A long-established manufacturer of hygiene and nursing care products takes on the challenge of "exporting from scratch."Daiichi Eizai Co., Ltd.

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

We at Daiichi Eizai Co., Ltd. have secured a certain market share in Japan, primarily in nursing care and hygiene products. However, facing the structural challenge of Japan's declining population, and looking ahead to future growth, "overseas expansion" has become an inevitable theme.

 

However, when we actually tried to venture into overseas business, we encountered several significant obstacles. For example, securing reliable local distributors, the initial investment required for exhibiting at trade shows, and preparing business negotiations and proposals in English. We considered exhibiting at trade shows, but the costs amounted to several million yen, making it unrealistic in terms of cost-effectiveness.

Amidst these circumstances, we learned about STANDAGE's "Omakase Trading" service and felt that it had a system in place to provide comprehensive and practical support for our challenges. In particular, the two-year continuous support and the fact that it is designed to be easy to operate even for those of us who are not fluent in English were the deciding factors in our decision to adopt it.

What exactly did it entail?

What we value most about "Leave it to us trading" is that STANDAGE proactively develops markets in countries and regions that we have never had contact with before. Rather than simply providing lists or matching buyers, they act based on strategic designs tailored to the buyer's needs, which is very reassuring for us, as we are new to international trade.

Furthermore, I feel that they provide thorough support not only for initial negotiations but also for after-sales follow-up. For example, I receive specific advice on what materials to prepare after a negotiation and what kind of progress methods are effective. The approach design, which involves working on it in medium- to long-term increments of 3 to 4 months, is also a great source of reassurance, as it allows me to proceed without rushing for short-term results.

What effects have you seen since implementing it?

While we are currently in the initial stages of implementation, we are gradually beginning to see concrete results and positive feedback. Our ultimate goal is to "establish a system that enables regular shipments in container units to overseas markets." Our aim is to establish a continuous business relationship, not just one-off orders.

To that end, we are currently working on building relationships with local partner companies and agents. We have asked STANDAGE to help us successfully complete the first steps of business negotiations with local companies, and we expect to move on to concretizing contract negotiations and establishing a stable export system in the future.

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

We are currently just at the "entrance" to our overseas expansion, but from here we intend to carefully and steadily build trusting relationships with overseas partners. We would like to continue to ask for your support at the practical level, such as strategic negotiation planning and preparation of proposal materials, from "Omakase Trading".

Our ultimate goal is to establish a sustainable export channel while flexibly adapting to differences in local culture and business practices. In this process, STANDAGE's expertise and network are of great value to us.

Comment from Mr. Hoshikawa of Daiichi Eizai

"We can't speak English," "We don't know where to start"—STANDAGE's "Leave it to us trading" service is a perfect fit for companies like that. We were also full of anxiety at first, but once we started, STANDAGE's meticulous support has allowed us to steadily move forward step by step.

While there may be times when you feel confused by interactions with overseas partners and cultural differences, STANDAGE is a truly "supportive" partner that carefully addresses each and every one of these challenges. I would especially recommend using "Leave it to us for trade" to companies that feel that "trade is too difficult."