Vol.52

We want to search for our customers' "likes" together through towel selection.

He told us about his first encounter with IKEUCHI ORGANIC and what he thinks about working at the store. She told us about her first encounter with IKEUCHI ORGANIC and what she thinks of the store.

Tokyo Store Manager Fukuyama

Comfortable things that touch your skin change your daily life

I started working at the Tokyo Store as a part-time staff member in September 2021, and became the store manager in September 2023.

I started working at the Tokyo Store as a part-time staff member in September 2021, and became the store manager in September 2023. I had been visiting the Tokyo Store as a customer before I started working here, and my first encounter with IKEUCHI ORGANIC was more than 10 years ago.

At the time, I was finishing anti-cancer drug treatment for cervical cancer and trying to gradually return to society. Before I became ill, I was working at a busy apparel company, but it was also a time when all my life seemed to be forcibly terminated when it was discovered that I had cancer.

Anti-cancer drug treatment reduces the skin’s barrier function and makes the skin extremely sensitive. It was during this time that a friend of mine asked me, “There is a store that sells towels that are gentle on the skin and comfortable to use, would you like to go there with me? I was working in apparel, so I was looking for a place that sold hundreds of different kinds of towels.

I worked in apparel and handled hundreds of fabrics and fibers in my work, but I had never thought about the comfort of towels until then. However, perhaps due to the sensitivity of my skin caused by my illness, I was surprised when I used IKEUCHI ORGANIC’s products and realized how different my daily life would be if I felt comfortable with what touches my skin.

I am particularly attached to the “Organic 120 Bath Sheet,” which was the first product I purchased. At the time, I still spent most of my time in bed, so I bought the bath sheets before the towels, and I was impressed by how comfortable and warm they felt on my skin when I got into bed. The absorbency is also wonderful, and although I am a sweaty person, I can sleep at night without worrying about sweating.

Gradually, various items in my home were converted to IKEUCHI ORGANIC products. I have been using not only towels, but also terrycloths and pillowcases for a long time.

IKEUCHI ORGANIC also supports the “deleteC” project, which supports cancer treatment research. As a fan of IKEUCHI ORGANIC, I felt that they are a wonderful company.

If I am going to go through all this trouble, I want to work for a company that deals with things I like.

I came to work for IKEUCHI ORGANIC when I saw a job opening for part-time staff at the Tokyo store.

After returning to society after cancer treatment, I wanted to work to care for my body and mind based on my own experience of being ill. I studied aromatherapy and Chinese herbal medicine advising from scratch, and even opened a relaxation salon as a sole proprietor. Recently, I have also studied counseling from the perspective of psychological care.

While doing this kind of work, I wanted to do something else as a double job, something that would become a pillar of my work.

At first, I was looking for a job where I could utilize my knowledge of aroma and Chinese medicine, but then I began to think, “If I am going to go to all this trouble, it would be good to think in a completely different direction. Then the thought flashed across my mind, “If I’m going to do this, I’d like to work in a job that deals with something I like.

At that time, I found a job opening for a staff position at Tokyo Store, and I thought, “This is it! I thought, “This is it! I had no experience in sales at all, but I applied for the job with the sole intention of working for a company I liked and dealing with products I liked.

When I first started working as a store staff member, I had a lot to learn. However, because I was dealing with products that I liked, it was more “fun” than “hard work.

Another thing that surprised me when I started working at this company was the closeness between employees. I can talk frankly not only with other store staff but also with the president and CEO. And they help me in many ways. Thanks to that, it is very easy to work and I naturally feel like contributing to the store.

While I was working like this, the previous Tokyo Store manager had to retire to care for his family, and Masuda, the store manager, asked me if I would like to be the store manager. I was asked by Masuda, the store manager, if I would like to take on the role of store manager. By that time, I had become more attached to the Tokyo Store, and I accepted the position, saying, “If it’s okay with me,” and I did it.

Building relationships with customers through towel selection

What is it about working as a store staff member that brings you joy? It is the moment when I feel that I have helped a customer find his or her own “favorite” towel.

There are many different types of towels in the store. So many customers ask us, “Which towel do you like? We are often asked “Which towel do you like? However, it is a difficult question to answer in general, as each customer has different preferences and needs. At the same time, when customers themselves are asked what they are looking for in a towel, it is sometimes difficult for them to answer clearly.

Therefore, we ask various questions such as, “How do you spend your daily life at home?” We also ask customers to actually touch each towel to find out what they “like” together. The same goes for gift selection.

When I help customers choose towels in this way and they find towels that satisfy them, saying, “This is the perfect towel for me,” or “I am glad I was able to choose this gift,” I feel as happy as if I were one of them.

We not only sell products, but also build relationships with customers through towel selection. I feel that this is what our job as store staff is all about. I would like to increase my own drawers so that I can discover what customers “like”.

At the same time, based on my own experience, I would like more people to know about the IKEUCHI ORGANIC lifestyle. Just by touching something differently against your skin, your life can be so much richer. We want more people to know how comfortable it is.

Through the Tokyo Store, I would like to help enrich the lives of as many customers as possible.

Interview October 2023
Interview and text by Keiji Ide