The remodeling of the Isetan Shinjuku store is underway. The third floor, the fashion floor, opened on December 5th of last year, and the final grand opening is scheduled for March 6th. As a customer, I'm curious to see how things are progressing. I spoke with Naka Yoji, general manager of the Isetan Shinjuku main store.

--I was worried we'd gone too far--

I've covered Isetan many times, but this was my first time meeting Naka, the store manager. I was a little nervous going into the interview. Everything he had to say was fascinating. Naka's eloquence likely contributed to this, but there was actually a lot I learned just by listening.

The biggest change in the remodeling on December 5th was the dramatic change in the interior image. A completely revamped sales floor, created by interior designer Yasumichi Morita, has been unveiled.
"I was a little worried we'd gone too far," Naka begins. When I asked, I was told that they were a little worried that customers would get dizzy because they had deliberately chosen a different lighting and materials for the space. However, my fears were unfounded. Overall, many people responded positively. I was also hesitant, having been accustomed to the traditional sales floor, but I felt that the new store conveyed a vibrant, varied, and energetic atmosphere. "We believe that we are no longer in an era where 'uniform design' is necessary. Our goal was to create harmony even in a heterogeneous environment," Naka said. Aside from the creation of promotional spaces called "parks" on each floor, "we deliberately avoided a vertically-oriented design." Looking back, in 2003, the Men's Building introduced a unified sales floor across all brands. It was still fresh in our memory that it attracted a great deal of attention as a space that broke the traditional department store mold. Since then, the unified environment has spread to food, accessories, and women's clothing. Other department stores have followed suit. Homogeneous sales floors became widespread and established.

--Striving for "uneven harmony"--

This latest remodel aims to do the opposite. The concept is "uneven harmony." Each floor and each department is deliberately not required to meet uniform standards, allowing each to express its own unique character. "The essence of fashion is that new and unexpected things happen. This store sells fashion," says Naka.

I completely agree. Women have a hard time understanding the appeal of something that's too neat. Perhaps sensation and reality take precedence over theory and logic. This is also evident in the words of a woman who, in response to a man who enjoys trivia, said, "It's more about whether something is cute or not."

The newly remodeled department store is interesting in this sense, too. There are signs that the joy of wandering around, wondering "what's there?", is returning to department stores. This is something that extends beyond the sales floor environment, to the products, salespeople, and everything else. As a "store selling fashion," it must always convey elements that inspire excitement. Keeping the sales floor, like a living thing, dynamic and appealing requires the tireless efforts of its employees. Maintaining and evolving this will be crucial.

--Sales floors that draw customers in from the front of the store--

"The storefront floor space for the women's group has decreased by about 8%, and the number of in-store SKUs has probably decreased by more than 10%." This was a novel move for a department store that has traditionally favored expanding its sales floors. When asked why, they said, "Even if an item isn't in stock, we're carrying more SKUs, so it's not a problem." They plan to proactively expand their services, including checking inventory in the warehouse and quickly delivering it to customers, and instantly checking inventory and ordering items that aren't in stock on tablets. To that end, comfortable sofas and private rooms are placed throughout the sales floor, providing customers with space to relax and choose their own fashion.

What's important is the depth of customer service. How they draw customers from the front of the store to the back of the store depends largely on the skill of the sales staff. I would like to give a big cheer to Isetan's intention to take on this challenge. If they can achieve this, I'm sure the essence of a department store will be restored, and as a department store fan, that's what I want to see happen.