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Part 1: "Selected by Regional Newspapers Nationwide! 47CLUB Inc. 'Wow, This Exists! Grand Prize' Decided"
On the 16th, the Digital Business Consortium, comprising 46 newspapers nationwide, and 47CLUB Inc. held the final judging vote and award ceremony for the inaugural 'Selected by Regional Newspapers Nationwide! 47CLUB 'Wow, This Exists! Grand Prize' at Dentsu Hall in Shiodome, Tokyo.
The prestigious inaugural Grand Prize winners were: in the Product Category, Fukui Prefecture's Megane no Bridge with their "World's First! Glasses Without Nose Pads"; and in the Shop Category, Shiga Prefecture's Omi Beef Specialty Shop "Kanekichi".
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Representatives from the Grand Prize and Excellence Award-winning products and shops,
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Product Category Grand Prize Winner: Fukui Prefecture's Megane no Bridge
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This award recognizes distinctive products that surprise consumers, selected and honored by newspapers nationwide from approximately 27,000 items sold on 47CLUB Inc., an online shopping site operated by regional newspapers across Japan.
For the "Product Category," preliminary rounds were held across six blocks (Hokkaido/Tohoku, Kanto, Hokushinetsu, Tokai/Kinki, Chugoku/Shikoku, Kyushu/Okinawa) to select block representatives. At the venue, these six products were honored with Excellence Awards, and their respective representatives introduced the products through presentations. After tasting and trying them, 45 representatives gathered from newspapers nationwide voted to decide the Grand Prize winner.
In the "Shop Category," approximately 1,300 shops nationwide selling on the same site were evaluated, and five shops that conducted the most proactive sales activities over the past year were selected as Excellence Award winners. The Grand Prize winner was announced and honored at the venue.
The event featured not only a lineup of creative local products, but also lively speeches full of regional character and personality from representatives who had traveled from across Japan, delighting the venue.
The Grand Prize winner in the Product Division, Fukui Prefecture's "Bridg Corporation" with their "World's First! Glasses Without Nose Pads," features pads attached to the sides of the temples instead of traditional nose pads, supporting the glasses on the cheekbones. This design, developed over 10 years, prioritizes fit and comfort. Bridg Corporation President Tsutomu Miyashita expressed his joy, stating, "It's been about four years since launch, and we've worked hard to get the product known to many people, but it still hasn't reached widespread adoption. We hope this selection will encourage as many consumers as possible to try our product and be delighted with it." |
The Shop Category Grand Prize winner, Shiga Prefecture's Omi Beef specialty shop "Kanekichi," is a long-established business founded in 1921. Committed to purchasing entire cattle, they actively challenged themselves across the various sales channels provided by 47CLUB Inc., building a strong track record. Kanekichi's President, Masaru Taniguchi, expressed his gratitude and surprise: expressed his gratitude and surprise, stating, "Achieving this level of sales through our physical store alone would have been difficult. We learned a great deal from the newspaper company and 47CLUB Inc., which is how we reached this point. I never imagined we would be selected for the Grand Prize." |
Finally, a guest talk titled "The Potential of Regional Products from a Department Store Buyer's Perspective" was held. It featured Mr. Katsunori Uchida, Chairman of Office Uchida; Mr. Masafumi Yakushiji, Manager of the In-Store Events Section, Sales Promotion Department, Hankyu Department Store (part of the Hanshin Hankyu Hanshin Department Store Group); and Mr. Jun Nagakura, Director and Head of the Sales Expansion Division at 47CLUB Inc. They shared insights unique to department stores, including the secrets to discerning quality products and shops. |
See the award-winning products and shops here (on the 47CLUB Inc. website).
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