Princess Traya, a Veteran Bag and Wallet Maker with Over 80 Years of History, Takes on E-Commerce Transformation: How Shopify Migration and Partnership with StoreHero Brought Tradition and Digital Together

Since its founding in 1939, Princess Traya Co., Ltd. has been a leading force in Japan's bag and wallet industry. With flagship brand Dakota and a range of other beloved labels, the company has built trusted relationships with over 1,000 retailers across Japan, primarily department stores and specialty shops.

Why is this long-established company now undertaking a fundamental overhaul of its e-commerce operations? We spoke with Mr. Sato, Head of E-Commerce, about the new growth strategy that has emerged through the migration to Shopify and the ongoing partnership with StoreHero.

A "Studio" Where Craftsmen and Designers Work Side by Side, and Functional Beauty Born from Customer Feedback

——First, could you tell us about the craftsmanship philosophy that Princess Traya holds dear?

Mr. Sato: What sets us apart is the bag studio we have on the second floor of our headquarters, where designers and craftsmen create products within sight of each other.

Many bag companies outsource their designers, but we have always employed designers as full-time staff. This allows their skills and know-how to accumulate within the company, and they can have close conversations with craftsmen to make fine adjustments on the spot — such as moving a pocket position a few centimeters lower — repeating the process until everyone is satisfied. This process is the key to ensuring the quality of our products.

We also receive an enormous amount of real feedback through our 1,000-plus retail partners nationwide — including complaints from store staff about items being difficult to use or too heavy. Our designers take all of this seriously and have been making incremental improvements for decades. This relentless cycle of trial and refinement is the foundation of our quality and usability.

Why Is Dakota Loved Across Three Generations? The Four Cycles That Build Trust

——Flagship brand Dakota is approaching its 60th anniversary. What do you think is behind its appeal to fans across three generations?

Mr. Sato: When customers tell us that their grandmothers and mothers used to carry our bags too, I believe it's because four key elements we have cherished for years are working together in a virtuous cycle.

The first is the honest business practices we have built up over more than 85 years. Above all else, we have always valued operating with integrity. We have cultivated long-standing relationships of trust with department stores and specialty retailers, and I believe it is the genuine sincerity embedded in our products that has kept customers choosing us across three generations.

The second is achieving both high quality and accessible pricing. With over 1,000 retail partners, we can consolidate production runs to our advantage. Third is the enormous volume of feedback flowing in from 1,000 stores nationwide. And fourth is the sincere improvements our designers make based on that feedback. Our designers absorb every piece of feedback and have spent decades making small but meaningful functional refinements — adjusting pocket placements, repositioning zippers, and more.

Every season we launch many new products, and the results come back to us directly as sales figures and customer voices. It is this accumulated cycle of trial and improvement that creates the value of our products — not as mere consumables, but as partners that customers cherish and carry with them through time.

StoreHero's Support: Digging Deep into the Brand's Soul

——In your work with StoreHero, where do you feel the difference compared to other support partners?

Mr. Sato: It's the depth of understanding they bring — they support us with a thorough grasp of our history and our honest approach to craftsmanship.

At the outset of our partnership, they spent a great deal of time interviewing us about how our brands came to be and the challenges we face. We operate multiple brands including Dakota, and StoreHero conducted multiple rounds of interviews for each brand. It was truly appreciated that they took the time to carefully draw out the less visible aspects — the vision of our merchandising team, the behind-the-scenes of production, the design intent, and our dedication to materials.

In the e-commerce space, it is extremely difficult to deeply understand a brand's philosophy while simultaneously navigating the operational challenges you face day to day. But StoreHero takes the time to fully absorb our background and works through challenges alongside us. Their fast response time on Shopify features and system-related matters has also been a great help in advancing our initiatives with real momentum.

——How has that deep listening translated into concrete results?

Mr. Sato: It has made a significant difference in our CRM efforts, for example. Using insights from those interviews, we completely rethought the content of our scenario emails. Rather than simply thanking customers for a purchase or registration, we revamped the emails to convey the passion behind our products — communicating our commitment to materials and craftsmanship methods.

Our products develop a richer character the more they are used and handled — the texture of the leather changes, and an attachment forms. By delivering that story to customers at the very first point of contact, the relationship with our brand deepens by one meaningful step. Because StoreHero understands the essence of what we make, we are able to design communication together that resonates genuinely, rather than just skimming the surface.

Launching Advertising and Sparking In-House Video Creation

——What changes have you seen on the advertising front?

Mr. Sato: We had never seriously run Meta ads before, but StoreHero took the time to thoroughly understand our brand's journey and worldview, and has provided end-to-end support — from initial setup through ongoing management — for both Meta ads and Google ads.

However, when we first started advertising, we didn't have appropriate video assets. Because StoreHero already had a deep understanding of our brand, they were able to pinpoint the right material from past videos and Instagram Reels that could serve as effective ads. I believe it was precisely because they were so well-versed in our history, business style, and commitment to honest craftsmanship that they could select from a vast library of existing assets without compromising our brand's worldview.

——I heard that the advertising results also brought changes to the organization itself?

Mr. Sato: Once the effectiveness of video creatives was demonstrated through data from our ad campaigns, the internal understanding of video's importance grew, and a movement to start creating videos in-house emerged.

We didn't originally have much in the way of video production expertise. But because we had been reviewing data and building results together with StoreHero, the momentum grew internally to start producing videos ourselves. The shift from relying entirely on outside production to an in-house approach is something I believe will be an enormously significant step forward in our e-commerce expansion going forward.

Overcoming the Unique Challenges of a Legacy Business, Together

——Were there any difficulties specific to being a long-established company?

Mr. Sato: To be honest, gaining internal understanding of digital advertising was not easy. With over 85 years of history, there is strong trust in the established ways of doing things, and there were voices urging caution when it came to investing in the digital space.

However, we were able to build the narrative together — articulating why we should embrace digital, framing it not as something that undermines our brand's value, but rather as a means to bring the appeal of our honest craftsmanship to a wider audience.

I think of StoreHero as a partner that engages with our challenges as if they were a member of our own team. They stand alongside us and help us overcome barriers, even in areas where we are less familiar with digital. I believe it is that attitude that has ultimately led to the results we are seeing.

Looking Ahead: Delivering the Brand Story Across Every Customer Touchpoint

——What does the future look like for you?

Mr. Sato: I believe we are entering an era where having a good product alone is no longer enough to drive sales. That is precisely why, going forward, we want to consistently deploy this brand story not just through advertising, but also across feature pages and product detail pages within our website.

If advertising is the touchpoint primarily for new customers, then on-site content is the touchpoint for customers who already know us and those considering a purchase. We want to deliver the stories behind our craftsmanship — the quality of our leather, our attention to usability — at every touchpoint. We want to work with StoreHero to create communication that reminds people why they love Princess Traya.

Through our work with StoreHero, a culture of reviewing data and making improvements has gradually taken root within our company. A video team has been established, and understanding of digital continues to grow. From here, we want to build the systems to consistently communicate our brand's worldview on top of that foundation.

——Finally, do you have a message for other companies working on e-commerce?

Mr. Sato: We are still very much in the middle of our own trial-and-error journey, but I believe the most important thing is simply to try. Whether it's advertising or social media — if something has potential, listen openly and give it a try. Then review the results and keep improving. That mindset is, I think, the fastest path to driving change in e-commerce as well.

What I especially want to convey to companies with a long history is that digital is not something that negates tradition. In our case, engaging with digital has actually helped us rediscover the strengths of our own craftsmanship. Being able to pursue that journey with a trusted partner has been, above all else, what has made the difference.

——Thank you so much for sharing your valuable insights with us today.