It looks like MBS’s “Chichin Puipui” did a live broadcast today, 3/21, about “Workman Plus,” which opened at LaLaport Koshien.
Chichin Puipui Monday-Friday 13:55-17:50 | MBS Official
What they introduced during the live broadcast
On the program, around 2 p.m., MBS announcer Emi Tamamaki reported live from “Workman Plus,” which was making its first appearance in the Kansai area.
As we reported the other day on Nishi2, customers were being given priority guidance via the dedicated pre-opening waiting line, and it seems the store had entry restrictions in place. The broadcast said some people had to wait more than an hour at most before getting inside. Since it was a public holiday, about 600 people had shopped there from the morning, and the line reportedly never dropped below 100 people until 2 p.m.
They explained three Workman Plus products
In the product segment, they explained that the store carries only women’s items and outdoor goods, and does not sell any workwear at all. They said there are 360 items available.
They introduced three individual products. First was a raincoat for 2,900 yen (tax included). Its features included letting heat escape even when you sweat, and a zipper that makes it difficult for water to get in. It seems to be popular with homemakers who do gardening and people who commute to work or school by bicycle.
The second item was stretch pants for 1,900 yen (tax included). They are light and very stretchy. When folded, they become compact enough to fit in a pocket. Perfect for trips and outings.
The third item was slip-on shoes for 1,500 yen (tax included). They have no shoelaces, are lightweight, and are waterproof. They introduced them as being designed so you can easily go in and out of a camping tent.
A clothing development staff member talked about why Workman Plus was created
A person in charge of women’s clothing development at Workman appeared on the program.
In the conversation, they mentioned that small-sized kitchen shoes started selling well, and that they became popular because people on social media said they were slip-resistant, making them safe for pregnant women even on rainy days.
They also said that workwear is highly functional because it is made for harsh environments. When they added more color options because individual customers wanted something stylish, more people started using the items for outdoor activities and motorcycles. Noticing that trend seems to have led to the opening of Workman Plus.
It sounds like they look at comments from general users on social media and end up making products from them, so if there’s something you want them to make, tweeting about it might be a good idea.
The reason for the low prices was clear
When asked about the low prices, they answered that because workwear designs do not change the following year, and because Workman has 800 stores nationwide, they can make a lot and sell a lot, which lets them offer products cheaply.
Comments from the show’s cast
Guest commentator Peeco also said, “Maybe they could make items for older people too?” and “The designs are clean, so they look easy to match with anything.”
Also, Gal Sone’s shoe size is 23.5 cm.
MC Hiroyuki Yamamoto apparently wears size M clothing.
Overall, since Workman’s commercials used to feature a song by Ikuzo Yoshi, they kept repeating “breaking away from Ikuzo Yoshi.”
Today’s Workman Plus tweets
ららぽーと甲子園のワークマンプラスの大行列やばいだろ💦 pic.twitter.com/ihIZD1G1xZ
— つんつん！【大阪38歳ドンだー】 (@tuntun1980) 2019年3月21日
ららぽーと甲子園ワークマンプラスすっげー行列Σ(ﾟДﾟ) pic.twitter.com/1HBVTmqFeY
— なーくん (@guregoroXJR0008) 2019年3月21日
あーつかれた
ワークマンプラス行こうと思ったら入場制限されてて行けんかった
だる pic.twitter.com/7oSym57oWi— のりぴー (@noripe_konbu) 2019年3月21日
As expected, it’s getting attention on TV. Next, Decathlon will be opening at Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens, so that will probably be reported on TV too.
