25 July 2020 - MATCHAZUKI

In this economic downturn, many stores have closed down. The ones that survived are trying various strategies, such as releasing new products, organizing events, and running promotions to attract more customers back to their stores. However, there is another method that many brands may overlook: accepting production orders for other brands, or what we know as OEM.

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer, which means that any store or brand that is outstanding in manufacturing products can hire to manufacture products for other companies. It is a collaboration or it may be manufacturing for other brands to sell under the customer’s own brand, depending on the customer’s needs by using the factory or store’s own manufacturing process, from the production department to the various machinery for production. Customers who hire stores or factories may not have enough expertise in making that type of product or see the ability and identity of that factory or store that can produce products according to the specifications.

From the perspective of customers or other brands that hire

It is considered to help reduce production costs because production bases can be moved to other places with lower costs.
Brand owners do not need to have their own factories, making it easy to change business characteristics or strategies.
We have experts and production consultants to take care of you to get the raw materials according to the required standards without having to go through the effort of searching for them yourself from the beginning.

But if you look at it from the perspective of the store or factory that produces the products,

There is another way to increase your sales without having to invest in creating your own products from start to finish because you already have a formula from your employer.
Save on marketing costs in advertising the product because the manufacturer does not sell the product itself.
No need to worry about managing inventory yourself, just follow the orders that other brands hire to produce.

However, accepting OEM work for other brands, in addition to carefully calculating the cost before presenting the selling price to the brand that hires, you also have to consider the price that the brand will sell to consumers. Because if we set a high price from the beginning, the brand owner will have to add more prices before reaching the customer. That product may be overpriced, which can result in poor sales.

In addition, accepting OEM must also calculate the shipping cost. Does the price we set include the shipping cost? And it is necessary to look far into the issue of the product being broken, damaged, or damaged, and all possible losses that may occur. What should be the product claim system and warranty for the products we produce?

If anyone still doesn’t have a picture of which OEM brands they can start accepting, let’s take a look at some sample ideas that are suitable for starting to find customers in this B2B group, such as:

A shop that focuses on selling snacks and beverages for health-conscious people in particular. Various recipes are low-sugar, sugar-free menus. We recommend that you produce beverages or snacks for people with food allergies for hospitals or produce health tea drinks for fitness centers. Produce snacks or teas with the brand of the hospital or fitness center.

Shops that are prominent in using premium green tea powder can use this ingredient to produce desserts according to the recipes that various brands want to achieve the original green tea flavor that our factories or shops already use. They can produce a variety of products, such as cookies, puddings, or various green tea spread menus. This variety of dessert production lines is suitable for tour companies, airlines, or hotels, or even Japanese restaurants that do not have dessert menus because they are more specialized in making savory menus. They can also present dessert menus and brand them as the restaurant’s brand.

Increasing sales for your store is not just about discounts and free gifts, but also about looking at a wider perspective. Don’t just focus on regular customers, but also on companies, restaurants, or other businesses. You will find many strategies that can be used to deliver deliciousness.

Source

https://www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/115252

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/Ab-c8jUkof2iYtJeTFNSBg58sGUXOAgBICxwy85elSDMHu7Ky4Yqygw/

http://www.thirstyfortea.com/2016/12/18/tea-shortbread-coins/

Article from: Fuwafuwa

Have you ever noticed that Japanese tea cups differ quite a bit in appearance from European tea cups? Japanese tea cups are not 100% smooth. Most are hand-made, with some roughness and colorful patterns that look like craftwork. Some, if you look closely, you’ll see that they’re actually broken cups, but have been smoothed out with gold, looking like they’re part of the teacup’s design. This method is called Kintsugi.

Kintsugi has a long history. In the 15th century, a Japanese shogun named Ashikaga Yoshimasa sent a damaged teacup to China for repair. It was returned with an ugly iron seam. The shogun had to find a better way to repair the broken thing. His craftsmen looked for an elegant way to reattach the pottery using a gold-plated lac. This technique, a beautiful joint that has been talked about throughout history, quickly became popular. Many collectors were so fond of this technique that they willingly smashed their precious pottery so they could repair it using Kintsugi. Naturally, the ceramic became more exquisite with every repair. Another way to repair chipped vessels using Kintsugi is because the Japanese believe that broken cups should not be thrown away, but should be repaired with gold lacquer to bring them back to life. Just like how everyone in our lives cannot escape emotional pain, such as the loss of a loved one or something dear to them, facing a serious illness or an accident that affects their life, or even lingering pain from the past. These emotional wounds need to be healed and remedied. Therefore, Kintsugi philosophy is applied to repair these deep and lingering emotional wounds so that we can return to life happier, stronger, and more understanding of others who are still hurting.

Kintsugi , a Japanese philosophy that embodies the idea that no life is perfect, is about making yourself aware of your own brokenness and fragility. This builds strength from the inside out, allowing you to be more positive than you are. Because repairing a broken cup with care and love allows us to understand that we should accept and respect the cracks and scars, the weaknesses and imperfections in ourselves and others, in order to find true happiness in life.

However, a kintsugi-treated teacup, while still usable, is still a broken one, not a perfect one. Rather, it’s the simplicity of not having to struggle to find a new one, but rather being willing to use a wrinkled teacup that’s been eroded by time. This is another philosophy of life that has long been deeply rooted in the Japanese psyche: a simple, humble aesthetic that doesn’t cling to perfection, willingly appreciating the wrinkles and decay of all things that decay over time. This concept is called “ wabi-sabi” (侘寂).

“ Wabi-sabi” (侘寂) is a concept that has been adapted and incorporated into loft, industrial, rustic, and minimalist interiors. This is easily observed in the tea cups we see Japanese people use. The unsmoothed rim of the cup allows the lips to feel its rough surface. Tea cups, on the other hand, are not sleek and elegant. Instead, they embody aesthetics that aim to evoke a sense of calm and simplicity in the mind of the tea drinker, demonstrating the essence of ” Wabi-sabi.”

The concept of the teacup arose during a time when the tea ceremony, influenced by Zen monks, was gaining widespread interest and becoming an integral part of art and philosophy. Chanoyu, or the way of tea, was highly popular among the upper class, warriors, and wealthy merchants. Tea ceremony utensils were imported from overseas and lavishly decorated. Beautiful teacups, in particular, were a sought-after luxury for the upper class and wealthy at the time. Between 1585 and 1586, Hideyoshi commissioned Rikyu to build a tea room entirely covered in gold for the arrival of Emperor Ogimachi. Hideyoshi himself served tea in simply blended cups , suggesting that tea was served in unadorned beauty, a true appreciation for beauty beyond appearances. Even imperfections allow for the true taste of tea to be experienced.

Wabi-sabi is also evident in the architecture and craftsmanship associated with the Japanese tea ceremony. These include teahouses, which are isolated from other buildings, small enough to accommodate the activity, and constructed from materials that are not inherently perishable, a hallmark of Japanese architecture, such as wooden houses and paper doors. This contrasts with Western modern architecture, which is conceived as perfect, timeless, and impervious to the elements of time.

Next, the rooms in the teahouse are usually designed so that no more than five people can enter at a time. The guest entrance is only 80 centimeters high. Everyone must crawl in on their hands and knees in a single line . The atmosphere is calm and equal, which reduces pride and creates a simple way of living together.

Inside the room are bowls and ceremonial utensils made from natural materials. Each piece bears its own unique traces and patina of time, demonstrating the beauty of imperfection. While these elements are not necessarily bad, when they come together, they can evoke a different perspective, creating an aesthetic approach to life that isn’t always perfect.