Sales & MarketingSales & Marketing
Supplying a Wide Variety of Fresh Produce to Wholesale Markets and Retail Stores
As a Control Tower of Domestic Fresh Produce Distribution
According to our merchandising plans, the Sales Department of Domestic Fresh Produce negotiates with major mass retailers and other business partners, sourcing various fresh produce items from various production areas and wholesale markets. This department is also responsible for inventory management, quality control, and issuing shipment instructions during distribution. For instance, when shipping cabbage or lettuce from Hokkaido to Okinawa, the sales team works closely with our Logistics Department, carefully considering factors such as weather, to manage the entire sales, playing a central role as the control tower for fresh produce distribution.
Working together with overseas growers to import quality fresh produce for Japanese consumers
Sales Department of Imported Fresh Produce works closely with overseas growers and export companies, taking the domestic consumption trends into account, and imports a wide variety of fresh produce from around the world. And they supply the imported fresh produce to the wholesale markets, major mass retailers, and food service businesses nationwide. To ensure stable supply and consistent quality, the team stays in close contact with overseas suppliers through daily communicaitons via email, social media and telephone, and also regularly visit overseas production sites to build strong relationship and mutual trust with the growers.
Developing products that sell well by meeting the changing consumer needs in Japan
Understanding what consumers want and making right proposals to our business partners
Due to the social changes such as the increasing number of old people, nuclear families and dual-income households, today’s consumer needs are increasingly diversified. Some consumers want smaller portions of vegetables rather than whole ones or even pre-cut vegetables for quick cooking and others want mircrowavable products (meal kits) of meat or fish with vegetables. Considering those consumer needs along with regional characteristics, seasonality and/or product characteristics, Watari’s sales representatives come up with merchandising plans and sales proposals for their clients. Many products developed by Watari through this process are now featured on the store shelves of numerous supermarkets.
Planning and Proposing In-store Sales Promotion
Planning In-store events to encourage consumers to purchase fresh produce
One of the roles of Watari’s sales representatives is to help revitalize the produce sections of partner supermarkets and boost overall sales. For example, at a supermarket in Tokyo, events such as the Hokkaido Fair and Okinawa Fair are frequently held. These events were made possible through proposals by the sales representatives from Watari’s Hokkaido and Okinawa branches to the supermarket’s buyers. Once the decision to hold an event is made, the baton is passed to Watari’s sales promotion and design departments, which handle special tasks such as creating in-store displays and developing promotional tools.
