Increase sales! "Akachan Honpo" - a store that embodies emotional value through co-creation
CCC and Akachan Honpo advanced a co-creation project embodying 'Childcare with a smile,' producing spaces at Izumi, Shinmisato and Anjo stores. (Updated Sep 5, 2025)
Creating "emotional value" is a challenge
Traditionally, Akachan Honpo has developed and operated stores with an emphasis on "functional value" such as product selection, price, and convenience. However, with the market shrinking due to the declining birthrate and the need to differentiate from competitors increasing, he felt the importance of "emotional value" that resonates with customers. Furthermore, as lifestyles of the child-rearing generation become more diverse, it is now believed that providing emotional value such as a sense of security, empathy, and enjoyment, rather than simply providing products, will lead to brand credibility and a reason for being chosen. On the other hand, there was also a sense of in-house lack of know-how and knowledge regarding creating stores that take emotional value into consideration, and so the company sought to create new value through collaboration with external partners. Among them, CCC worked on "A PIT AUTOBACSFocusing on spatial production examples such as "," we started a co-creation project with CCC in November 2022.
Creating emotional value through "store development that enhances customer experience"
The project started with the selection of the keyword "creating a store that makes people smile."Not only does this embody Akachan Honpo's vision of being a "company that provides comprehensive support for child-rearing" and the brand's strength of "being thoroughly familiar with life with a baby," but by constantly sharing the question "Will this bring a smile to our customers' faces?" between the two companies, we have been able to clarify our values and the direction we are aiming for, and make speedy and consistent decisions.
This keyword-based perspective was subsequently reflected in many aspects of the sales floor design. The project was based on the concept of "a place where the important things in life with a baby come together," and at the first store (Izumi store), we installed a plaza where parents and children can relax while shopping and introduced wall fixtures. By proactively incorporating elements that may at first glance seem "useless" in traditional store design that emphasizes functionality, from the customer's perspective, customer length of stay and satisfaction increased, leading to the creation of emotional value. At the subsequent second store (Shin-Misato store) and third store (Anjo store), best-selling products were not simply placed along the main flow lines, but the direction, color, and height of the shelves were finely adjusted down to the inch, and various measures were taken to enhance the overall impression of the space and the customer experience, resulting in a space design that was in tune with the customer's line of sight, flow, and emotions.
Accumulating knowledge through "co-creation" rather than ordering
Another major feature of this project is that it was carried out in a "co-creation" format rather than a traditional "order-buying" relationship. As CCC is also a retail business, it was mutually beneficial for us to share the same perspective on sustainability, not just in qualitative discussions, but also as an initiative that takes into account return on investment and business plans. By sharing CCC's spatial design and planning capabilities with Akachan Honpo's specialized knowledge and customer understanding in the childcare field, we aimed to go beyond simple store renovations and instead accumulate and grow organizational knowledge.
Additionally, as part of efforts to increase Akachan Honpo's self-sufficiency, we also gradually adjusted the assignments and roles of project members. For the first store, CCC handled everything from market research to concept design, space design, and progress management, while from the second store onwards, project management was gradually transferred to Akachan Honpo, allowing the company to absorb CCC's know-how and take the initiative in creating the stores. By creating a system in which Akachan Honpo could operate independently while CCC worked alongside them, we were able to create a system that would enable us to carry out sustainable "store development with an awareness of emotional value" rather than a one-off project.
New stores also exceed sales targets
The project's culmination was the new Anjo store, which saw many customers visit and achieved significant results, exceeding the initial sales plan. Customer satisfaction has also been extremely high, with customer satisfaction at the Izumi store increasing by 10% compared to before the renovation, and at the Shinmisato store, customer satisfaction has increased by 5% and sales are showing steady growth, embodying the project's keyword of "creating a store with a smile."This collaborative model is highly regarded as it combines the strengths of both companies.
Space production that combines "execution ability" and "accompanying ability"
As the retail industry moves increasingly online, there is a growing need to redefine the meaning of visiting a store, both for store development and for existing brands. CCC's spatial production goes beyond simple design proposals; it utilizes databases to create spaces that prioritize customer experience, based on ideas and planning skills from the consumer's perspective. Furthermore, we have the "ability to execute" and "ability to accompany" projects, accompanying them through the implementation phase and working together to solve problems and make adjustments on-site. This allows us to share know-how and accumulate knowledge that can create emotional value in-house even after the project is complete.