"The 49th episode / From the Tokyo store to the Aoyama store"

SOU・SOU Tabi Aoyama store changed its format to "Sen Aoyama" midway through its existence. Customer needs had already expanded beyond Tabi Shoes to clothing.
However, it is a small space of 45.2 m2. There is a limit to how much we can store. We would be sorry if customers came to the store after seeing the netshop and were disappointed to find that they did not have what they wanted. Therefore, we decided to position it as a select shop for all of SOU・SOU.
For example, it is a small store that sells only selected items, like the MUJI corner in a convenience store or a small Uniqlo shop in a train station. That's why we named the store "SOU・SOU Sen Aoyama." The concept is "A store that sells the best of SOU・SOU."
Whether it was good for customers to change this business style, sales have doubled compared to when only socks are used. And after that the customer's needs and expectations for this store went even bigger.

Just around that time, the contract of the Tokyo shop in Venus Fort was about to expire in six months. It is scheduled to finish in the first 4 years, but it took ten years to notice.
The thought crossed my mind that at this point, SOU・SOU should move on to the next stage, but sales at the Tokyo store were not bad, and the store was consistently ranked first or second in terms of sales per square meter in the apparel department of the entire building, so from a business perspective, there was no reason to withdraw.
However, it is true that the image inside VenusFort is different when it comes to projecting the worldview of SOU・SOU. We have received similar feedback from customers many times up to now.
So I decided to leave Venus Fort with my mind trying to do so at a new place. It was quite stopped from the Venus Fort side, but there was nothing for it.

And, as I felt that Aoyama shop which I just changed from souvenir shop to sen has already exceeded capacity, I decided to do a roadside shop that made these two stores one.
I looked around Harajuku, Shibuya, Daikanyama, Ginza, and Nihonbashi, but in the end I decided that Aoyama was the best. Apparently, Aoyama is a little out of trend right now (as of 2013), there are vacant tenants, and rents have dropped compared to what they once were. I love things that are out of trend. That often works to SOU・SOU advantage.

And the place I was a candidate for this time was a tenant building that was available for about a year. Located 50 tsubo, it is located very close to antique street. It was also good to say that it was 3 minutes on foot from From 1st where there was a selection sen on foot.
As a result of Multicolored thoughts, I made it here.

The new store that combined the two stores was named "SOU・SOU KYOTO Aoyama Shop." The reason for adding "KYOTO" was because a surprising number of people thought that SOU・SOU was a Tokyo company.
If you think about it like that, there are many stores and companies that are named after places. For example, "Kyushu Ramen," "Hiroshima Okonomiyaki," "Ginza Aster," "Hermès Paris," "Donna Karan New York," "BURBERRY LONDON"... they are all easy to understand. In that case, "SOU・SOU KYOTO" would be it.
And, the way of calling "Aoyama shop" was not "AOYAMA REN", but it was changed to "AOYAMAMAMI" in the Kimono industry.
(Aoyama store shop front photo)


(Continued on next time)


See you tomorrow!

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[Today's secret word]

"The Road to SOU・SOU /Episode 49"

・ If you say [Today's secret word] at the time of payment at the store, you will receive 1 point.
(It is presented only 1 point a day)
・Please note that the secret word changes every day.
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Please be advised.

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Wakabayashi