A long-established eel restaurant ventures into overseas markets: An export strategy forged through tradition and innovation.Unase Co., Ltd.

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

We, Unasei Co., Ltd., operate an eel specialty restaurant in Mie Prefecture and have been patronized by local customers for many years. However, at the same time, we felt the need to acquire new customer segments in order to grow our business. In addition, due to the shrinking domestic market and the effects of the weak yen, we could not shake off our anxiety about relying solely on the Japanese domestic market.

Amidst these circumstances, while exploring business possibilities from the perspectives of "earning foreign currency" and "expanding sales channels overseas," our bank introduced us to STANDAGE's "Omakase Trading" service. Initially, it was just a casual "I want to try it" feeling, but the low initial cost and the supportive environment for taking on the challenge were the deciding factors, and we decided to try overseas exports with a two-year contract.

What exactly did it entail?

During the initial implementation, the STANDAGE representative provided us with very practical suggestions and knowledge through regular meetings. Their support, including assistance with exhibiting at trade shows and introductions to other companies' case studies, was incredibly reassuring for a company like ours with no prior experience in international business.

In particular, the fact that they shared concrete ideas tailored to the specific characteristics of our business, rather than simply providing export know-how, was of great value. We are grateful for the multifaceted support they provided in achieving our two-year goal of obtaining the information necessary to determine whether our ideas are actually viable as a business.

What effects have you seen since implementing it?

Although we are currently in the initial stages of our overseas expansion, we are steadily taking steps toward international expansion, such as actually exhibiting at a trade show in Singapore, based on the overseas sales channel development plan we have formulated.

On the other hand, regarding post-exhibition developments, we are continuing to explore ways to concretize our strategy, and currently, we are primarily using sales emails to reach out to potential customers. Furthermore, we feel that we face challenges in terms of price competitiveness when compared to Chinese-made grilled eel, and that further improvements are needed in the product itself and our sales strategy.

Going forward, we hope to work with STANDAGE to create a more strategic roadmap, including, for example, the development of retort products that can be handled at room temperature, and proposals from completely new perspectives.

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

Our future goal is to establish an overseas business generating 20 million yen in annual revenue and create a new pillar of income that can offset the decline in domestic sales. To achieve this, we would greatly appreciate it if STANDAGE could proactively offer product development and marketing proposals from different perspectives, such as eel porridge for emergency rations, in addition to our current main products of grilled eel and eel simmered in soy sauce.

Furthermore, we would like to continue to request your support in follow-up after exhibiting at trade shows, developing concrete sales strategies, and creating mechanisms to lead to the next steps.

Comment from Mr. Ichihashi of Unase

Exporting overseas might sound like a big undertaking, but I believe it was very significant that we were able to undertake it while minimizing risks thanks to the support of banks and STANDAGE.

Moving forward, with our clear goal of "growing our business through exports," we would be delighted if STANDAGE could act not just as a supporter, but as a partner, helping us to create more concrete proposals and roadmaps together. We, too, hope to expand the possibilities of our business beyond the confines of being an eel restaurant.