PROPELa × Kokuyo's Co-Developed Local E-Commerce Platform Launches in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture as 'Sakura Gurguru Agri Market'!

PROPELa Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yuichiro Yamanaka; hereinafter 'PROPELa'), which operates the region-specific local e-commerce service 'Monokoto Market,' announces that its self-developed platform, being demonstrated and promoted in collaboration with Kokuyo Co., Ltd., has been selected for a pilot implementation project in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture. Accordingly, the portal site 'Sakura Gurguru Agri Market' will commence pilot operations from Wednesday, July 15, Reiwa 8.

1. Background of Participation and Regional Challenges Solved by 'Monokoto Market'

In recent years, consumer interest in food, agriculture, and rural areas has increased, with growing voices such as 'I want to participate in harvest experiences' and 'I want to contribute to local communities through volunteer farming.' However, information from host sides is scattered across various sources, making it difficult for people to find opportunities to participate. Additionally, local farmers face significant operational burdens related to online outreach and e-commerce mall management, making it challenging for individual farmers to expand sales channels or build loyal customer bases.

The 'Monokoto Market' platform provided by our company enables the integrated promotion and sale of regional products (Monos), experiences (Kotos), and information (Notes)—a system that builds 'local e-commerce.' Inventory management and customer service can be easily handled by each seller via smartphone, allowing the construction of an e-commerce mall across the region while minimizing operational burdens. Following a demonstration experiment conducted in Kamiyama Town, Tokushima Prefecture, from November last year in collaboration with local businesses, this initiative will now operate in collaboration with the Sakura City Regional Agriculture Revitalization Council and the Sakura City Government's Agricultural Policy Division as a 'demonstration infrastructure aimed at promoting agriculture and creating relational populations in Sakura City.'

2. Deployment and Features of 'Sakura Gurguru Agri Market' in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture

'Sakura Gurguru Agri' is the name of a brochure issued by Sakura City that introduces local farmers engaged in environmentally friendly agriculture. The name expresses the desire for people to 'circle around' Sakura's fields and paddies and enjoy delicious 'gourmet' experiences.

'Sakura Gurguru Agri Market' is an initiative by the city to create a portal site that aggregates individual farmers' outreach efforts—such as harvest experience programs and volunteer farming recruitment—that are often difficult to fully introduce in brochures and tend to get buried in fragmented information. Alongside the city's promotion of 'Shisan Chishou' ('knowing' Sakura's agriculture and agricultural products, then 'consuming' them), the following systems will be provided:

① Integrated Reservation and Payment Management for Products (Monos) and Experiences (Kotos)

Beyond the sale of fresh agricultural products and processed goods, the platform will integrate and manage reservations for experiences and workshops, as well as 'volunteer farming recruitment' calls for helping with farm work—all within a single platform. This creates new touchpoints for consumers to engage with Sakura's agriculture.

② Sustained Fan Engagement through Integration of Real-World Events and Online Platforms

An environment will be created where consumers who encounter the platform at real-world events such as local festivals or storefronts can place additional orders or make repeat purchases online after returning home. This aims to move beyond one-time purchases, fostering a 'relational population' of citizens who resonate with farmers' 'thoughts (Notes)' and continue to support them as loyal fans.

③ Zero-Burden Participation for Farmers

During this fiscal year's pilot period, participating farmers can list products on the e-commerce mall without bearing fixed system usage fees or other costs. PROPELa will provide on-site explanatory sessions and onboarding support to assist local farmers in smoothly adopting digital tools, supporting them toward self-sustained operations by farmers themselves in the following fiscal year and beyond.

3. Overview of Pilot Operations

Platform Implemented: Monokoto Market (Name in Sakura City: Sakura Gurguru Agri Market)

Pilot Period: Wednesday, July 15, Reiwa 8 – End of February, Reiwa 9 (planned)

Market Owner: Sakura City Regional Agriculture Revitalization Council (Secretariat: Sakura City Government Agricultural Policy Division)

Presenters (Sellers): Full members of the 'Sakura City Association for Promoting Environmentally Friendly Agriculture,' Multi-Functional Payment Program Activity Groups, etc.

System Development and Provision: PROPELa Inc.

4. Future Outlook – From 'Empathy' to 'Co-Connection'

In response to the challenge of 'sustainability within a shrinking society' that we face, PROPELa Inc. provides infrastructure that enables regions to operate independently—returning value and data generated from regional resources to local economies and tourism policies. The company aims to connect 'empathy' toward regional charm to 'co-connection,' where people actively engage and nurture communities together.

Through collaboration with Kokuyo Co., Ltd., PROPELa has implemented local e-commerce solutions in Kamiyama Town, Tokushima Prefecture (starting November last year), Katsuragawa City, Kyoto Prefecture, Moriya City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Nishikawa Town, Yamagata Prefecture, and now Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture. These initiatives are not limited to municipalities as organizers; many involve public corporations or local private businesses as market owners. The company aims to open 12 markets by the end of this fiscal year. Moving forward, PROPELa will continue expanding nationwide to local governments and regional hubs, implementing its 'co-connection model' to support the creation of 'relational populations' and 'self-sustaining regional economies,' aiming to enhance the sustainability of rural areas.

5. Inquiries Regarding This Matter

PROPELa Inc. Contact: Yamanaka

URL: https://propela.co.jp/

Service LP: https://monokoto-market.studio.site/