ISHITAYA EC
Challenges and Background
Founded in 1923 (Taisho 12), ISHITAYA is a specialty futon store with four locations in Ishikawa Prefecture.
It is a rare type of bedding retailer in Japan that sources only products they truly believe in—those that they are absolutely confident about—directly from manufacturers around the world.
While they have been sharing information through their own website, even with full confidence in their products and expertise, they faced a major challenge: in the chaotic landscape of the internet, their brand was hard to find. And even when customers did find them, the high price points made it difficult for users to take the next step toward purchase.
Production Process
We conducted in-depth interviews with ISHITAYA, who have absolute confidence in both their products and their expertise, to clarify and organize their unique strengths.
In many cases, what a company perceives as its strengths may not actually resonate with users. However, thanks to ISHITAYA’s continued pursuit of the essence of sleep, their advantages over competitors were remarkably clear.
Next, we clarified the target audience to whom these carefully curated products and extensive knowledge should be delivered. We implemented both short- and mid-to-long-term strategies, including sleep diagnosis events to provide high-sensitivity users with real value, and the enhancement of educational columns to nurture potential customers by conveying true sleep science—ultimately leading to conversions even for high-priced items.
Additionally, we conducted keyword volume research and implemented a wide-reaching web advertising strategy to attract prospective customers from distant metropolitan areas such as Tokyo.
Results
The sleep diagnosis events, which previously attracted mostly local users, have begun to draw participants from more distant areas as well.
By generously sharing knowledge about proper bedding selection, true sleep science, and high-quality, carefully curated products, the online store has achieved consistent sales of high-priced items ranging from ¥200,000 to ¥1,000,000.
A Word from the Project Manager
ISHITAYA is one of the rare futon stores that generously shares invaluable truths about sleep, bedding, materials, and environment—things we wouldn’t normally learn in our daily lives.
Recently, they opened a new store that includes a café and overnight stay experience, and it has become a popular destination, attracting fans from all over Japan.
At ALIVE, several of the team members who were involved in the website project ended up becoming such fans that they actually purchased the products themselves.
We look forward to continuing our partnership and spreading proper sleep knowledge across the country together!