NEW CHANNELS
Glico has been on the path to lift sales further and is now offering more products that are unique and personalised.
The company recently introduced Baton d'or, a high-end confectionery product available for now only in shops in the Osaka area. It has also introduced Kitchen retail spaces in shopping malls where customers can see Glico products being made.
It has also introduced internet-based personalised labelling that allows customers to use a favourite image or message to wrap Glico products as gifts, though they have to wait about a week for delivery.
Other innovative channels include Office Glico, a fixture in offices all across Japan. The small kiosks contain a selection of snack products and a coin box, with a payment system based on simple honesty.
"You will not believe it, but our collection rate in such distribution is 95%, and if it falls below that level we tell the office that we cannot continue to support having it there as there are people who are not paying," Mr Hotta says. Office managers are given a monthly report showing how many products were sold and how much money was collected. If there's a shortfall, the office manager informs the staff in a memo of the need to improve collections, without Glico even having to be involved.
With around 120,000 Office Glico installations around the country, the company is now looking to expand its offerings, perhaps by adding refrigerators. Glico would bear the cost of electricity but the space is usually provided free of charge as it gives office workers a place to enjoy their snacks.