Da Vinci`s Souvenirs
Although the Japanese domestic economy is supposedly heading for mild recovery, it has recently been reported that there is no sign of increase in consumer spending.
In relation to this, industries that do not develop new revolutionary products, such as the food industry, frequently struggle. Similarly, supermarkets and convenience stores cannot expect their sales to increase as the market is reaching a saturation point.Despite this situation, innovations are being made in regards to sales and marketing.
For example, this year I spent my summer vacation in Tokushima. While there, I paid a visit to a museum exhibiting more than 1,000 reproductions of the masterpieces of western painters in original sizes. I felt as if I had traveled around the world. After enjoying the famous works of art, as always, I could not resist the temptation of the souvenir shop and found myself impulsively buying items for my friends and me.
The best-selling item was a baked sweets assortment box with a full-colored print of Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” printed horizontally on it. Even if you do not have any interest in the picture, you can still enjoy the sweets. In addition, it is very reasonably priced at only 540 yen. Therefore, I found myself purchasing several of them.
As you can see, innovation such as selling confectionery at a museum by introducing creatively devised packaging can encourage customers to purchase more items. This increases sales at all stages such as the manufacturer of the corrugated box, confectionery inside the box, as well as the location where the product is sold. The end result is a faster and stronger economic recovery.
