Responses gained from communication with users | Patagonia Tokyo Kanda's new environmental initiatives

Kanda, Patagonia Tokyo, renewed in October 2021.
We have a full lineup of high-performance wear that demonstrates performance in the outdoor field, and staff with expertise and extensive experience in skiing, mountaineering guides, and trail runners provide advice based on their actual field experience. At the same time, it also functions as an antenna shop that powerfully transmits Patagonia's message.

Patagonia Tokyo Kanda has launched a new initiative in the 2021-22 season, selling second-hand products centering on snow wear, proposing repair and reuse, and renting snow wear for the first time in Japan.

What was the actual effort?
At the end of May, after the winter season, I visited Kanda, Tokyo, Patagonia.

Background of becoming a technical store

This time, Mr. Mitsuhashi and Mr. Tsurumaki, the manager, let me hear the story. Mr. Tsurumaki is the activist leader who leads the action against the climate crisis, who is always present at Patagonia's directly managed stores. Mr. Tsurumaki said while looking back on the season.

“The concept change started on October 9, 2021. As a 'technical store', there were two purposes for changing the concept of the store. One is that I want to convey the message that everyone should unite and protect the snowy mountains, which are our important fields. The other is technical products, which increase the lineup of products that can be used firmly in the field such as so-called snow mountains, climbing, mountain streams, and mountain biking, expressing the world of Patagonia's outdoor sports, and becoming a store that shares field experiences with customers. That's it.

Before the concept change, we had a wide variety of lifestyle products, with technical lines on the 1st floor and lifestyles on the 2nd floor. Along with the renewal, we stopped handling lifestyle products and added a full lineup of high-performance wear to the Kanda store that demonstrates performance in the outdoor field.

On the 1st floor, there is an exhibition space that conveys Patagonia's environmental efforts and messages, a table where you can sit and talk with customers, and a relaxed display of seasonal outdoor wear, showing the richness of nature and the changes of the four seasons. I designed it in a space where you can feel

On the other hand, the second floor is packed with technical products. By clarifying the two purposes, the impression of the store has completely changed. "

Repair proposals in the "Worn Wear Program"

Patagonia has been running a program called "Worn Wear" since 2013. Celebrate stories* about wearing and encourage users to use their gear for a long time. and a program that provides an easy way to recycle products that have become unrepairable. By using recycled materials and repairing what you need and using it for a long time, you stop buying things you don't need. As a result, less waste is produced. It is an effort to reduce the environmental impact.

At the Kanda store, an exhibition like a photograph was also displayed on the floor, and a message was sent about the repair and maintenance of wear by "Worn Wear".

What was the actual repair at the Kanda store like?

“For repairs, we receive a lot of clothing such as fleece, down, and hard shells, but the majority of repair requests at the Kanda store are for products that are actually used in the outdoor field. However, there are tears and holes.For example, when climbing a tree, the cuffs are caught on a tree and torn, or when cooking outdoors, the cuffs are burnt and melted by a burner, resulting in holes.

After that, you can attach snap buttons, and most things can be done in an hour.

Many people are satisfied and satisfied with this simple repair. Large holes that cannot be repaired, zipper replacement, etc. are sent to the repair service. Outdoor wear often needs to be strong enough for heavy use, so I cover it with a patch and have it repaired with sewing studs.” (Mr. Tsurumaki)

Communication born from repair

The wear is spread out on a large table in the store, and the staff and the user work together to repair it. What kind of dialogue will arise there?

“What kind of places do customers use our products and what kind of scratches do they get? Fun times with family and friends, competitions and adventures. I'm really looking forward to hearing a lot of stories like
that.There are many customers who go to various fields.Is there a country like this in the world? Listening to stories like, "This jacket traveled with you," and making suggestions on how to fix it deepens conversations and relationships. A piece of clothing with a unique attachment that says, “This must be it.”In response to the passion of wanting to use this again, there is also the challenge of how far we can go.For the staff, it is unknown and difficult. There may be times when we do things like that, but there are many things that we don't know, and it's especially fun for me." (Mr. Mitsuhashi)

86 repair orders in just one month in April!

"The number of orders for repairs was 86 in April alone, and out of 22 directly managed stores, the Kanda store was the best. December and January were even more. But when I went to the repair center, , And even more amazing.The products are already stacked on the shelves so that they reach the ceiling.Until now, most of the products that were sent to the repair center are now being handled by the store after the staff learned how to repair them.Every week. There are many requests from people who go to Matsusuri, saying, "I want to use it on the weekend, so please fix it right away." (Mr. Mitsuhashi)

If you bring it here, the staff will be interested in listening to your own experience, and you can have your precious one repaired. Isn't this great news for users? It is said that "maintenance" to wear for a long time without needing repair is gradually taking root.

It is said that some people donate items that cannot be repaired as desired. This is probably because he sympathizes with such environmental efforts and thinks that it would be better if someone could use it instead of throwing it away.

"Much better than new." Patagonia's message has certainly reached the hearts of users, as evidenced by its repair record.

How is the Kanda store selling used snow wear for the first time in Japan?

Second-hand sales of "Patagonia Snow Wear", which was the first initiative of the Kanda Store in Japan. The reason behind this is to "reuse and keep the gears circulating, and not send them to the landfill". _CO2 because nothing new is made , and users can obtain high-performance wear at a bargain price of about half the price, which is a big advantage. In the first year, it was developed only with items gathered from Patagonia staff. While paying close attention to the handling of functional materials, they were washed and water-repellent treated, and after inspection, they were sold as reused products.

“This was already a huge success. As a technical store, Kanda sold used products that could actually be used in the field. It was the insulation of the synthetic fiber which entered.

Since the price was half price or less than half price, it seems that it was big that high-performance products were affordable. It disappeared in no time, and the sales floor became smaller and smaller. The 3-layer shell and insulation are highly durable, and we are happy to hear that you chose a pre-owned product because of Patagonia's message of quality and nature conservation.

Since it is a town with many schools, the number of students coming to the store has been increasing recently, and they prefer second-hand items. New products emit CO2 during the production process, so they have the mindset of buying second-hand products and continuing to wear them for a long time as an environmental consideration.” (Mr. Tsurumaki)

“There are customers who have this kind of awareness, and even if it is second-hand, there are those who buy it after careful consideration because it is technical wear. Na. There was a customer who said, ``I was going to give it to my wife as a present,'' and left the store a little hesitant. Each product was an "encounter" with a customer. (Mr. Mitsuhashi)

We are entering a sustainable era where reusable items become gifts. It is not only for the sake of the environment, but there is also a sensibility to develop a sense of value in things that someone used and loved have a story, and that is respected and inherited. If it's something the staff wore, it's very reliable. It is also interesting to imagine what kind of scenery this wear has seen in what field in the world.

Second-hand sales for the 2022-23 season have not yet been decided, but in the United States, purchases from users and second-hand sales have started. If users are involved, the scale will expand at once, and the message will spread more. Let's pay attention to whether there are new developments in Japan.

The first snow wear rental is very popular!

The final challenge for the technical store Kanda store is rental. This is the first time I have worked on snow wear rentals. We often see rentals at ski resorts and shops, but rentals of our own brand products at clothing manufacturers' directly managed stores are not yet standard in Japan. While having a sense of "Huh? Don't you have to buy it? Can I borrow it?"

The rental period is one week. The fee is simple at 4,000 yen per use, regardless of the number of days used. Rental wear at ski resorts and other places is reasonably priced at around 3,000 to 4,000 yen per day. After using it, you can return it by mail, so it's convenient.

Reservations started in November, and rentals started in December. We assumed that the target audience for the service would be people who want to experience snowy mountains for the first time, entry-level users who don't wear them very often, and people who have had experience in the past but had a gap and hadn't skied in a long time. According to their target characteristics, we prepared 3 types each for men and women with sets of upper and lower shells such as "Snowdrifter" and "Powder Bowl".

“This was an initiative that was implemented only at the Kanda store, and it was a pilot program from the renewed autumn and winter, so at the time, I had no idea what the actual market needs were. You set a target number of about 40 people, but when you actually tried it, there were 135 people using it, which surprised me.

During the implementation, we received a lot of feedback saying, "Is there any children's wear rental for going skating with the family?" As a result, many families were able to use it, and we even received a thank you letter from the child when we returned it. I thought this made me very happy. (Mr. Tsurumaki)

I can participate in environmental protection activities by using the rental

In addition to promoting reuse, this rental had another major purpose. All of the 500,000 yen collected from rental fees was donated to POW (Protect Our Winters Japan). Many people were surprised and delighted when I told them, ``The fact that customers have rented the equipment is used to protect the environment and protect their own fields.'' That's what we want to convey the most, so I felt a great response.

You can rent it even if you go to the ski resort. However, coming to a Patagonia shop and using rentals is connected to being able to take action for the environment. There were a lot of people who sympathized with that, so I'm really happy about that." (Mr. Tsurumaki)

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The results of repairs, used sales, and rentals all greatly exceeded expectations, and Patagonia Tokyo Kanda received a positive response that the message that it will protect an important field has certainly reached users.

By participating in the "Kanda Ski Festival" held every autumn and collaborating with nearby universities, we value the connection with the local community in the town of Kanda, where our store is located. It will continue. I would like to pay attention to the future of Patagonia Tokyo Kanda.

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