<Remarks by Sembikiya Fruit Co. Executive Director Ushio Oshima at the national peach research conference held in Okayama on Sunday, May 15, sponsored by the national research council for fruit trees>
Sembikiya is a fruit shop founded 180 years ago in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Now we operate 17 shops including fruit parlors, and sell processed items as well as fresh fruits. We have separate companies in Kyobashi and Ginza, which make Sembikiya a group of three firms.
Our main customers have been companies buying our products to send as gifts, but recently individual customers are increasing, especially in stores located in high-end residential areas. Average sale per customer is nearly JPY9,000. In our main store, we sell more than 100 of melons priced JPY10,000 to JPY20,000 each a day at a peak period.
Peaches are the most popular as summer gifts. Customers would buy a peach even at a price of JPY2,000 to JPY2,500 if the sugar content is 14 degrees Brix or more. Processed products, such as a pack of three peach jellies priced at JPY6,500, are also selling well. The most popular menu item in our fruit parlor is a 2,000-yen peach parfait which sells 180 per day.
Japanese-grown fruits are highly evaluated overseas. We receive million-yen orders from Middle East countries. Celebrities from Asian nations come to buy our fruits using private jets. People around the world recognize the deliciousness of Japanese fruits.
(May 27, 2014)