The Aroma of Wheat in a Bottle -- Jacquel Urashima-Ya's Challenge of Weighing and Selling, 2000

The Aroma of Wheat in a Bottle -- Jacquel Urashima-Ya's Challenge of Weighing and Selling, 2000

Around the year 2000, Japan was in the midst of a prolonged economic slump following the bursting of the bubble economy, and consumers were becoming increasingly price-conscious. With the rise of supermarkets and discount stores, competition in the liquor sales industry also intensified, especially in the suburbs of Tokyo, where large chains of liquor discount stores were developing all over the country. Against this backdrop, Jacquel Urashima-Ya launched a differentiation strategy of selling liquor by volume, rather than simply competing on price.

Weighing was originally a widely used sales method for everyday food products such as shochu and miso, but for luxury items such as beer and whiskey, especially draft beer, freshness and hygiene were significant issues, and manufacturers usually did not give permission from the standpoint of quality assurance. However, the company succeeded in obtaining approval from Sapporo Beer. Behind this was the growing awareness among consumers of the need to conserve resources and reduce waste, and the expansion of environmentally friendly businesses. At the time, recycling systems for PET bottles and empty cans were just beginning to be established, and reducing waste by reusing containers was also linked to improving the company's environmental image.

Sales were conducted on a membership basis, and strict rules were set for users. Beer must be consumed the day after purchase, opened bottles must be consumed on the spot, and used containers must be cleaned and returned. At the stores, special 800 ml bottles are rented with a deposit and reused after the bottle is returned. Customers receive a new bottle and purchase beer again. This recycling-based sales system has resulted in an annual reduction of approximately 7 tons of PET bottles and a monetary savings of 13 million yen.