Auntie Anne's® Pretzels Introduced In Japan

December 02, 2010

Tokyo Grand Opening Captures Consumer and Media Interest

LANCASTER, Pa. (Dec. 2 2010) – Visitors to Tokyo’s second busiest train station, Ikebukuro, were recently provided the opportunity to experience Auntie Anne’s hand-rolled gourmet soft pretzels with a new store opening operated by master franchisor, AA Japan Co., Ltd. The introduction of Auntie Anne’s products in Japan coupled with the franchisor’s retail experience and commitment to excellence resulted in a successful grand opening for this store and, in terms of dollars, was Auntie Anne’s biggest international opening to date.

On opening day, Auntie Anne’s Ikebukuro storefront welcomed new Japanese pretzel lovers who formed a line 50 to 80 people long before the store opened. After the ribbon was cut on the new store, and after waiting in line, many of the guests purchased 1o to 15 pretzels at a time.

Pretzel fever in Japan grew thanks to a media campaign that utilized bloggers, print, and television journalists. A media day was held in mid-November, the highlight of which was a 7-minute segment that ran on Japan’s Business News Channel. The segment focused on how Auntie Anne’s hand rolls and fresh bakes its pretzels and shared background on what a soft pretzel is, as much of the Japanese population had never experienced a soft pretzel.

Mike McCoy, Director of Franchise Development and International Operations said, “The store opening in Japan demonstrates the momentum that can be created around introducing a brand into an international market. The energy and passion of the Japanese team, focus on efficient operations, high foot traffic, and excitement over the product created by active marketing efforts are key components to AA Japan Co., Ltd.’s successful launch. We could not ask for a better group to work with to introduce our brand in such an important market.”

Shunsuke Komatsu, director of Revamp Corporation and president of AA Japan Co., Ltd., hand-selected real estate, marketing, and store managers for the development and opening of this location. Together these key personnel hired 32 store crew members who were as excited about the store opening as Japanese consumers.

AA Japan Co., Ltd. will open two additional stores in February and March of 2011. The second Auntie Anne’s location will be near Akihabara Station, and the third store will be Futako-Tamagawa Station.

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