Let's tackle social challenges through innovation with Epson!
- Restaurant DX -
Efficiently increase shop profitability by quickly creating promotional material by integrating paper and digital media.
Produce flyers and POP advertisements on-demand with only a smartphone and in-store printer.
- POP advertisements and flyers suitable for ramen shops in different locations and with different clientele are quickly produced and distributed remotely, boosting sales.
- In-store on-demand printing from a single sheet and design production in as little as eight hours to alleviate their staff's workload.
- Increase sales outside the shop by leading customers to e-commerce sites through analog (paper) media.
Seiko Epson Corporation ("Epson"), ramen chain Menya Always Corporation ("Menya Always"), a popular tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen restaurant with four outlets in Nagasaki and the Japan Research Institute, Ltd. conducted a joint proof of concept to evaluate an on-demand printing service for quickly designing flyers and POP advertisements that meet shop needs and outputting them from in-store printers.
■Ryutaro Takaki (bottom center of the photo)
Proof-of-concept shops: Menya Always Corporation
Ryutaro Takaki, president of Menya Always Corporation
■Shiyu Nishijima (upper right)
Design production: The Japan Research Institute, Ltd.
*Hypothetical design production company (during proof of concept only)
■Masami Yamauchi (upper left)
Planning & Administration: P Strategic Planning Department, Seiko Epson Corporation
Communicating with Slack and printing materials in-shop speeds up flyer production and reduces staff working hours
Epson has been working to address challenges in the food and restaurant industry through a combination of paper and digital means. As part of this effort, in March 2023, we invited three operators of a well-known chain of ramen shops to participate in a panel discussion.
In this proof of concept, we worked with Mr. Takaki of Menya Always, who participated in the panel discussion, to improve the efficiency of in-store sales promotions and increase profit using paper and digital technologies.
Restaurants spend much time coordinating with design and printing companies to create quality-designed flyers and POP advertisements ("materials"). Some shops design their marketing materials, but doing so places a heavy burden on workers in understaffed shops. A solution to these problems is needed.
Problems and Their Solutions
| Need/Problem | Means of Addressing | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Burdensome communications related to designs | Make design adjustments with design firms via Slack | Designs that took anywhere from 2 weeks to 1 month for vendors to produce can be completed in no more than 5 days and as little as 8 hours |
| No easy way to flexibly change flyer designs and print them as the season or situation warrants | Output flyers from an Epson printer at each shop via a smart device with Slack | Instead of printing in 500-sheet lots, vendors print lots ranging from 1 to 100 sheets |
The effectiveness of these materials was measured to gauge the extent to which they increased revenue by promoting new items on the menu and attracting repeat customers.
What we did
Each week, a new design was arranged and distributed on Slack. Ultimately, we created 12 items in about one month, with a total output of 1,245 sheets.
These were posted and placed on walls, tables, counters, and survey form boxes inside and outside the shops.
Message from Ryutaro Takaki, president of Menya Always
I felt that this service was particularly attractive for flyers and POP advertisements because of the fast turnaround time. They were ready for use in the shops so much faster than before.
We immediately received well-designed POP advertisements for new products , and we could tell that using them boosted sales. The fact that we got figures showing how effective the materials were was also good.
However, I sometimes need to pay more attention to messages on Slack, so I need to improve.
The service would be more attractive if we get more in-depth advice on store operations, such as how to use the materials we produce more effectively.
While the weekly deliveries over the past month were good, I also want to consider ordering materials on an irregular schedule. The fact that we can get the same quality regardless of the timing of orders means there is one less thing to worry about.
Shop DX that is mindful of the connection between paper and digital technology.
Sales grew by several hundred thousand yen (hundreds of dollars) with eye-catching promotions that customers can take.
Mr. Takaki, the shop managers, and the shop staff completed a survey after the proof of concept ended. Many answered that they could save time and lighten their workload in the creation of materials. They also appreciated the flexible service provided.
This service alone was shown to have increased overall shop sales by several hundred thousand yen and to have doubled e-commerce site sales compared to the same period last year.
While social media marketing attracts attention, restaurants and other retailers still emphasize paper-based promotional materials because they are easy to spot, and customers can take them. The fact that paper materials increased in-store sales and sales on the e-commerce site, which requires Internet access, indicates that paper and digital media are closely connected.
This suggests that combining paper and digital media is essential for shop management. This service will promote the digital transformation of shops and provide a foothold for new sales promotions that combine paper and digital media.
We will continue to search for ways to provide a better service by, for example, improving communications using messaging apps, including Slack, adding a function for sharing ways materials can be used to increase their effectiveness and designing ways to provide service to multiple companies and shops.
Interview conducted: September 2023
All information on organization names, affiliations, titles, and reported content was correct as of the time of the interview.