I've been asked this a lot lately.
Yes, there are a lot.
The purchase prices of the wines sold at Bokumo & Bokumo Wine are rising.
The increase is usually a few percent to 10%. In some cases, the increase is gradual and can reach 20% or more.
Every time I receive notice of a price revision from an importer, I can't help but sigh in frustration.
And the ingredients used at Bokumo have also generally improved.
I'm sure many of you are aware of this, but the price of olive oil, for example, has gone up ridiculously. A 50% increase is still good, but some prices have gone up as much as 80%. This is due to not only the weak yen but also the drought in Europe. Even so, it's really overwhelming.
Restaurants try to maintain an overall balance and make efforts to avoid large price increases, but they still cannot survive without passing on some of the price increase to customers.
With mail order sales, there are no other cushioning factors, so there is no choice but to simply raise the price according to the importer's suggested retail price.
And we know from experience that once prices go up, they almost never come down.
You'll just have to get used to the new prices.
That's why we believe we need to create value in some way other than price.
Whew, the weak yen is a problem.
But it's not all bad; there are some good things too.
Japan has become known as a country where you can have fun on the cheap, and the number of foreign visitors to the country is only increasing.
Foreign tourists have a strong tendency to seek out things that are "Japanese," so Bokumo, which caters to a Western taste, has seen almost no increase in customers from overseas. However, it's not just tourists who are finding it easier to visit Japan thanks to the weak yen.
Business travelers are also increasingly choosing Japan as a country where they can travel for business at a reasonable price.
That's why I come to Bokumo!
Yes, there are plans in the works for a winery from New Zealand to come to Bokumo for promotional purposes.
In the past, Nagoya was rarely chosen as a promotional location.
As expected, the biggest consumer of wine in Japan is the Tokyo metropolitan area. Promotional activities are conducted in Tokyo. And winery workers take their time off to explore Kyoto, thinking, "Since they've come all the way to Japan, why not?"
Nagoya is basically ignored.
However, Japan is now a country where you can travel cheaply, so people are starting to think that they might as well go to Nagoya, which has a decent population.
Viva! Weak Yen! (Some aspects of it)
So, this fall we will be holding an event to welcome people from New Zealand wineries.
We will hold an event where you can enjoy wine while listening to the explanations and thoughts of local wineries, and pair it with Bokumo's cuisine.
So far, one in September and one in November.
Incidentally, both wineries are premium producers, ranking in the top 20 in the latest New Zealand winery rankings (Bob Campbell MW's Real Review).
Once it has been decided, we will inform you again here.
A weaker yen is a blessing.
