On Wednesday April 12 Fukuoka Now attended the launch event for Ikkyu Tea. This Fukuoka-based company was founded in March 2016 with the sole aim of selling Kyushu green tea and promoting the wider culture and cuisine of Kyushu to an international market. Today’s event was primarily a website launch for the business, who’s online sales currently form the main platform of their project. Founders Stephane Camus, Aldo Bloise, and Joelle Sambuc-Bloise have several decades of business experience between them with respective specialities in IT, design, and consultancy. The three partners led this afternoon’s presentation alongside their Japanese colleague, Minako Ishihara, focusing initially on some barriers to growth currently faced by Kyushu green tea producers.
The market, according to Joelle, is ripe for a great profit yield if understood and tapped into correctly, and Ikkyu believe their business model offers the perfect solution to capitalise on current market opportunities. Ultimately, Ikkyu see the skilled development of IT resources, linguistically-proficient international engagement, and beautiful design on their site as a highly effective platform to connect new and veteran green tea lovers alike with quality Kyushu tea.
Following a logical and sound exposition on this current state of the market, Stephane demonstrated the capabilities of the website which was launched just last month. The site’s content can be roughly divided into two categories. The first is shopping, with all the products presented in a crisp and wonderfully functional layout. The site has been constructed with striking design throughout and carefully chosen colour and photography to effectively guide the consumer through the vast selection of quality products to the checkout. The second main category of information on the site concerns education. Divided into sections labelled ‘What is Green Tea’, ‘Health Benefits’, etc., Ikkyu have collated some fantastic research into informative pages regarding the appreciation and natural power of green tea.
Furthermore, the site contains extensive and engaging content on each of the Kyushu-based producers from whom the tea is sourced. As well as this beautifully presented main site, Ikkyu have created a subsite containing an online magazine full of culture and expertise surrounding the green tea they so love. With a bright future of expansion ahead of them, Ikkyu Tea is a truly exciting company whose admirable project to promote the great resources and people of Kyushu, particularly the exemplary green tea of the island, will no doubt take them from strength to strength. IKKYU website: https://ikkyu-tea.com/en/
Text by Fern Brereton for Fukuoka Now
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