Kagoshima-focused direct-to-consumer e-commerce site 'Kagoshima Gururi' joins the 'Save the Sweet Potato' (SSP) platform

welzo (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; President: Yoshifumi Kanao) operates the 'Save the Sweet Potato' (SSP) platform, which leads the expansion and development of the sweet potato economic zone. Recently, Orbision (Headquarters: Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture; CEO: Junshi Ozono), which operates the direct-to-consumer e-commerce site 'Kagoshima Gururi' for Kagoshima agricultural and processed products, has joined the SSP. This addition brings powerful 'sales and PR' capabilities to the sweet potato economic zone.

'Kagoshima Gururi' is an e-commerce site that delivers Kagoshima-grown agricultural and processed products nationwide. CEO Junshi Ozono, raised in a farming family in Minamikyushu City, founded the company in September 2021 after gaining experience in sales and PR at a mail-order company, driven by the desire to 'create an environment where producers can focus on craftsmanship from the sales side.' The concept is based on three pillars: 'Kagoshima-grown,' 'Passion,' and 'Safety and Security.' The company defines its role as 'translating and delivering' the dedication of producers, growing through a combination of e-commerce and offline activities like pop-up stores and food education events.

Regarding the background of joining the SSP, Ozono stated, 'There is a limit to what one company can do. While PR and sales are our strengths, collaborating with experts in other areas is more beneficial for producers.' Moving forward, the partnership aims to strengthen the distribution of products from SSP-participating producers, jointly disseminate information related to sweet potatoes, coordinate offline initiatives, and enhance the Kagoshima brand by linking food and tourism.