Hello buyers!
The Goods Editorial Department has started an interview project with buyers who purchase and sell products found in goods with the desire to "know more about buyers!"
The first is Akiko Hayasaka, the representative of the ethical organic select shop [ORblueNa] in Omotesando.
In 2021, during the Corona disaster, we heard a lot of stories about the clear reason why they dared to set up a physical store in the land of Omotesando, their relationship with customers, their commitment to the items they handle, and their ingenuity in creating a sales floor and purchasing.
Here are some of the products handled by ORblueNa.
Please take a look at the items selected by Mr. Hayasaka that are good for the body, mind, and earth.
《Store information》
ORblueNa
4-26-28 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Fan Fan Building 1F
Business hours: 12:00~20:00 (Tuesdays, Thursdays + irregular holidays)
The name of the store is a coined word that combines "Organic ✖️ Blue Natural ✖️".
It contains Mr. Hayasaka's desire to love the sea and "always want to make natural and happy choices."
The theme of the shop is "Gokigen". In the friendly atmosphere of the store, where surfboards are placed, products selected by Mr. Hayasaka based on the concept of "making yourself and the earth feel good by making your mind and body in a good mood" are displayed, such as organic and sustainable daily necessities, cosmetics, and inner care items.
In addition to the stores, we hold "cleanup activities" once or twice a month to clean up the Omotesando and Harajuku areas and make them feel comfortable. We also plan various other events to involve customers and neighboring stores and create good waves in Omotesando.
I want to create a place that can be an opportunity for people who want to take care of themselves.
I used to surf, so I liked the atmosphere of Hawaii and the West Coast, and I sympathized with their desire to cherish nature as they play in nature.
The ethical and organic way of thinking is filled with the idea of "taking care of yourself". By being healthy and free of your body and mentality, you can be kind to those around you and it will be good for the earth. We decided to dare to compete with analog in order to prepare items that will be a trigger for people who want to "take care of themselves" and to work on an event that transmits their thoughts.
The ultimate goal is to make the entire city of Omotesando into one team
The reason why I chose Omotesando is that there are many flagship stores, and while this is a "land where new things are always transmitted," sustainable ideas such as "second-hand clothing," which is also part of Harajuku's culture, have taken root. In addition, the place where so many people gather every day is already a power spot, and we decided to do it with the thought that "this is the only place!"
It is important to keep saying, "I want to do this, I want to do that," and keep saying what you want to do and what you want to do. Then, people with the same tension will come on board, and a new collaboration will be born. There is a limit to what one person can do, so I would like to create a community with fans around the store, and eventually make the entire city a single team.
The only way to get people to buy products at stores instead of Amazon is through human connections
If you're going to have a store, I think it's absolutely necessary to lay the groundwork for personal connections. In fact, long before we opened our store, we spent more than 10 years holding events and workshops centered on "liking yourself" to attract customers. We have also held events such as what we now call matching, as well as cross-industry exchange meetings, to expand the circle of various people. That's why we were able to open a store even during the Corona disaster, and there were customers who came.
We also plan various events at our stores. When we asked them to draw art on the walls of the store, we made it a "live painting" and let the customers see it, which was very exciting.
In an age where you can buy anything online, it is very important who recommends it. I feel that the reason why people can buy things with a high unit price at the store is because of the connections between people.
Select what you think is good to use and convey the brand's worldview
The reason why I started using Goods was that many of them sympathized with the concept of the brands and products that were stored, and the direction was the same as what I wanted to purchase.
First of all, I conduct my own "human experiments" and purchase only what I think is good. I've always liked recommending what I think is good to others, and I also like to discover brands that don't look like anybody.
Since it is only in a physical store that you can try textures and scents while talking to customers, we have as many testers as possible.
When we first opened, we displayed each item individually, but while it was easy to find what we were looking for, it was difficult to convey the brand's worldview, so we changed the order by brand.
Some manufacturers are strict, such as "I will decide after looking at the store" whether or not to do business, but sometimes they look at the ORblueNa lineup and say, "It's OK here," and thanks to the good products, we are able to put another good product.
By using goods, you can afford resources and differentiate yourself from other stores with a diverse lineup.
I think it's the same everywhere, but each customer has a different need.
Those who want to listen to all the explanations, those who want to take a closer look alone, those who are looking for something that can only be found here, and those who can rest assured that it is also available in department stores. Therefore, we try to present a wide range of customer service and products.
There are a lot of good products at Goods, and it is easy to purchase, so it is a great advantage to be able to do other things with the available resources. In addition, by stocking various brands, such as manufacturers with whom we do direct business, we try to enhance the uniqueness of the store, "only here".
We live in a world full of things, but the number of things we need and use remains the same. We are always thinking about how to get people to choose one of them.
I want to convey the joy of finding and using products that I like.
When we make shelves, we try to make people think, "There is always something interesting when you come here."
On the flat platform at the entrance, seasonal items are displayed in a mix of item categories, and on one large wall is a skincare brand, on the opposite wall there are shelves of food and supplements, shelves of miscellaneous goods such as incense and candles, and daily necessities are stored in a wagon.
Food is often purchased casually in terms of price, so I am conscious of replacing it appropriately while placing standard items.
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way people spend their time at home, and more and more people are choosing slightly better things for daily necessities and scented items, but if you master organic, it seems that the right answer is to live a life where you don't use or buy anything. For some people, that's good, but for others, it's not fun. At ORblueNa, we want to convey the joy of buying and using good products. We want you to enjoy finding and buying things you like.
Broadening the frontage and creating services and sales floors that capture needs
The shop is located a little further back from the main street, so only about 3% of the people who come in casually come in. In order to make it easier for people to enter, we plan to install a signboard in the near future that conveys the usage scene of the product.
Basically, we don't have a sale, but we give a kind of novelty to those who shop for a limited time, and we offer free wrapping during gift seasons such as Christmas.
Recently, the number of male customers has increased, so I would like to increase the number of men's skincare items. I would like to ask Mr. Goods about that.