Innovation by Retail Store Salespersons:

Abstract

This paper proposes a new value for retail store salespersons in response to the low productivity of the Japanese retail industry compared with that of the United States. The new value is innovation by retail store salespersons. Green Label Relaxing of United Arrows LTD., a Japanese apparel retailer, has launched a co-creation project on the basis of the ideas of store salespersons, who are the lead users inside a company, achieving effective results. First, the background of the introduction of the co-creation project, its outline, and its new products are explained. Next, the factors that enable store salespersons to contribute to innovation and a comparison of the results of the co-creation project with those of ordinary planning and development are explained. Finally, the factors that make the co-creation project successful are summarized in two points. First, by soliciting ideas from the public, salespersons who have high lead userness and can integrate their needs with customer needs can become involved. This high level of lead userness leads to better market results and greater evaluations of ideas. Second, the co-creation project functions effectively because of co-creation with the product development department in the co-creation project and the increase in motivation. This co-creation project leads to a greater evaluation of market outcomes and ideas.

Keywords

• user innovation
• lead users
• embedded lead users
• lead users inside the company
• apparel retailing