We are extremely grateful that we were able to reach our crowdfunding goal in just under a day. Not only did we receive a clear return from the resale of the shawl book, but many customers also donated 7,000 yen, and all of our staff are incredibly grateful. It has given us renewed determination to make our Tokyo store even better than before.
(More about Scholl's book at the end of this article.)
I should have explained the situation before the crowdfunding campaign, but I'd like to explain a little bit about the background, even though it's a little after the fact.
To date, amirisu has moved its Kyoto store once, its Tokyo store twice, and its offices in Nara and Kyoto once each. Not only did it have to pay moving costs, but because these are office and store properties, a fairly large deposit and key money was required, and construction also cost money. For the past 10 years, we've managed to make ends meet with just loans and sales. (Honestly, I'm sick of moving.)
When we opened our Tokyo store four years ago, we really liked the location and the property, and we put a lot of effort into renovating it, thinking we had created the store we had envisioned. However, less than two years later, we were told that the building would be demolished. It was at that time that we discovered that the contract had not included any relocation expenses from the beginning. We were forced to suspect that even when it was known that we would be renting the property, the decision had already been made to sell and demolish the building.
(Two other tenants moved in after us, and I feel sad to think that they may have suffered the same fate.)
Initially, we had intended to hang on to the building until the very last moment before it was demolished, but we were unable to get any confirmation from the owner as to when it would be demolished, so we were unsure how long we would be able to stay there. This time, we have decided to move, although it is a little early.
When I started looking for a property, I was surprised to find that the average rent in the Aoyama area had nearly doubled compared to four years ago. However, I managed to find a property I liked that was within my budget. The property already had a nice interior, and I expected to be able to move in with minimal work.
Due to these circumstances, we have decided to ask for your support through crowdfunding. Since we will be keeping the current fixtures, some aspects may not be suitable for the new store. After the move, as soon as we have saved up enough money, we plan to gradually refurbish the fixtures. Therefore, we will continue crowdfunding until the end of the deadline and use the funds to refurbish the fixtures.
To be honest, we both agonized over whether to relocate again or close the Tokyo store. However, thanks to everyone's warm support, we are relieved that we didn't decide to close the store.
All of our staff will continue to work hard to make our store a great place, so we appreciate your continued support and patronage.
Tanaka Meri
Regarding the resale of Scholl's book
In order to determine the price for the resale, 500 copies have already been printed, and we are unable to increase the number. However, we have received requests from several people who wanted the book and would like it to be printed again.
For now, we would appreciate it if you could register for a restock request on this product page. If we receive more than 250 requests for resale, we plan to print another 500 copies (otherwise we won't be able to sell them at the same price).
We kindly ask for your understanding.