CASE 13 Supporting a Dutch company manufacturing and marketing coffee capsules in its business expansion to Japan (Sales Expansion / Business Matching)

Euro Caps is a rapidly growing Dutch company, which has achieved great success in the European and American markets as a manufacturer of high-quality coffee capsules. The company secured a foothold in developing business in Tokyo by receiving market development and business matching support from the Business Development Center TOKYO (BDCT).

Inquiry

Request for support in launching business in Japan, including access to market information for sales expansion, business matchups, participation in events (FOODEX JAPAN 2017).

Support

Market information
Setting up meetings and sales visits to potential customers
Preparation of contracts
Organizing a seminar held at the Embassy of the Netherlands (gathering participants, translation and interpretation)
Translation of product catalogues and company profile into Japanese
Booth at FOODEX Japan 2017 (translation/interpretation, visitor follow-up)

Embassy of the Netherlands, Ambassador, Mr. Aart Jacobi (right) and Euro Caps, Export General Manager, Mr.
Murat Turan (left) at Euro Caps' booth at FOODEX Japan 2017

Comments from the Company

☆ Tokyo is a business hub linking to other Asian markets. We want to develop our business in Tokyo, following our success in the EU and US markets.: We decided to set up our business in Tokyo after receiving a very good response from visitors at FOODEX JAPAN 2015 and 2016. We believe that Tokyo is a vibrant business hub (center) that offers access to other Asian markets. As a company in the food business, we want our brand and products to be tied with Japan and the international allure of Tokyo. We think Tokyo is the right place to translate our success in the EU and US markets, where we are working with major retailers and have successfully developed private label coffee capsules for retailers and coffee roasters. To do this, we need to build relationships of trust and close collaboration. We feel that Tokyo and Japan offer conditions that allow us to reach Japanese and Asian customers. So far, we have encountered few problems in establishing our business here in Tokyo.
☆　We were able to obtain information on the Japanese coffee market and related companies from the BDCT, which is necessary to sell and manufacture our products in Japan.: To market our products, it was important to understand the coffee market in Japan in terms of who the consumers are and how coffee is consumed. It was similarly important to know companies actively operating in Japan and their structures in order to approach the best candidates interested in working with us as private label coffee capsule producers. Compatible coffee capsules are a relatively new trend in Japan, and Euro Caps has the largest share of Nespresso and Dolcé Gusto compatible capsules in the world. Because of this, we need large customers. The support we received from the BDCT in finding such customers, including accompanying our visits to about 20 retailers, such as supermarkets, and building relationships with them, proved very valuable.
☆　We wish to continue to receive the BDCT's support, as we expand our business.: So far, we have only set up a representative office in Tokyo. This will become an important base as our business grows and we change our structure.
To develop our business, we need some time to get used to the way business is organized in Japan. In the future, we might be importing and distributing our products. There is also a possibility that we start working with an existing distribution company. In any case, we want to proceed at our pace, and the long-term support and advice provided by the BDCT in this growth process is important.
☆　Advice for future users of the BDCT service: 　Make sure that you have all your questions ready and also have a very concrete idea of what you want to achieve with your business. This will allow the BDCT to provide very specific support.

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