As the outbreak of the new coronavirus spreads again, companies' views on the economy remain harsh.
In order to overcome the predicament, local companies are squeezing their wisdom with that skill.
Tochigi Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Finding Business Opportunities for Products for Mobile Sales of Food and Beverage
While events such as festivals are drastically decreasing due to the influence of the new coronavirus, manufacturers in Tochigi Prefecture, which manufacture equipment for food stalls, have overcome the predicament by developing products for mobile sales vehicles whose demand is expanding. I'm trying.
Manufacturers in Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture, have been manufacturing food stalls and gas-based cooking utensils lined up at festivals and other event venues for over 60 years.
However, these events have been canceled one after another since spring, and sales for the year from January to this month are expected to drop to less than 20% of the average year.
The value of 25 million yen, such as 80 gas stoves manufactured in anticipation of demand during the busy summer season, is still uncertain.
Under these circumstances, the company is trying to find a business opportunity in products for mobile sales vehicles of food and drink, for which demand is increasing.
The newly developed one is called a "kitchen box" that is retrofitted to the loading platform so that light trucks can be converted into mobile sales vehicles at low cost, and cooking can be done inside the box.
Takaya Yamazaki, president of Takamachi Sangyo, said, "I don't think sales will recover even after the end of Corona. We would like to develop products not only for street vendors but also for a wide range of customers."
Hiroshima department store with a full lineup of products to meet the demand for nesting
At the department store "Fukuya Hatchobori Main Store" in Naka-ku, Hiroshima City, the number of customers visiting the store has begun to decrease since the end of last month due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection in Hiroshima Prefecture.
For this reason, department stores want to enhance their product lineup to meet the so-called "needing demand" that is increasing due to the influence of the new coronavirus, and to increase sales during the year-end and New Year sales season.
<Osechi>
Sales of high-priced osechi products are higher than usual, and of these, 100,000 yen osechi made with long-established restaurants such as spiny lobster is already sold out by reservation. I am.
In addition, as the number of people refraining from returning home is expected to increase, we will increase the lineup of osechi for one person and osechi for three to four people, which is packed with one person in a row, and make reservations for osechi for such a small number of people. Is about 10% more than at the same time last year.
<Fukubukuro>
Also, in the lucky bag, you can spend more time at home, such as a set of locally produced rice and clay pot, and a set of beans and coffee maker that the coffee shop in Onomichi City has independently roasted. We have products that meet the demand for coffee.
With the increase in the types of products sold via the Internet, overall sales of lucky bags have increased by 50% from the same period last year.
Mao Nakamura of the Fukuya Sales Headquarters said, "This year we are focusing on products that specialize in nesting demand, and we will respond to the need to buy items that are one rank higher than usual in the house. I want to. "
Online business negotiations for konjac overseas Gunma manufacturing company
While sales are declining due to the effects of the new coronavirus, konjac manufacturers in Gunma Prefecture have begun to expand their sales channels overseas and are beginning to feel a response.
At a company that manufactures konjac in Tomioka City, Gunma Prefecture, demand for restaurants and inns fell sharply in April when a state of emergency was declared, and sales fell to 20% last year.
In October, I started online business talks with overseas buyers in order to find a way to live overseas.
We sell konnyaku noodles that are made easy for foreigners to eat by mixing soybeans to suppress the odor peculiar to konnyaku.
While online business negotiations are easy to start, competition is fierce, and we received advice from the JETRO Gunma office and created a video that emphasizes health consciousness.
The 3-minute video is a virtual experience of the process from the cultivation of raw materials to the completion of the product, and many overseas buyers who watched the video said that they would like to try it. That is.
According to JETRO, even overseas, people are becoming more health conscious due to "corona fattening" by refraining from going out, and there is an interest in konjac products with low calories.
So far, it has decided to sign a contract with a major online shopping company in the United States, and is continuing negotiations for a contract with buyers from five countries.
Mr. Kazumi Tsuchiya of "Tsutomu Foods" said, "The video has given me a good evaluation, and I've come to say that I want a sample. I want to spread konjac not only in Asia but also in Europe and the United States. I was talking.
Strengthen lunch business Kanagawa Izakaya
In order to curb the infection of the new coronavirus, izakaya in some areas have been forced to reduce their business during the night hours.
Under these circumstances, there are moves to strengthen lunch sales and make up for the decline in sales.
Of these, the izakaya operated by a group company of the major restaurant chain "Colowide" in Kanagawa Prefecture has dropped to about 10% of the previous izakaya due to the re-expansion of infection, which is also the year-end party season. is.
The store is opening a new lunch to make up for the decline in sales.
In addition to set meals that make use of the izakaya menu, we also serve pasta and pizza from the same group's Italian restaurant.
The wallpaper has a Western-style design to change the atmosphere inside the store, and we are trying to attract a new customer base such as female customers and families.
Initially, the restaurant was expected to serve 20 to 30 people a day for Italian lunch, but there are days when it exceeds expectations.
The company is doing the same at about 30 izakaya stores.
A woman in her thirties said, "I rarely came at night, but I use lunch once or twice a week. I'm glad I didn't have an Italian restaurant nearby."
Atsushi Matsuda of Rains International Colowide Company, which runs the store, said, "Where there were many men, the use by housewives and families is increasing. Although it is a difficult situation, the demand for eating out has not disappeared, so I use the izakaya store. I want to do my best to respond. "
Converted to a specialty store to reduce labor costs Osaka restaurant
Some restaurants are trying to survive by changing the format of their stores.
The restaurant owner, Yoichi Nakazawa, runs a total of four restaurants, including an izakaya in Minato-ku, Osaka.
The izakaya "Tanpopo" in Minato Ward is close to the "Kaiyukan", an aquarium known as a tourist attraction.
Before Corona, many tourists used this tavern on their way home.
However, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, the number of people passing by has dropped sharply.
Last month, the city of Osaka was excluded from Go To Travel, resulting in a sudden drop in sales by one-third.
Mr. Nakazawa, the owner of the izakaya, feels that the cost of ingredients and labor costs are issues.
The restaurant offered more than 100 different menus just for meals in order to increase customer satisfaction.
It is a big burden when there are few customers.
Also, although it is a small shop, it took two people to cook and one person to serve customers, for a total of three people.
Therefore, Mr. Nakazawa decided to change the store format from a pub to a Gyoza specialty store in order to continue business even in Corona.
By making it a Gyoza specialty store, one employee can handle it.
You can reduce the time required for preparation and the labor required for cooking.
It is also easy to take home, and we can expect the development of frozen products.
Mr. Nakazawa said, "The trend is that restaurants do not stay long and do not drink with a large number of people. In order to survive somehow, we will switch to specialty stores regardless of izakaya." It was.