Exporting tradition: A pickled plum company's vision for "the world with plum wine"Inoue Umeboshi Foods Co., Ltd.

Could you tell us what led you to introduce STANDAGE's automated trading service this time?

We are a company that manufactures pickled plums, but three years ago we started producing plum wine. At that time, we began to seriously consider expanding into overseas markets in addition to the domestic market, and decided to start an export business. However, we had no experience exporting pickled plums or other related products, and we had zero knowledge of international trade. Not knowing where to start, we felt that having the support of trade professionals would make the export process smoother, and that's when we took notice of STANDAGE's "Leave it to us Trade" service.

What exactly did it entail?

Through regular meetings with STANDAGE, we first decided on our export destinations. We are particularly targeting markets with a large number of affluent consumers, such as Singapore and Dubai, and are developing a sales strategy to ensure that our high-quality plum wine is purchased there. The STANDAGE representative has deep expertise in trade and the industry, and is providing prompt and accurate support for our export operations. This is extremely helpful in efficiently managing export operations while handling domestic business with limited resources.

What results have you achieved since implementing it?

Thanks to STANDAGE's support, the burden of our trade operations was significantly reduced, enabling us to achieve overseas expansion, which had previously been difficult. In particular, handling trade procedures and securing resources in-house was a major burden, and entrusting these to STANDAGE allowed us to proceed smoothly, which was a significant achievement. Furthermore, we were able to showcase our products at an event held in Japan attended by food industry professionals from Singapore, and received valuable advice on sales strategies targeting the local high-end market. This has become a major stepping stone to the next stage and has given us firm confidence in our future development. We feel that this kind of meticulous support is extremely valuable to us.

What kind of support do you expect from Omakase Trading in the future?

Currently, we are aiming to popularize plum wine in the American market, and we have plans to expand into many more countries. We expect STANDAGE to provide us with data and advice on market selection, as well as help us expand our sales channels locally. Rather than blindly expanding our sales channels, we want to strategically expand them with the support of STANDAGE.

Comment from Mr. Hanamura of Inoue Umeboshi Foods

Entrusting our trade operations to STANDAGE significantly reduced our workload. Especially since we had absolutely no prior experience in trade, the support of experts with trade and industry knowledge was invaluable. STANDAGE's representatives are not only trade professionals but also well-versed in marketing and promotion, providing precise advice on product presentation methods. We realized anew that domestic market promotion is crucial for maximizing product value. The greatest appeal of STANDAGE is the wide range of support they offer, extending beyond just trade operations.