Sectors & markets

Hummingbag : reusable bags in the land of disposable packaging

Hummingbag designs and manufactures reusable bags made from recyclable materials, tailored to its clients’ needs. The company, based in Hong Kong, decided to enter the Japanese market after a first trip to Tokyo in 2011 : “We were told that it would be difficult to sell bags in Japan, that our product did not offer enough added value. When we arrived, we immediately noticed the following : bags are mostly intended for single use and are not aesthetic at all. We therefore decided to take our chance.”

In 2012, Hummingbag took part in the Tokyo International Gift Show. There, Cécile Chaigneau, Head of Sales, met the Seijo Ishi group, with whom Hummingbag signed its first sale four months later. Building on this experience, Hummingbag turned to CCI France Japan to structure its development project: “We found a few clients through our website, but our direct prospecting, without a real command of Japanese and above all without being introduced, led to nothing. We then heard that CCI France Japan could help us save a great deal of time.”

In 2014, after two months of preparation, the team from the Business Support Service of CCI France Japan organized a series of meetings for Hummingbag with fifteen Japanese companies, including major agri food distributors and firms specialized in events and communication. “I realize how important it is to come and meet your counterparts in Japan. We are not the only ones manufacturing this type of bag, but we arrived at the right time and met the right people. Without CCI France Japan, we probably would not have been able to move forward so quickly”, explains Cécile Chaigneau.

The connection was particularly strong with CGC. This group, a cooperative serving gourmet grocery chains and Japanese supermarkets, has outlets in nearly 4,000 stores. “They had only one reusable bag, and it was not very attractive. It took us a long time to agree on a design and colors. In the end, they trusted us and placed an initial order for 400 retail outlets.” Hummingbag also carried out a communication campaign with Mart magazine, which they met during the mission. For its 10th anniversary, the magazine offered two “grocery shopping bags” designed by Hummingbag to its readers.

Since entering the Japanese market, Hummingbag has sold 800,000 bags. “It is a good start, and we are in a very positive dynamic”, says Cécile Chaigneau. “Our partners trust us, and the brand managers we work with, CGC, Lawson, and Kitano, are highly motivated. We are now waiting for the reaction of the real jury: the consumer”.