Society New tools for timid shoppers

Jeong Yeongsu, 35, who works in Tokyo, feels awkward when sales assistants talk to him. "I know store employees are trained to speak to customers. But as I don't care much about my fashion and hairstyle, I'm unable to answer when they ask various questions," he said. But as he does not want to offend them, "I end up buying even unnecessary items," he added with a wry grin. But Jeong has found at least one shop that suits his personality. He has recently begun patronizing Percut, a hair salon chain for men. Percut is designed with shy customers in mind. The chain's app has a "no customer service" button. If someone prefers not to talk with his stylist, he can choose that option when making an appointment. The app also allows customers to specify what kind of treatments they want. Choosing the "same treatment as the last visit" further minimizes the need for conversation. "I will definitely use such app functions next time," he said.

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Cake.jp, which sells sweets online, installed a vending machine for White Day in a shopping complex at Kyushu Railway's Hakata Station in the city of Fukuoka in March, as some men are reluctant to be seen buying sweets for women in return for receiving Valentine's Day chocolates, as is the custom in Japan. A 2022 survey by Tokyo-based Cake.jp found that 14% of men were embarrassed to shop for White Day gifts, while 20% felt the same about waiting in line at shops.

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Self-service is another option that shy people appreciate. Kura Sushi is popular with such customers, particularly its "Smart Kura Sushi " service, which was introduced at all its revolving sushi restaurants by the end of 2021. Customers, who book the service using the app and confirm their tables at a restaurant terminal, can place orders and settle the bill with their smartphones without speaking to restaurant staff at all.

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