Trust that trial and error
will lead to something better
Takako Watanabe
Division 1, Product Department
Joined in 2009
Text and Edit / Yukiko Shinmura
Photo / Sho Ueda
I love the products, so I want to sell them
When I was working instore, I was really concerned that products with potential had yet to be discovered. This worried me even more when I was entrusted with distribution-related tasks, and as I managed each store’s sales, inventory, and budget, I started tracking which products were displayed where and how well they sold.
Once I saw specific ways to improve, I put both small and drastic measures into practice. I knew the appeal of our in-house products, so I used my frustration about overlooked products as a springboard to make some fervent efforts. This desire is still alive and well in the product department. Because I love our clothes, I pay close attention to sales figures.
Discovering people's warmth through items
Currently, I also handle merchandising for our original brands Ballsey and TOMORROWLAND collection. We spend a year creating the roadmap from planning to sales, and are involved with everything from creating products to working across sections to develop sales promotion plans, managing the company warehouse’s inventory, and packing and shipping the products in some cases.
There are many twists and turns along the road to creating products, which involves a lot of people and includes negotiating with various parties, communicating with artisans, and coordinating with other departments, all while staying considerate of each other. Although we deal in apparel, this job is very people-centric.
Store staff give us tips
I’m very particular about hypotheses and test results. Especially sales-related hypotheses and what changes will affect sales. To make a product more alluring, it might just need a small change. You can shorten the length of clothing to give it a fresh look, adjust the length of the sleeves to suit the season, or change how you choose the material. I get such tips from our store staff. Because just like how I felt when working instore, store staff know the most about sales trends.
Getting closer to hitting a desired sales figure shows just how much people love a certain item. I love fashion, so I’ll continue to pour all that passion into my hypotheses and testing.
Takako Watanabe
Division 1, Product Department
Joined in 2009
After working both instore and as a controller at the main office, she joined the product department during her fifth year at the company. She works on a wide range of tasks, from creating the themes at the start of the season to planning meetings, fabric orders, checking the shop's visual merchandising, managing promotional press-related launches, inventory management, and sales management.