"Sales Floors" Are Fun

At the "Local Delicacies Festival" held at Keio Department Store in Shinjuku this March, I stood at the sales counter every day and had the opportunity to speak with many customers. While advertising inevitably involves intermediaries like media, the direct feedback, praise, or even subtle expressions on people's faces experienced at such sales counters become valuable material for planning the next step. It helps reset the thought processes that tend to become overly intellectualized when sitting in front of a computer all day.
This time, let me introduce a few fellow vendors from this event who undoubtedly brought back such valuable experiences to their local areas.

Yamada, who greets customers with a "chop the Wagyu" gesture

 

Teppanyaki Kobe Fuji is a popular restaurant in Sannomiya where you can easily enjoy Kobe beef. This time, they participated with their "Kobe Beef Bento," available starting at ¥1,000 before tax.

Kobe Beef Bento

 

But honestly, what I find truly amazing about this place is the "Meat Cake." Unfortunately, it wasn't featured at this event, but the unprecedented combination of "meat" and "cake" is a searchlight illuminating new possibilities. It reeks of an excellent concept (idea). Just hearing its name conjures an image of a product that makes kids cheer and transforms the dining table into a festive party atmosphere. The "Meat Cake" currently available online is already quite powerful, but it could be upgraded even further.

This is the "Meat Cake." It's apparently made by grilling it on a hot plate.

 

I believe customers seek this kind of special value, something "only available at this shop." Of course, price strategies like the one Teppanyaki Kobe Fuji implemented at this event—making Kobe beef easily accessible—are highly appealing. But I think the real challenge lies in how uniquely compelling a product you can propose, without relying solely on that.

The "Melon Bread with Juice from Fully Ripened Melons" from Tomita Melon House (Furano, Hokkaido) drew nonstop lines every day.

Melon bread itself is a curious food. According to The Truth About Melon Bread (Kazuko Higashijima), the origin of its name has several theories: ① The most obvious explanation is that the cracks on the surface of the baked biscuit dough resembled the skin of a muskmelon. ② A counter-theory suggests it was created to mimic the shape and lattice pattern of the popular, high-end muskmelon, making it accessible to the common people. ③ A rather far-fetched theory that "meringue" used in making melon bread became corrupted to "melon." In any case, melon itself is not used as an ingredient. It seems that melon cream-filled versions only finally appeared in the Heisei era.
Tomita Melon House's melon bread likely follows this tradition. Yet the daily queues that never ceased speak not only to the quality of the product itself, but also forcefully remind us of the enduring strength of the "Hokkaido" and "Furano" brands. Going forward, I look forward to seeing what unique value—beyond these regional brands—they will create that can only be found at their shop.

Melon Bread

 

In Miyazaki and Kagoshima Prefectures, there's a local dish called "nerikuri," made by kneading boiled sweet potatoes and mochi together. Aji no Kuraya's "Sweet Potato Dumplings" are precisely that nerikuri. Available with or without red bean paste. It's a product whose charm lies in its simple, rustic flavor.

Sweet Potato Dumplings

 

Products deeply rooted in such regional culture hold special value for those familiar with Miyazaki, evoking a "Yes, this is exactly what I wanted!" reaction. In fact, while selling meat cutlets, a customer asked me, "Where can I buy Miyazaki sweets?" On the other hand, for customers without ties to Miyazaki, these sweets risk getting lost among the common kinako-based regional confections. We must avoid making strange changes, but determining the right level of ambition for this product is a tricky judgment call.

The next "Local Delicacies Festival" is scheduled for May at Nagoya's Meitetsu Department Store. While the participating vendors haven't been finalized yet, the shops that experienced having a "sales space" at Keio Department Store in Shinjuku this time will surely return home with plenty to ponder and consider. If you happen to see them somewhere, please give them a try.

Enjoy!