Workman’s Managing Director Tetsuo Tsuchiya (left) took the stage and gave a presentation on children’s clothing (Morning of the 18th, Yurakucho, Tokyo)
Workman has set ambitious sales targets for children’s clothing and underwear, which will begin in earnest this spring. For children’s clothing, the company aims to achieve sales of 20 billion yen in the future, starting with the opening of a new store called “WORKMAN KIDS” in six “#Workman Joshi” stores this spring. For underwear, the company aims to achieve sales of 50 billion yen in five years by leveraging functionality and price competitiveness, including the introduction of moisture-wicking products jointly developed with Asahi Kasei. In addition to attracting families, which had been understaffed due to the full-fledged sale of children’s clothing, they will also increase the frequency of visits to the store by offering underwear.
Competing with Uniqlo’s “Airism” with summer underwear
Managing Director Tsuchiya giving a presentation on “Thin Breathing Innerwear” in collaboration with Asahi Kasei
The underwear corner inside the venue had a lot of cool underwear for summer on display.
Encouraging families to visit stores through “Workman Kids”
We will also be selling products for saunas as new products.
At the Spring/Summer 2024 new product launch event held at the Tokyo International Forum in Yurakucho, Tokyo on the 18th, Managing Director Tetsuo Tsuchiya explained new products and business strategies for opening stores.
“Workman Kids” children’s clothing features the company’s signature functionality, such as water repellency, cooling sensation, packability, and UV protection. By resizing hit products for adults, parents and children can create matching looks. The company is targeting the 40-something generation raising children, which is the core group of “#Worker Women.” Managing Director Tsuchiya proudly stated, “High functionality and an overwhelmingly low price. We are the only company that can offer this.”
The highlight of the underwear is the “thin, breathing innerwear” developed jointly with Asahi Kasei Advance. Using Asahi Kasei’s Cupra, we are promoting its moisture absorption and desorption properties in the summer. Camisoles and tank tops cost 780 yen. Managing Director Tsuchiya says, “The biggest brand’s summer underwear costs 1,290 yen, so there is a price difference of about 2 marks.We have the potential to capture a 5% share (50 billion yen) of the domestic underwear market.” “Shin Breathing Innerwear” will be available at all stores (1,007 stores) and is expected to sell 300,000 pieces for women and 150,000 pieces for men in the first year.
From spring onwards, we will expand the dedicated underwear section at existing stores. Underwear worn every day is a consumable item, and there is a demand for regular replacements. Increase the frequency of store visits by expanding the underwear lineup.
Onslaught of #Workman Girls roadside stores
To introduce rainwear, artificial rain was made to fall on the stage.
Managing Director Tsuchiya also talked about future store opening plans.
On the 22nd, the company will open its largest flagship store, #Workman Joshi, at Aeon Mall Okinawa Rycom store (Kitanakagusuku Village, Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture) with a sales floor area of 726 square meters. The store is positioned as an “East Asia flagship store” with future overseas store openings in mind, and is expected to attract many visitors to Japan. “The climate in Okinawa is almost the same as in Taiwan. Through this store, we hope to increase the number of Workman customers from overseas.” “Workman Kids” will also start from this store and expand nationwide.
“#Workman Joshi” is aggressively opening stores in street-level locations. The company currently has 56 stores since opening stores in October 2020, and will open 25 street-level stores in the seven months from September of this year to March 2025. In 10 years, the company plans to expand the number of #Workman Joshi street-level stores to 400. “#Workman Joshi” is a casual wear business that does not handle work clothes or tools, and sales are 35% for men and 65% for women.
In preparation for the store opening offensive, the company will construct a distribution center with a floor area of 72,000 square meters in Okayama City, which will begin operations in October 2027. It will be used as a logistics base in western Japan, which had a weak store network. The Isesaki Distribution Center (Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture), the logistics base for eastern Japan, will reach capacity in 2028, so a new base with a floor space of 82,000 square meters will be established in Gunma Prefecture. Approximately 29 billion yen will be invested in the development of distribution centers in Okayama and Gunma.
The 2024 new product launch event was held at the 5,000 square meter venue of the Tokyo International Forum, with 800 new products all in one place. Approximately 100 media personnel and 500 influencers were invited. The event was held on a Sunday to make it easier for influencers who have other jobs on weekdays to attend. Influencers were seen filming videos all around the venue. On a special stage, the new clothes were unveiled in a flashy performance featuring dance and artificial rain.
2024-02-19 04:52:16
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