The sense of accomplishment I gained over the past two years—that's why I chose to continue for another two years.Inoue Umeboshi Foods Co., Ltd.

What challenges did you face when you first implemented it?

Our company started selling plum wine in 2022, and around 2023, we began to seriously consider expanding into overseas markets. We were able to export to some countries on our own, such as Thailand, the Netherlands, and China, and we even tried exhibiting at product competitions. However, the burden of export operations was significant, and to be honest, we didn't have the resources to properly establish the necessary systems.

We were facing challenges in handling English and other languages, and we came to believe that it would be more efficient to entrust this to a specialist rather than training personnel in-house. We were introduced to STANDAGE directly, and the price and the wide range of services they could provide were the deciding factors, so we implemented "Omakase Trading" in September 2024.

Could you tell us the reasons and background behind your decision to continue for two years?

To be honest, there were times during the contract period when business negotiations didn't progress as smoothly as we'd hoped. We were confident in the product itself, but we struggled with promotion and approach methods. When there were multiple changes in the person in charge, it was difficult to set a clear direction, and I feel that we were too reliant on them. We also had the expectation that our investment would be directly reflected in the return, and in that respect, I honestly feel that we're still only halfway there.

Given this situation, we felt a gradual increase in the number of business negotiations over the last year or so. The change in personnel, which allowed for a clearer sharing of our direction, and the positive evaluations we received in overseas competitions, were also major contributing factors. With the desire to maintain our current momentum and the inquiries we've generated, we've decided to renew our contract for two years starting in September 2026. While there was considerable opposition within the company, this decision was made after repeated discussions and agreement on our direction.

Please tell us about the results you achieved over the past two years and the details of your initiatives.

In terms of quantitative results, winning the top gold prize at an international competition was a major source of satisfaction. We have also completed the registration of our manufacturing facility in the United States, which is essential for exports, and in June 2026, we exhibited at the London trade fair hosted by STANDAGE, creating new connections with local buyers. We are also continuously receiving business negotiations and inquiries from buyers in multiple countries.

Qualitatively, I was very grateful to be able to quickly learn about the finer points of trade practices, such as how to handle paperwork when exhibiting at competitions. I had felt that the language aspect was a hurdle, so being entrusted with that was a huge help. In product development, for example, being able to obtain local regulatory information, such as the fact that if sake is used in the brewing process, it will be classified as wine in the United States, allowed us to proceed with the production of plum wine using sake. Originally, we had few people who handled trade, so although it's not a huge reduction in internal workload, being entrusted with the paperwork is a great help on a daily basis.

Please tell us about anything you've noticed while using it, and any changes that have occurred within your company.

Through continued use, I feel that we have established a system for sharing local information within the company. We have also gained basic knowledge, including the importance of choosing an agent, and our internal understanding of trade has steadily improved.

Please tell me which markets and products you would like to target going forward.

Going forward, we are focusing on markets such as Southeast Asia, and affluent Arab countries and Singapore, in addition to the UK and the US where we have exhibited in competitions. In terms of products, we want to continue developing products that meet the demand we receive through our sales activities, and we have heard that there is interest from Japanese restaurants, so we believe that products such as pickled plums and pickled plum condiments have potential. We aim to achieve concrete goals within the next two years.

What are your expectations for STANDAGE over the next two years?

Going forward, I would be most grateful if you could increase the number of business negotiations and the number of contracts that are actually concluded. I can't think of any particular areas that need improvement, but I hope you will continue to translate your efforts into results. I feel that developing overseas sales channels is something that can be easily achieved if you start small, even if the number of people handling the practical work is limited, so I would like to share this with other companies that are facing similar challenges.

In one sentence, what was the reason you continued to use it for two years?

Many aspects of export operations were too much for us to handle on our own, and entrusting them to STANDAGE has allowed us to move forward in many ways. While we haven't yet fully achieved tangible results, we felt encouraged by our recent competition and have high expectations for the future, which is why we want to continue to make solid progress over the next two years.