Sluggish CVR and number of reviews solved by introducing U-KOMI! Increased the number of customers who read reviews and made purchases

Kawashimaya (Tohki Co., Ltd.) sells safe and reliable food products carefully selected by producers through its e-commerce platform. Faced with challenges such as low conversion rates (CVR) and review acquisition rates, the company implemented U-KOMI and achieved a significant increase in CVR, the number of reviews, and the review acquisition rate. We spoke with the company’s representative, 河島酉里様, about the background and deciding factors behind the implementation of U-KOMI, as well as the results achieved since its introduction.

Selling carefully selected foods sourced from trusted producers via e-commerce

First, could you tell us about your business?

Since our founding, we have been an e-commerce-only company specializing in the sale of carefully selected foods, such as pesticide-free and organic products. We deal directly with trusted producers both domestically and internationally, and since our founding in 2011, we have delivered products to over 200,000 customers over the past 10 years. Our strength lies in selling products that are difficult
to find in supermarkets, such as items that are hard to mass-produce or those crafted by artisans with great care, one by one.When we first started, the business was so small that I managed inventory from my home, but today we handle over 600 items and have grown to generate annual sales of several hundred million yen. We
also develop our own original products and operate our own manufacturing facility. For example, our “Organic Mixed Vinegar,” which currently ranks number one in sales, is an original product we manufacture in-house.

We identified low conversion rates (CVR) and a lack of reviews as challenges and began considering the implementation of U-KOMI

What challenges did you face with your e-commerce business before implementing the review tool?

Our initial challenge was that our conversion rate (CVR) had been hovering around 2% for a long time, which was slightly below the general e-commerce average. We knew that gathering reviews was crucial for improving the CVR, which is why we focused on reviews. Additionally
, even before introducing the review tool, we had been continuously improving the site’s UI and refining product descriptions and text, but this didn’t lead to a dramatic improvement in the CVR, so we felt more fundamental measures were necessary.

Could you also tell us what prompted you to consider implementing a review tool?

Originally, we were using the review collection feature built into our e-commerce system, but we were only gathering about 50 reviews per month (roughly 1% of buyers), so we wanted to increase both the number of reviews and the collection rate.We were also conducting product
surveys using tools other than the review tool, but the responses were only utilized internally as data and were not accessible to customers. While this was fine for internal sharing, it wasn’t leading to customer purchases, so we felt we needed a new tool to make better use of the data—such as by consolidating surveys and reviews.

What was the deciding factor in choosing U-KOMI?

First, we were attracted by the fact that it could integrate with our existing e-commerce system. We had the impression that many review tools were from overseas, but U-KOMI is a domestic service, which gave us peace of mind regarding the UI and support. The price was also relatively reasonable, so we expected good value for money, and we heard that it integrates well with Instagram, so we felt it offered a wide range of applications.

Achieved a conversion rate (CVR) exceeding our target, with significant increases in both the number of reviews and the acquisition rate

What results did you see after implementing U-KOMI?

First, our engineers provided support during the implementation, which reduced the time and effort required for setup and operation, allowing us to launch the system smoothly. In terms
of concrete results, we saw an increase in new customers after implementation and were able to raise our conversion rate (CVR)—which had been an initial challenge—above our target. Our business is currently growing rapidly, and U-KOMI is playing a key role in that growth.Regarding the number
of reviews collected, we have been able to gather over 500 reviews per month since implementation, which is approximately ten times the previous volume. The conversion rate is around 10%. We didn’t expect to collect this many reviews, so we are very pleased. Additionally, more customers are telling us, “I purchased after reading the reviews,” so I believe the results are quite significant.

Additionally, the engagement rate—the percentage of people who read reviews before making a purchase—is over 80%. Since I understand that the typical engagement rate is 50–60%, this is a very satisfying figure.

Furthermore, displaying star ratings has enabled integration with Google, and I feel this is contributing significantly to new traffic through channels like Google Ads.

Finally, could you tell us about your future plans?

Moving forward, we’d like to expand our integration with Instagram. Since we haven’t been actively managing our Instagram account until now, we plan to strengthen our collaboration with U-KOMI as a starting point for leveraging Instagram.
Additionally, since the platform allows for replying to reviews, setting up Q&A sections, and displaying highlights, we want to enhance our internal systems to implement these features so that customers find our site even easier to use.