If you’re looking for perfectly shaped and delicious cantaloupes, strawberries, apples, grapes, and other Japanese fruits, Sembikiya is the best place to look for them. But you might have to check your wallet first because fruits here are not as cheap as you thought.

Sembikiya Fruit Emporium located in Tokyo is Japan’s most expensive fruit parlor.  The parlor looks like a luxurious jewelry shop at first glance, until you see fruits displayed instead of diamonds and golds in their glass counters.

Being abundant in fruits, Japan considered it as a customary luxury gift through ages. Contrary to a regular supermarket, fruits sold in Sembikiya are usually bought as gifts.

The fruit parlor started in 1834 as a small discount fruit shop owned by a Samurai called Benzo Ohshima. The business passed on for different generation in their family until it evolved into a more sophisticated and expensive fruit parlor. Despite the high prices of the fruits, Sembikiya Fruit Emporium is a booming business in Japan establishing different branches throughout the country. One of which, is their flagship branch in Nihonbashi Mistui Tower.

One common question asked: what makes the fruits so expensive?

For one obvious reason, the fruits sold in the place are impeccably tasty. The secret was on how they grow these fruits. The fruits in Sembikiya are cultivated in their specially-designed greenhouses located in Shizouka prefecture, the warmest place in Japan. These greenhouses control the temperature, using heaters during winter and air conditioning on summer season. Their fruits are also protected with a hat to make sure that they won’t be sunburned in heat, assuring its perfect shape, color and taste.

Each tree bears only one fruit to make sure that all the vitamins and nutrients will be received by the single fruit. All other fruits that will not pass their standards will be eliminated and picked out early on.

If someone is looking for something sweet besides fresh fruits, Sembikiya also offers other sweet products like fruit jams that were manufactured in their own factories.

Besides the amazing quality of their products, the store clerks also give their buyers an amazing experience. As an example, their store clerk will usually ask the day that the buyer intends to consume the fruit to make sure that the fruit picked would be at its best condition for the chosen date.

Sembikiya Fruit Emporium clearly depicts what the Japanese people had been known most notably for years: excellent quality of goods prepared with dedication and good accommodation for their customers.

In recent years, Filipinos` love for shopping has poured out to the online world as more and more Filipinos are starting to accept e-commerce. Their being one of the most active online users for online research and social media activities paved the way to the sudden hype of online store openings over the past few years. Online stores became the most convenient alternative to shopping.

EuroAsia Research Experts looked into the various factors about e-commerce in the Philippines such as the market trends, payment methods, e-commerce customers, main players, challenges and success stories, in order to learn more about the opportunities in this emerging industry.

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The substantial growth of the Philippine economy over recent years has significantly increased the purchasing power of the country’s Upper C-Class, making it the current demographic to watch closely.

The entire retail chain (manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors) has been reactive to this opportunity, upgrading product offerings with more premium items supported by strong commercial campaigning, notably including more and more investments in brand ambassadors.

Aside from enlarging their product ranges, retailers have also looked to improve on merchandising, with customer experience becoming increasingly important for younger generations of consumers.

The timing is crucial for both vendors and retailers, as this is a huge opportunity to gain market share in premium products, and a valuable push in sales and value margins moving forward. Organized retail chains are prime beneficiaries, as this is a chance to edge out their traditional (e.g. Sari-Sari stores) competition that won’t have the same capacity to improve in marketing.

All this, however, comes with obligatory considerations to ensure a profitable foray into the trend of Premiumisation. Here’s some food for thought:

1) When and where is it happening?

It is already evident in stores located in main cities, specifically in areas benefiting from a more premium market. The challenge lies in a balanced execution, something which many retailers are still having difficulty with. More on this below.

2) What is the impact on assortment and merchandising?

Listing new premium items should in no way destabilize the existing assortment structure suited to the market profile.

Some local retailers tend to sacrifice items categorized as basic necessities in order to accommodate a premium upgrade. This is a risky move in the still unpredictable Philippine market where consumers have shown a desire for premium products, and yet maintain a need for basic commodities and low prices. Listing and delisting products should be carefully addressed to take in consideration the number of SKUs and price segmentation expected for a given category.

Adaptation in merchandising is a challenge driven by market profile as well as the size of the store. Merchandising should reflect the proportion that the retailer has decided to allot to low, mid, and premium segments.

Finally, overspacing for premium items may have negative consequences on sales productivity and price image. Underspacing on the other hand may reduce the opportunity for the trend altogether. The trick is finding balance, balance, and more balance. Remember that the spirit of Premiumisation is one of complementing and not replacement.

3) How far are you willing to take it?

Alignment of your marketing initiatives with your vendor’s program is key. When people see products represented by celebrities on TV, they expect to find these at the forefront of the store.

Upon launching a premium product, try to feature it as much as you can in catalogues. Organizing in-store activities will surely reinforce its visibility, so seek out all opportunities your vendor can provide such as sampling, booths with promodizers, etc.

Forecasting sales with the vendor is also a must in order to replenish stocks in a timely manner.

At the end of the day, Premiumisation provides a unique opportunity for retailers and vendors to work hand in hand under the same interest of getting an uptick in sales value and margins. The biggest risk you can take is not taking the risk at all and missing the boat on this trend.