--its core product--sold a record 290 million units, as consumers hesitated to venture out and preferred to eat at home.

In addition to "yokan” jelly, “shiruko” soup and other items based on azuki beans, Imuraya's frozen meat buns and a new bun product made using soybeans instead of pork have proved popular.

Azuki price declines also helped boost Imuraya’s profits.

However, Imuraya's sales of “nikuman” and “anman” buns filled with meat or bean paste were sluggish at convenience stores and other places as people refrained from leaving home.

The company's total turnover was 42.1 billion yen, down 0.4 percent year on year. Imuraya is looking to post sales of 41 billion yen and an 820 million yen net profit in fiscal 2021 ending in March 2022.

Imuraya also released its midterm management plan for the three years through fiscal 2023 on May 10.

The plan anticipates sales of 46.5 billion yen, and an increase in its overseas business ratio to 7.5 percent from 5.4 percent in fiscal 2020.

Imuraya intends to strengthen sales of frozen sweets in Malaysia, where it has an affiliate corporation, and other markets in Southeast Asia, the plan says.

Female management personnel at the company should reach at least 15 percent, compared with 11.3 percent as of April this year, it also states.

"The food industry can utilize the perspective of women," Imuraya President Nobuko Nakajima said at a news conference the same day. "So we will carefully develop (female officials)."

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