食品ECの売上を最大化する方法・店舗×EC連携【アートアンドヘルスケア株式会社・EC・ネットショップ】

To achieve success in food e-commerce, the first thing to focus on is not advertising, but leveraging existing customer touchpoints. Many food manufacturers have customers who have already experienced their products through trade shows, events, and in-store sales, but they are not adequately acquiring and utilizing this information. It is crucial to build customer lists using surveys, LINE registrations, QR codes, etc., and to build lasting relationships. There are even cases where sales have doubled or tripled simply by utilizing customer lists, with little to no advertising. This suggests that cultivating repeat customers and fans leads to sustainable growth, rather than acquiring new customers. It was stated that turning every touchpoint—trade shows, social media, hometown tax donation programs, e-commerce malls, etc.—into customer assets is key to success in food e-commerce. We interviewed Mr. Morishita about "Food E-commerce"! ▽What should be the first thing to do to achieve success in food e-commerce? What I've noticed while supporting food e-commerce is that many small and medium-sized food manufacturers have "delicious products" and "charismatic producers." When I actually talk to them, there are so many products that I think "this has potential." However, simply having a good product won't increase sales. The first thing I do is review existing customer touchpoints. Food manufacturers often have places to connect with customers other than online sales, such as trade shows, events, and their own stores, but in most cases, they are not fully utilizing these touchpoints. In particular, customers who purchase products at trade shows or events have already consumed the product. In other words, they have completed what is called "F1 (first purchase)" in online sales and are already "F2 (second purchase)" customers. This list is extremely valuable, but many companies are missing out on it. In stores, staff are busy with customer service and sales, and in most cases, there is no system in place to acquire customer information. This is where a system for collecting customer lists at trade shows and events becomes important. There are various methods, such as surveys, LINE registration, and the use of QR codes, but the important thing is to create a situation where you can continuously connect with customers. I actually suggest this myself, but many people are happy to register if you offer incentives such as "We will send you information about the next event" or "Bring this postcard and get one free." The important thing is not to let it end with a one-time sale. To maintain relationships with customers who have enjoyed your products, you need to steadily build up your customer list. Advertising is certainly effective, but it's crucial to build a base of fans beforehand. The more your customer list grows, the stronger your company becomes. I call this the "customer flow theory," and there are many touchpoints with customers, such as them tasting the product at a trade show, looking at the packaging, looking at recipes, checking social media, or searching online. You need to design a system that leads from all of these touchpoints to LINE registration or customer list acquisition. In the case of food manufacturers, there are many real-world touchpoints even before starting e-commerce. Therefore, it is extremely important to see how much of these existing touchpoints can be turned into customer assets before attracting customers through advertising. When I provide support, I often start by identifying all touchpoints and creating a system that ensures every single customer is included in the list. Food is a product with very high experiential value. If customers actually taste it, they will know on the spot whether it is delicious or not. Therefore, companies that have physical stores or trade shows are very strong. Having opportunities for customers to experience the product is overwhelmingly more advantageous than selling only through e-commerce. Recently, there's been an increase in small businesses using Instagram and other platforms to disseminate information. Food products are well-suited to photos and videos, making social media a crucial touchpoint. It's important to proactively share information and increase customer engagement, rather than relying solely on word-of-mouth. ▽Is it possible to increase sales without relying on advertising? Absolutely. In fact, some companies I support have doubled or tripled their sales with minimal advertising. Looking at companies that have been consulting with me for about five years, many have grown by two to three times. For example, a tea farmer in Hokkaido collects surveys at events, sends samples during the new tea season, and sends out information about tea for the New Year at the end of the year. This alone has more than doubled their sales. The key is not to constantly chase new customers, but to increase repeat customers and fans. Advertising costs...