Fude Japan (Makeup brushes from Japan)

Hi Everyone,

Today, I want to talk about the process of buying limited products in Japan.

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How do I get a limited product?

This is what I do.

First, I try to reserve a limited product in advance.  Usually two weeks or one before a sales date.

It is the easiest and I don’t have to wait in a long line on the first day of sale. 

But sometimes it is difficult.

When a product is really popular, a shop doesn’t accept a call to the representative number of a department store by which I can have them call me back. 

Some shops say that we should call a direct number only. And a phone never goes through….even with many attempts in a day.

Therefore, I sometimes call shops, outside Tokyo, have products sent by mail because local shops have fewer clients. For example, Okayama or Sapporo.  But they have fewer products available ( !) so the situation may not be much different.

If I cannot talk to a shop, I call them on the first day of sale. 

And if a phone doesn’t still go through, I go to a shop in person. 

That is how I usually do.

I try to avoid to buy on the first day. Even if I am at a shop, they limit the number of products per person. 

I find Chinese tourists come with family members so that they can get more. That is how it should be done….

I do only by myself.  So I sometimes come back on the second day.

The most difficult one  was Shu Uemura Pokemon. 

I waited in line for one hour and got nothing. 

I explained and apologized to my clients at the time. 

I really felt sorry for my clients because my clients reserved one month in advance. 

One issue here is that makeup shop employees are not evaluated by an individual performance for a commission except for some foreign brands  – Dior and Chanel evaluate individual performance more, I reckon.

Most of the cases, Japanese shops are evaluated on a shop basis  so it is hard for me to ask a special favor. A member is not motivated by getting more sales. 

Regardless, I  know some people who know me and what I do, and are willing to help me.

It must have been a moment when their perception changed from a strange guy asking a swatch and taking a picture to  a Fude Japan business person (LOL).

If they trust me, it gets easy. Trust is a key.

Well, these days I get more and more comfortable in getting limited.

I am always amazed that my clients get information on limited products earlier than I do.

FYI, if you look for limited products on the web,

limted is 限定

makeup is メイクアップ

makeup brush is　化粧筆

thank you for reading!

Toshiya