Takuya Hayashi | SMB | online & offline merchant | Japan

In 2020 Hinoya celebrated its 70th anniversary, this local Tokyo-based company has grown from a neighborhood store to an international business. It is one of the iconic stores in the Ameyoko district, Ueno held by Takuya Hayashi, the store manager, a vintage and US clothing enthusiast who knew how to give a new impulse to the store. Today we had the opportunity to talk with him.

  • Could you tell us a bit about the history of Hinoya?
    “The main store, at the origin of HINOYA, accompanied the history of jeans in Japan with imports of American surplus. It is an institution that both Japanese and tourists appreciate. In the 80’s and early 90’s, there was a big American vintage movement, and a lot of American workwear, denim, leather jackets and motorcycle clothing went to Japan. A collector’s store for American vintage with rare pieces, it has some of the finest and best preserved specimens that collectors crave. It’s a connoisseur’s business with customers all over the world and prices that sometimes reach hundreds of euros.”
  • What is Hinoya’s strategy for business development?
    “We are a store for connoisseurs and vintage lovers. Some of our customers even dress only in second hand clothes! We wanted to allow our loyal customers to be recognized with a points-based loyalty system. But our loyal customers are just as likely to be in the next street as in Texas! That’s why we established a points system on our website. Our motto is to make the customer experience easy, everything must be seamless to focus on the love of unique clothing. We have developed a new brand SUN HOUSE to complement our historical offer: it is a concept store that goes beyond denim clothing to gather all the pieces that touch us. This brand is a state of mind.
  • Lately, we have been observing a development of Hinoya’s activities internationally, what are the stakes?
    “Our pieces are expensive and only enthusiasts can accept to put $400 in a second hand Peanuts T-shirt, because it has a history… and a great rarity. Our collector customer doesn’t necessarily travel easily to Tokyo. It’s our piece that has to come to him. Our Japanese customers have shied away from our coins in recent years, but American customers have come back in droves especially after an article in the Times. We needed an online payment solution that was secure and very easy for customers to use. American customers are suspicious and often sent us messages to make transfers, it was very complicated and time consuming! Our sales people have time to give details about the denim and our collectibles… but not to deal with banking questions by email and in English. Since we switched to secure online payment, the messages have almost disappeared!”
  • What are the upcoming challenges for Hinoya?
    “We want to further develop our presence on social networks to support our growth and increase our visibility. We are still not very well known in Europe for example. We have realized that the solutions we have put in place with the international market in mind, such as online payment, have also finally seduced local customers: not wanting to travel anymore, being sure to have THE unique piece they have spotted.”

By combining history and modernity, Hinoya manages to give a new impetus to the vintage business, to the delight of collectors everywhere. By introducing original perspectives, the company has succeeded in establishing itself internationally as an important player in this growing market.

STORYLINE:
Takuya Hayashi, manager of an iconic store on Tokyo’s shopping street, looks back at what made his physical flagship store successful before it became a global online store. To delve into the history of Hinoya is to explore the whole history of jeans in Japan, with the importation of American surplus and the great vintage movement of the 80s. Takuya Hayashi explains to our journalist the dynamics of this historic business for connoisseurs… which has taken a digital turn. He asks about the challenges ahead, in particular the development of social networks to support its growth and increase its visibility, as well as the business solutions it has implemented to facilitate the international customer experience… and how this is finally also appealing to its local Japanese customers!

WHO?
Takuya Hayashi, manager of Hinoya, an iconic American thrift store in Tokyo’s Ueno Ward. He explains how to reach the world’s collectors from his local store. 

FOR WHOM? 
To inspire ultra-specialists, a niche market to expand on internationally with the Internet and SN. 

WHAT DOES HE CARE ABOUT?
Being able to talk to customers wherever he is in the world, as long as they are interested in vintage jeans! 

METHOD USED
A local article written by a Tokyo journalist who understands the expectations and subtleties of the Japanese market.