We interviewed Sachiko Miura of Okudohan Ltd., the company that runs the RUN-WALK Style store, which we helped build on Shopify.
| Store name | RUN-WALK Style |
| Number of products | Approximately 8,000 SKUs |
| Our response | Product transfer from EC-CUBE to Shopify, product information organization support, customer transfer, blog/domain transfer, website construction |
| System Configuration | POS: Smaregi WMS: Logikura |
| After migrating to Shopify | Double sales and membership numbers |
About RUN-WALK Style
──Please tell us about RUN-WALK Style.
(Photo by Nobuhiro Shimoyama)
RUN-WALK Style is a running specialty store founded in 2006 with stores in Morinomiya, Osaka and Fushimi, Nagoya, and will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year.
The shop was originally started by my husband, and although I helped out I wasn't that involved. However, in July 2020 he passed away in an accident and I became the representative.
It's not that we ourselves love running, but rather that we love being involved with running. Our husband told us that the reason he founded the store was because he wanted to support runners or help them in some way, and we feel the same way, so we've inherited that philosophy and run both the brick-and-mortar store and the e-commerce site to make running fun.
We deliver items that combine functionality and design, including our original product "YURENIKUI" running pouches, to customers across the country.
We are confident in our original products. When we opened Rakuten, we didn't put much effort into them, but they were ranked in Rakuten's weekly and monthly rankings. Compared to other companies' products, they are overwhelmingly more wobbly when you're running (laughs). They are well-made and costly, but we are confident in how easy it is to take the bottle out while running and how little it shakes.
--You post on Instagram every day, so it's easy to see why you have such a large fan base.
My job is to update and post information every day. Ever since my husband was running the store, he has been posting information every day, and either he or I have always been the one to post something.
Many customers come to us based on the information we post, so it has become a habit for us to do it.
I'm the one who posts everything. I don't think it's good for the style of posts to change all the time. I do things like mentioning posts made by my staff, but I think it's easier for customers to read if the posts are consistent, and they'll feel more attached to the account's character.
Since Mondays are my regular day off, I'll post about my beloved cat! It may seem like a trivial thing, but I think it's easier to attract people if the account is seen as a single person.
However, sometimes I run out of material and can't upload anything today, and my customers get worried (laughing). They ask, "Are you okay, you're not posting any information?"
Reasons for focusing on our own EC business
--That sounds like a wonderful relationship with your customers. Now I'd like to talk about e-commerce. Can you tell us why you decided to focus on your own e-commerce business?
Yes. A major turning point for us was when we had to temporarily close our brick-and-mortar stores due to COVID-19. At the time, a state of emergency was declared, so we decided to close two stores and we had no choice but to fully focus on e-commerce.
We were supported by customers who used to come to our physical store, who expressed a desire to shop at our store and support us somehow after the COVID-19 outbreak caused the store to close.
In addition to meeting the needs of customers in far-flung locations, we also wanted to provide online services that could not be offered in physical stores alone, so we bet on the potential of our own e-commerce site, where we could highlight our uniqueness.
There were two major issues we faced while running our own EC site. Inventory management and ease of shopping on the EC site . We handle a lot of items in our physical stores, so many that it seems like we can't handle that many items for a company of our size.
We would like everyone to be able to get their hands on our products through EC as well, but we don't have the ability to do so...
Due to the large number of items, inventory management became complicated, and although the items were in the physical store, they were out of stock on the online store, or items purchased online were out of stock.Although we wanted to deliver them to our customers, it was difficult to make this happen, and we believe this caused inconvenience to our customers.
The second point is ease of shopping. With around 8,000 SKUs, customers sometimes had trouble finding the product they were looking for, so we wanted to improve the ease of finding products.
Background of the request to build the website
--May I ask you about the background to your request to build this website?
We renovated our website once during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Then, after COVID-19 had passed and customer visits to our physical stores had increased, and our sales numbers had increased, we were unable to manage our inventory, and we often had to apologize to customers who had made purchases because we didn't have the items in stock.
This caused me a lot of stress, and I felt bad for the customers who had made such a purchase. I wanted to solve the inventory management issue, so I thought about introducing Logikura, an inventory management system. But when I tried to use the inventory management system, I found that the system I was using didn't automatically link the inventory. That's when I realized I had to change the EC site system itself.
We had a lot of trouble creating an EC website for the renewal in 2020, so it took a lot of energy to make a new one. I felt like I had to go through all the trouble again, but to be honest, I was in a situation where I couldn't say that.
--That must have been difficult. The reason for this was inventory management, but what made you decide to commission our company to produce the product?
As we had many different development companies come and consult with us, we felt that Commerce Media was willing to think together with us from the retailer's perspective. With other production companies, I think production is the main focus. Everyone there knows the management side of things, so that was reassuring.
And of course it's all about people. When we spoke with Commerce Media, we felt they would be able to think from our perspective and work with us.
In the end, no matter what it is, it all comes down to the relationship with the person in charge and their personality.
I think it's really important to be able to see the person, even just through an Instagram account. I really felt that he was a person who was willing to work with us to think about how to make an EC site, which is something we're not very good at.
--We're very happy to receive your evaluation. What was the process like from then on, when you received the request to work on the project?
I think it was really hard for our staff member Iguchi. I also had a hard time because I didn't understand what was going on, and I think Ozawa from Commerce Media had a really hard time too. (laughs)
--You also implemented an inventory management system and linked the POS system at the same time as migrating the EC system, so it was a huge project.
That's right. I was confused because I kept asking questions that I shouldn't have asked Commerce Media. There were a lot of things I really didn't understand, but I was glad that I was able to communicate with them in real time through chat.
(The situation before the store was released. We supported the transfer of 8,000 SKUs, the organization of product information, blog migration, and domain transfer.)
Effects after migrating to Shopify
─What has happened since you switched to Shopify?
Since migrating to Shopify, our sales have doubled and our membership numbers have doubled .
─That's great. Do you feel that Shopify is good for you?
I feel that way very much. My friends have been very positive about it, saying things like "it's easier to see" and "it's easier to buy," and we also get feedback from customers who visit our stores.
Another advantage is that we can quickly implement the things we want to do. With the help of Mr. Ozawa, who is in charge of creating the collection page, we created a page for the original product "YURENIKUI" in the collection, and it has received a lot of traffic.
Previously, if we wanted to customize or do anything, we had to ask a production company to do it all, but now we can do it ourselves from the management screen, which is a big deal. We couldn't even change a single banner, so in that respect it's great that we can operate very flexibly.
─What else do you like about Shopify?
The good thing about Shopify is that it's very easy to analyze. What's more, it's really convenient that all staff can see the data in real time with just one smartphone. Since staff members are sometimes in the store, I'm very grateful that they don't have to open their computers.
Because I can see it on my smartphone here and now, I can check it in between while I'm serving customers at a physical store. To be honest, it's hard to find time to sit down at a computer. So being able to do it with my smartphone in hand is a big advantage. I can check all kinds of information right away.
Also, for example, if a customer said, "I want this type of color," and we didn't have it in stock at our Osaka store, we would immediately call our Nagoya store to ask, "Do you have this color?" But now we can check that immediately on our smartphones.
At first, I would just call people out of habit (laughs), but once I realized I could check stock on my smartphone, I thought it was really convenient. Of course, I have to say "Please put it away if you have it in stock," but it's still a great help.
Currently, Shopify is linked to the stores' Sumaregi and the inventory management system Logikura, and inventory is managed at each location. However, since inventory is also shared between the e-commerce site and the stores , things like when an item is sold in the store, the e-commerce inventory is reduced, and this can be done almost in real time.
In that sense, it was really good that they renovated the site and now we can see the stock.
--I've heard nothing but good things about it, but have you ever found it hard to use or inconvenient?
If you ask me, I would honestly answer "no." I don't feel any inconvenience compared to before, so I'm glad we introduced it. Sales have increased, and staff can now spend more time serving customers, so I think there have been some really good changes.
Future outlook
Is there anything you want to achieve in the future?
One of the main reasons we originally decided to switch to Shopify was because we were having trouble with inventory integration. Also, we have customers who have been loyal to us for many years, so we had a strong desire to provide a service that would make our customers who take the time to visit our store even happier.
Since switching to Shopify, we've introduced Omnihub to centralize the management of customer information between the store and the EC, and we've also been using CRMPLUS on LINE to distribute campaigns on LINE, which has led to new initiatives. In that sense, I really feel that switching to Shopify has given us the foundation to take on various challenges.
We would like to continue to use this foundation to increase our fan base and try new interesting things. We would be happy to receive such suggestions and information from Commerce Media.
--After all, having a physical store is an advantage. I think there are many things you can do by combining a physical store with e-commerce.
Lastly, do you have any advice for companies that are looking to replace their e-commerce sites?
I'm not in a position to give advice, but I would say that you need to make a careful decision, and be bold and make the decision to make a change.
As I mentioned earlier, I was able to communicate with Commerce Media in real time, and the support they provided was very encouraging. Changing a system takes courage and determination, but the support they provided allowed me to proceed with peace of mind. In that sense, I would encourage anyone considering switching systems to take the first step.
─Thank you for entrusting us with your request. We will continue to provide you with full support.
