An apple a day keeps the doctor away. No, this isn’t the latest Japanese marketing strategy by Steve Jobs el al. The “apple” here really is the fruit variety, and in true Japanese style, peeled, cut and packaged.
Following on from Dole’s success with the banana vending machine in Shibuya last summer, m.V.m have installed a vendor offering apples to Tokyo commuters passing through Kasumigaseki subway station in the center of the city.
Kasumigaseki might be a curious choice; whereas Shibuya is one of the busiest shopping areas in Tokyo, Kasumigaseki is the home of the Japanese national government. So, it’s usually frequented by armies of bureaucrats (hardly known as trend-setters) and basically empty at the weekend.
The vending machine is also rather tucked away near one of the exits (by contrast, Dole even put posters in the stairway near their banana vendor to let people know it was there), and the apples themselves are definitely not a bargain. A single chilled pack costs 190 yen (about $2.30) for just three cuts or 80g. (A whole apple in Japan typically costs around 100 yen.)
However, these aren’t just any apples. These are Aomori Prefecture fruits, without doubt the most famous region in Japan for apples. Consumers definitely do not mind paying a lot for quality fruit and these kinds of apples are regarded as a famous luxury product by Tokyo-ites. A vending machine supplying conveniently cut and peeled slices to add as a healthy addition to your lunch is paradise for these civil servants.
The sales target is up to 100,000 yen (about $1,200) in one month. Sounds high even when the price of the apples is pretty expensive. But certainly on my visit some of the slots were sold out so we shouldn’t underestimate consumer demand for top grade fruits. If it’s a success expect to see apple vendors in other stations.
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