Entrepreneurship within a company! ”Yaki-imo Panda” aims to boost sales Nakagawa Shoten Corporation (Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture)
The landmark is a panda mascot holding a baked sweet potato. His facial expression is adorable.
こちらの記事は、「企業内起業！？ 焼き芋専門店「焼き芋パンダ」で売り上げアップを狙う中川商店（新潟県長岡市）」の英語版になります。日本語版の記事はこちらから → https://www.niikei.jp/618867/
Recently, the number of the baked sweet potato shop seems to have increased in Niigata Prefecture. In fact, the baked sweet potato shops are expected to open simultaneously here and there in 2022. According to the “Family Income and Expenditure Survey” by the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the average consumption of sweet potatoes per family in FY2020 was 5.3, the same number as in Gunma Prefecture, ranking 32nd. This is 6.8 sweet potatoes compared to 12.1 in Tokushima Prefecture, which ranked first. Compared to the case of edamame, for which Niigata Prefecture boasts the nation’s No. 1 position in both production and consumption, the number of edamame is not so impressive. There are many questions, such as, “Is it profitable to specialize in baked sweet potatoes?
Putting aside my personal situation, I went to talk to “Yaki-imo Panda,” which just opened on December 26, 2022. The person who spoke to us was 35-year-old Shuhei Nakagawa of Nakagawa Shoten (4 Misawa, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture; Kiyonobu Nakagawa, president).
Yaki-imo Panda is located on the premises of Nakagawa Shoten. The company has been in business for more than 70 years and has a long history, mainly engaged in civil engineering and construction materials, ground investigation, and ground improvement. Why did a company that was originally in a completely different industry decide to open the baked sweet potato shop? When we talked to them, we learned that it was Mr. Nakagawa’s idea.
Nakagawa Shoten Corporation aims to further increase sales with a new genre.
After graduating from a local high school, Mr. Nakagawa studied agriculture at a university in Chiba Prefecture. At that time, he saw the potential in producing and selling sweet potatoes, taro, and other potatoes. After graduating from college, he continued farming in Chiba Prefecture, and after nearly seven years as a full-time farmer, he returned to his hometown of Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture. Currently, he divides his time between Niigata and Chiba prefectures while helping his parents’ company. In other words, he is living a “dual life.
He started the baked sweet potato shop on the company’s premises in order to increase sales during the winter months, when the company’s sales drop. So far, sales have been good, and “we are in the black,” he says. In the future, we plan to sell the baked sweet potato all year round (not just during the winter),” says Mr.Nakagawa “and we would like to come up with new products. At the time of the interview, the company was also selling dried sweet potatoes in addition to baked sweet potatoes. In this way, the company has already become a great entrepreneurial venture within a company.
Mr. Nakagawa talks about his thoughts on the business.
What caught my attention was the trade name “Yaki-imo Panda. Why panda? Mr.Nakagawa: “Pandas are easy to remember, and more importantly, they are cute and have a friendly image. We are also considering selling goods in the future.
The type of sweet potato handled at Yaki-imo Panda is a high-end variety called “Silk Sweet. The skin is a light red, and the inside is a beautiful cream color. The baked sweet potato are moist and smooth, with a silky texture, hence the name. The sweetness does not leave an aftertaste, and it is light and easy to eat.
Behold, the volume! This is about 400g. 400 yen is a very reasonable price.
The store sells them at the low price of one yen per gram (tax not included). It is rare to find baked sweet potatoes sold by the gram. When purchasing in the store, customers first tell the store staff what size they want to buy (large, medium, or small), and then the price is determined by measuring the size with an electronic scale. The reason the store is able to offer such high-end varieties at such a low price is that the products are made in Chiba Prefecture and brought directly to Nagaoka by Mr. Nakagawa. Because there is no middleman between the two, the prices are extremely reasonable.
Mr.Nakagawa said, “We hope you will all enjoy our inexpensive and delicious baked sweet potatoes, made from hygienically safe domestic sweet potatoes.” As he spoke in a humble and soft-spoken manner, I could sense from the depths of his eyes the pride of a young entrepreneur who continues to take on new challenges.
Mr. Sato, a Nakagawa Shoten employee helping out at the store. His smile was very impressive.
Currently closed on Sundays and holidays. In the future, we plan to be open year-round,” Mr.Nakagawa said.
【GoogleMap：Yaki-imo Panda】
