We take a closer look at the concept behind THE NORTH FACE globe walker, which opened at the gateway to Kyushu.
THE NORTH FACE recently opened a store on Ishigaki Island, and at about the same time, another interesting store was completed in Hakata, Fukuoka. The North Face store, "THE NORTH FACE globe walker," is a select store with "travel" as its theme. globe = earth, walker = a person who walks, hence the word "travel. We asked the director of the store, Genki Fujino, who developed the concept for this store, about the origins of the store, which could be described as unorthodox for the outdoor giant "The North Face" brand.
Genki Fujino, Director of "THE NORTH FACE globe walker
How many stores will THE NORTH FACE globe walker open here in Fukuoka?
Fujino: This is the fifth store.
When did you first open?
FujinoThe North Face": The first store was opened five years ago in Kyoto's Fujii Daimaru. After that, we opened stores in Hokkaido (Sapporo), Tokyo (Setagaya), and Kanagawa (Fujisawa), and after about two years, we removed the "The North Face" logo.
Why is that again?
FujinoThe North Face" is a brand that has a lot of restrictions on it. I wanted to create the store more freely.
So you are saying that it has become one again?
Fujino: Yes, that's right. Starting with this store, we are also developing stores nationwide with our new logo.
Photo_ THE NORTH FACE official
Mr. Fujino created the concept for this store, didn't he?
FujinoYes, I think so.
What were you doing before that?
FujinoI have always been in charge of VMD for directly managed stores. For about two and a half years after we started "THE NORTH FACE globe walker," I was doing both.
Now I'm just doing this one thing.
FujinoYes, I think so.
How do you feel about starting five years ago?
FujinoI guess it's a gradual process. I don't feel like I'm going to do too many things at once. First of all, I hope that people who like it will come. Basically, if I open a store in Kyoto, I want to work with people in Kyoto. For Sapporo, it would be people from Sapporo. This time it is Fukuoka, so I would like to do something in partnership with people in Fukuoka. I think it is very important to work with local people to create products.
Do you mean that you yourself love to travel?
FujinoWhen I was in my twenties, I used to go abroad a lot, but recently I have been enjoying traveling within Japan. I take a trip every year at the end of the year to walk along old Japanese roads.
How long has it been going on?
FujinoIt's not an event to reflect on the past year, but a group of us always walk together, thinking about how the year went and what we want to do next year. Mr. Nakahara of Landscape Products, Lucas of PAPERSKY, and others are quite interesting members.
I see. So you have such an everyday "journey" and have incorporated it into your store.
FujinoYes, I think that's true. Also, if you have a sign that says "outdoors," of course people who like the outdoors will come, but in a sense, they will be biased. In this situation, I was thinking, "How can we attract new customers? When I was thinking about how to attract new customers, the keyword "travel" came to mind.
What is the biggest difference between your store and a regular "The North Face" store?
FujinoThe products are totally different. The North Face has a line called "unlimited," which is based on the theme of "travel. We don't carry any products that look like they are made for outdoor activities or mountain climbing.
Unlimited" itself existed before "THE NORTH FACE globe walker" was created, right?
FujinoK: Yes, it was originally a line that existed. It was originally a line that existed, but it was only in the last two seasons that we concentrated on the concept of "travel. Before that, the concept was "unlimited," which means "without drawing boundaries. The North Face" is a brand that does not draw a line between play and work, and can be worn in both situations. The North Face" has an image of stoic outdoor wear. Instead, I envisioned a "travel" image of business, business trips, sightseeing, and the like.
What kind of features will you incorporate into the system?
FujinoI was thinking of something like: wrinkle resistance, quick drying, etc. It was a business strip, but we envisioned it to be so casual that you could just put it on, put it on, and go to the mountains.
So you want to have customers like so-called businessmen come to your restaurant.
FujinoI think that's right. We actually have them come.
That makes the customer base different from that of a regular "The North Face" store, doesn't it? Looking around the store, I get the impression that the colors are very limited.
FujinoI think you're right. We try not to do too many colors each season. We basically limit our stocking to black, white, and red.
Do you have about a 50/50 split between men's and women's wear?
FujinoMen's: about 6 and women's about 4. Among them, the products we purchase are roughly 20% of the total.
What kind of products do you stock?
FujinoBasically, it should be something that I have used and seen and that I am happy with, and also something that easily conveys the thoughts of the person who is making it.
That's why Yuhi Ozaki's "Young & Olsen," which was at the opening of the store, and Achie Onuki's "West Over Alls" were there, wasn't it?
FujinoExactly: exactly.
Then, there may be customers who know their brand from "THE NORTH FACE globe walker".
FujinoYou're here.
I like that kind of "entrance".
FujinoYou're right. On the other hand, it would also be good if fans of the brand we stock, who do not know much about The North Face, came to the store. That way, new customers will always come in. For those who originally like The North Face, it may not be enough.
I see.
Fujino: I think it's better to buy at a regular big store for those people. Naturally, they have a lot of items. I would rather enjoy it if someone who doesn't know about The North Face comes into the store for some reason and says, "You make really good products.
With that kind of strategy, it seems like it would be better to open a store in a place where there is a large flow of people. As much as possible, we should open our shops in places where many people with different tastes and interests pass by.
Fujino: Yes, that's right. The target of this store is high school students at the bottom, and up to wherever they go (laughs). (Laughs) We try to keep things fresh by changing the products we stock, not the same ones every season.
I see that you have been working as a VMD, so interior design is your main business.
FujinoI direct every detail of the shop. Especially this store in Fukuoka is directed by me down to the smallest detail.
Could you be a little more specific?
FujinoBasically, we use three materials: wood, mortar, and black iron. As a store that bears the logo of The North Face, we decided to protect that first of all. Then, we pay attention to how the three materials are combined to create a joint.
The counter is also a distinctive feature of the store.
FujinoThe counter is the most important point of this restaurant. We wanted to create a restaurant where we could "talk" with customers. Sushi restaurants, bars, cafes, and coffee shops usually have a counter with the owner inside. You can walk in alone and chat with the owner, or with someone who happens to be sitting next to you. I wondered if I could do that in a clothing store.
That's your intention, isn't it?
FujinoThe staff of our store was at the counter as the owner and master, and they would say, "I'm here for a visit to Fukuoka, do you know any good places? Or something like that.
It's like an information center.
FujinoI thought that might be a good idea. I thought that might be a good idea. I thought it would be nice if customers could sit in the chairs and talk, resulting in a conversation like, "Are you looking for something? I thought it would be nice if the conversation turned out to be, "Are you looking for something?
I think it's very nice, that kind of communication.
FujinoWe consider it very important to "talk" with our customers. In a street store or an only store, people would gather in front of the store and talk with each other, but for a large brand like The North Face, it is very rare to see such a scene. Also, you don't see many stores in tenant malls with that kind of stance. That's why I wanted to do it.
There are books on the counter.
FujinoI'm thinking of checking this out like a library. To be honest, I don't know if they will come back. I'm not sure if they will come back, to be honest, but I'm thinking of lending them out to people who stop by here before they go on business trips or for fun, and who have to catch a bullet train or a plane. Then, when they come back, they can return it to me.
It's interesting that The North Face would take on such a small initiative.
FujinoI'm also thinking about a luggage storage service. We are actually building lockers. I would like to start little by little while experimenting with various things.
I think it is inevitable that you will interact with the people who come. It's strange, but I don't think there are that many people who just drop off their belongings and say, "Well, I guess I'll see you later.
FujinoI hope so (laughs). I would really like to be in the counter. But, well, that's not possible. But I can't. We have a manager here in Fukuoka who says, "I love Hakata! Please feel free to ask me anything.
I'm sure I'll be asked about good restaurants by people who come here on business or for sightseeing.
FujinoI think that's right. Anyway, I would like to expand the possibilities of the store while doing various things.
Photo_ THE NORTH FACE official
THE NORTH FACE globe walker JR Hakata CITY
Address: Amu Plaza Hakata 5F, 1-1 Hakata Station Chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
