[Growth Meetup Report] "Video Sales Assistance" for Inbound Visitors, "Japaneseness" for Overseas Markets: The Essence of a Global Strategy for Growing Sales at Home and Abroad

Growth Meetup is a monthly event where guests and participants come together to share know-how on continuously growing their businesses with Shopify.

On September 3rd, we hosted two sessions on global themes that go beyond the boundaries of e-commerce: inbound strategy and overseas crowdfunding. In this report, we look back on the energy-filled day from the organizer's perspective.

Session 1: "How to Convert Inbound Visitors at Physical Stores into Buyers"

The first session featured Sekai e Bokan Co., Ltd. Representative Director Yuki Tokuda, who shared concrete digital solutions to the challenge of many inbound visitors coming to stores but not making purchases.

The Challenge: Product Appeal Isn't Getting Through, Leading to "Casual" Purchases

At the stores he supports, despite carrying a wide range of products, inbound visitors were only buying well-known items, resulting in stagnant average transaction values. The root cause was a lack of "sales assistance" to communicate the appeal and backstory of products — a gap compounded by language barriers.

The Solution: Treat Social Media as a "Video-Based Sales Tool"

What becomes critical here is not metrics like Instagram follower counts, but rather creating "content that encourages in-store visitors to make a purchase."

Key Initiatives

• Creating Challenge Videos: Entertaining videos such as "Japan's Hardest Yogurt to Drink" were produced to generate buzz around products and drive store visits.
• Using Interview Videos: Tourists who had purchased products were interviewed, and their genuine voices on "how to pick the perfect souvenir without regrets" were turned into content.
• In-Store Digital Signage Video Displays: Videos played in-store to attract passersby, with QR codes on product shelves directing customers to detailed video content — creating a seamless discovery system.
• Data-Driven Content Improvement: Signage viewing data was analyzed to continuously improve content based on "who was interested in what, and for how long."

The Key Mindset: Think from "Purpose," Not "Method"

A recurring emphasis throughout this session was the importance of always asking "how does this initiative connect to customer purchases?" The session concluded with the insight that success comes not from chasing trendy tactics, but from deeply understanding customers and working backward from that understanding to design your strategy.

Session 2: "What Sells and What Doesn't on Kickstarter"

In the second session, Gaku Co., Ltd. Representative Director Taketo Nakamura shared concrete examples and strategies for succeeding on the overseas crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.

What Is the Key to Success on Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is a platform with a unique rule: only "new products not yet sold anywhere in the world" are eligible for listing. To succeed on this platform, a "fast start" is critically important. By gathering a large amount of support right after launch, a project gains visibility as a "popular project" on the site, creating a virtuous cycle that attracts even more backers.

The Turning Point Between Products That Sell and Those That Don't

Having once attempted to sell gadget products only to find he couldn't compete on price against Chinese manufacturers, Mr. Nakamura shifted his strategy to traditional crafts and other products that fully emphasize "Japaneseness" — and found success.

5 Key Points for Selecting Products That "Sell"

1. A Japanese Look and Feel: Can you feel Japanese culture and design at a glance?
2. Uniquely Japanese Craftsmanship: Is there a story of added value behind the manufacturing process?
3. Compatibility with Overseas Lifestyles: Does it fit local housing conditions and body sizes?
4. Pricing: Is there an option priced under 30,000 yen?
5. Ease of Shipping: Is it compact and lightweight?

We came away with a renewed understanding that the key to success lies in how well you can identify and communicate the value of something that "can only be made or bought in Japan."

Summary

At this Growth Meetup, we were able to learn deeply from concrete success stories on two global themes: inbound tourism and cross-border e-commerce.

While the two fields may seem unrelated at first glance, what both sessions had in common was the importance of communicating the "story" behind a product and deeply understanding your target customer. Whether it was creating content that speaks to the inbound visitor's desire "not to make a mistake," or selecting products that carry "uniquely Japanese value" sought by overseas backers — in both cases, building strategy from the customer's perspective was reinforced as the key to success.

We will continue to provide a space for valuable insights and connections like this, exploring the intersection of Shopify and growth together with all of you. We look forward to seeing you at our next event.