In my previous job, I worked for a major alcoholic beverage manufacturer, but since I was only handling our own products, I wanted to take on a wider range of products and try new things. So, I decided to join Frontier Bussan. When I joined, we only dealt with wine, but by attending overseas trade shows and discovering products that had not yet entered Japan, I gradually expanded our product range to include whiskey, gin, various liqueurs, and wine. Along the way, I also made sure to gather the latest market trends and customer needs by speaking with domestic liquor stores, department stores, restaurants, and bars. Some of you may have even seen or tried the alcoholic beverages that we handle.

There are still many types of alcohol around the world that we don't know about. Additionally, as we face a global trend of younger generations moving away from alcohol, the way alcohol is consumed is changing dramatically. While traditional, high-quality whiskey and wine continue to be in high demand, connectivity of people through social media is pushing these "Instagram-worthy" drinks into the limelight and into the mainstream trends. Consequently, we exploring the market and expanding our catalogue by heavily focusing on products not present in the market until present, such as modern fruit liqueurs with elaborate packaging designs, visually enticing shot-drinks, and cocktails served in distinctive cans and bottles, As we are an exclusive distributor for the Japanese market, post import, a key step of my role is sales promotion and advertising. There is a great deal of excitement in this job as we get to create a brand image from scratch, deciding what kind of target audience to aim for and designing the appropriate advertising and promotional events to communicate that vision. Additionally, it is very rewarding to see products that I have discovered on the shelves of liquor stores and supermarkets across town. If you're excited about finding unique alcoholic beverages that have never been in Japan before and creating a buzz with your own ideas, why not join us in this thrilling work?

After gaining experience in a long-term working holiday in Australia, I wanted to find a job where I could engage with international markets, and that led me to Frontier Bussan. As a trading company handling unique food products and alcoholic beverages from around the world, I found the business model of discovering products that were not yet available in Japan and introducing them to the market to be very interesting, so I decided to join.

Currently, I am in charge of sales of our core product, confectionery, for imported goods stores and mass merchandisers including PLAZA, Village Vanguard, Don Quijote, and LOFT.I regularly exchange information with buyers at these stores to understand what products are in demand and what trends are emerging in the market. At the same time, I personally check various stores for imported food products and monitor market trends as part of my marketing efforts. To meet the identified needs, I also visit trade shows in Germany and the U.S. about twice a year to discover attractive sweets from around the world that are not yet available in Japan and to find products that could become popular in the domestic market.

Recently, not only have I been importing sweets that are already distributed overseas, but I've also been increasingly involved in receiving orders from customers to plan and launch their private label brands. Using the knowledge I have gained about domestic and international sweets, I act as a liaison between overseas confectionery manufacturers and domestic clients. I handle brand planning, product sampling, post-launch quality management, and instructing manufacturers on quality control to create "one-of-a-kind" products. In addition, planning and executing advertising and promotional events for the products we handle is an important part of my role. A highlight in my role was organizing and implementing a promotional event for one of our most popular products, "Nerds", we casted and worked with a famous Japanese influencer at a popular cafe in Harajuku to create a concept-cafe.

For those interested in sweets and food, as well as those who love new things, are curious about imported food and goods, or want to bring exciting international products to Japan, I believe Frontier Bussan is the perfect company!

Our company mainly handles imported confectionery and alcoholic beverages, but as a sales representative, I am also responsible for fresh food products like eggs and pumpkins. On a typical day, my main job as a sales representative is to propose the products we handle to local supermarkets, food wholesalers, and wholesale markets. Additionally, I also handle sales to food service chains, and I am in charge of a well-known, large Udon chain that operates nationwide.

In my previous job, I specialized in sales of eggs, and while I wanted to expand my experience by handling different products and a broader range of sales, I came across Frontier Bussan during my job search. At that time, Frontier Bussan did not handle eggs or fresh foods, but President Onishi encouraged me strongly, saying, "Utilize your previous experience and freely develop the egg market, and definitely explore the import of various fresh foods." His words motivated me, and I decided to join the company with a renewed sense of purpose.

As President Onishi mentioned, Frontier Bussan does not have restrictions on the products we handle, and sales representatives have significant autonomy, which allows for a high degree of freedom in our work. As a result, I am able to carry out sales activities with flexibility. With my existing knowledge of the egg industry, I have been able to steadily expand the egg market. However, in terms of fresh foods, both the company and I are still in the early stages of handling them, so the range of products is still limited. That said, recently, I have successfully established import routes for pumpkins from Mexico and New Zealand, and I am working to expand this category into a major pillar of our business.

Fresh food products will always have demand, regardless of the times, and this industry is one where both large and small companies can compete. I believe that with my own efforts, there is great potential for expansion. As a small-to-medium-sized business, we have the advantage of flexibility, and I want to continue developing various products, aiming to establish fresh foods as another key pillar alongside confectionery and alcoholic beverages.

If you're interested in working in a free and flexible sales environment, please feel free to visit us!