Smaregi to Sponsor 'STAFF OF THE YEAR 2026' Customer Service Contest

Smaregi Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka, Representative Director: Ryuuhei Miyazaki, hereinafter referred to as 'the Company'), which develops the cloud POS register 'Smaregi' using tablets such as iPads, has decided to become the title sponsor of the 'STAFF OF THE YEAR 2026' customer service contest, which will be held from June 25, 2026 (Thu) and organized by V Standard Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Neikou Onozato), which provides the store staff DX app 'STAFF START (Staff Start)'. Through sponsorship of this event aimed at enhancing the value of store staff, we will together create the future of store business where workers can take pride. ■ Background and Thoughts on Sponsorship The Company has been supporting retail businesses nationwide through the provision of IT services, including cloud POS registers, under the mission of 'Making stores lively and streets lively!'. 'STAFF OF THE YEAR' is a customer service contest that discovers Heisei-era charismatic store staff who are active in both real and online (SNS, etc.) settings and widely disseminates the value of customer service and sales to society. This initiative, which shines a light on store staff who are the 'main players' in delivering the appeal of products and brands to customers every day, strongly resonates with our mission, leading to our decision to sponsor this event. In addition, at this event, we plan to award the 'Smaregi Award (Special Award)' from our company, which serves as the title sponsor. We look forward to meeting those who embody 'Making stores lively and streets lively!' on the front lines of stores. ■ Event Overview Name STAFF OF THE YEAR 2026 supported by Smaregi Event Period June 25, 2026 (Thu) to November 12, 2026 (Thu) *Note: Please refer below for details. Organizer V Standard Inc. Title Sponsor Smaregi Inc. Official Website https://soty.staff-start.com/ Official SNS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staff_start/ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPG0-urYUfjaV_QTsrglfXVURS3fZBg79&si=-2H7oHFWnwQMYukJ ▼STAFF OF THE YEAR 2026 supported by Smaregi (Apparel Department/Retail Department) Preliminary Stage: June 25, 2026 (Thu) to August 12, 2026 (Wed) Semifinal Stage: Early to mid-September Final Stage: November 12, 2026 (Thu) @ Shibuya Hikarie Hall A ▼STAFF OF THE YEAR 2026: NEXT AGE supported by Smaregi (Ages 25 and under) Preliminary Stage: June 25, 2026 (Thu) to July 23, 2026 (Thu) Semifinal Stage: August Final Stage: Early October @ Certain location in Tokyo *Note: The schedule and judging criteria may change without notice. ■ Comments (Executive Officer, Sales Department Manager, Soichi Sugimoto, Smaregi Inc.) Our company has been providing platforms that support store businesses under the slogan of 'Making stores lively and streets lively!'. I myself was once a salesperson standing at the counter. The customers' 'thank you' and the smiles of those who came to visit were the greatest motivations. What makes stores lively is not just the latest technology. It is the staff who stand on the front lines of the store and face each customer that create the appeal of the store and bring vitality to the streets. I deeply empathize with the idea of 'STAFF OF THE YEAR' to disseminate to society the wonderfulness of the profession of store staff and raise its value. I am very pleased that I, who once stood at the counter, can now be involved in this contest to commend the staff who shine on the front lines of stores from the position of providing technology that supports stores. We will fully support 'STAFF OF THE YEAR 2026' as the title sponsor. ■ About V Standard Inc. (Organizer) Company Name: V Standard Inc. Representative: Representative Director Neikou Onozato Headquarters: 1-8-14 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Business Content: Development and operation of 'STAFF START', 'LINE STAFF START', and 'FANBASSADOR'. Planning, production, and operation of 'STAFF OF THE YEAR'. URL: https://www.v-standard.com/ ■ About Smaregi Inc. Company Name: Smaregi Inc. Representative: Representative Director Ryuuhei Miyazaki Established: May 24, 2005 Capital: 115.6 million yen (as of April 30, 2025) Headquarters: 3F, 4-2-12 Honmachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka URL: https://corp.smaregi.jp/ Smaregi is a low-cost yet high-function POS register using iPad and iPhone. Data is centrally managed in the cloud, enabling real-time sales analysis anytime and anywhere. It has functions that cater to various business types such as retail, apparel, and restaurants, and can be used by small-scale stores to large-scale chain stores. https://smaregi.jp/ --- Making stores lively and streets lively! --- Through the provision of IT services centered around POS registers, we support store operations for the new era that utilize data. We also create vitality for 'stores' and 'streets' through the dissemination of information useful for store businesses and interaction with users.