Tuna, which is familiar to Japanese people through sushi and sashimi, has recently become a popular food in the United States and other Asian countries. The consumption of fresh tuna
Bulk sales is gaining attention as a zero-waste purchasing method. Its characteristic feature is that it is a sustainable sales method that generates no wrapping paper or other waste, since the products are packed in containers that consumers bring with them.
In addition to what can be sold by weight in restaurants and what points should be kept in mind, we will introduce the merits of working on selling by weight and actual case studies of actual introduction.
What is Bulk Sales?
Bulk sales refers to a sales method in which products are packed in containers brought by consumers.
Since products are not packaged, no plastic or other waste is produced, which reduces the burden on the environment and leads to the zero-waste concept. Zero-waste refers to activities to reduce waste as much as possible with the goal of “zero waste.”
In recent years, the number of bulk stores (stores that sell by weight) has been increasing across the country due to the impact of the SDGs and growing awareness of environmental issues.
Each store has its own development method, ranging from “specialty stores” where all products are sold by weight to small-scale stores that set up a corner of the store where products are sold by weight.
Items that can be sold in bulk at restaurants
Items that can be sold by weight in restaurants include a variety of items, such as menu items served in the restaurant and food and sundries purchased in the restaurant. No permit or notification is required for daily necessities and sundries.
Regarding permits and notifications for selling food products by weight, the response differs depending on the sales method, scale, items handled, and legal revisions. The basic details are described in the following chapters, but you need to check with the competent health center before actually engaging in such activities.
What can be sold by weight with a restaurant business license
If the restaurant has a restaurant business license, food items served as the menu in the restaurant can basically be sold by weight.
However, if the current license is for “restaurant business under the old law” prior to June 1, 2021, it is necessary to obtain a new license for “restaurant business under the new law,” depending on the items to be handled.
Examples of items that cannot be handled under the old law for restaurant business licenses are as follows
- Confectionery (bread, cakes, etc.)
- soft serve ice cream
- Meat products (roast pork, roast beef, etc.)
Since the items that can be sold by weight differ before and after the revision of the law, switch to a permit for “restaurant business based on the new law” if necessary.
Permits and notifications required in addition to the restaurant business license
In some cases, depending on the products handled in the weighing business, permits and notifications may be required in addition to the restaurant business license.
For example, if a restaurant does not offer raw meat as a menu item in the restaurant, but wishes to sell raw meat by bulk sales, a meat sales business license (handling unpackaged products) is required.
- Meat sales business (handling of unpackaged products)
- Seafood sales business (handling of unpackaged products)
Another example that requires notification is when a restaurant sells locally grown vegetables by bulk sales, even though they are not served on the menu in the restaurant.
- Dairy sales
- Vegetable and fruit sales
The required permits and notifications vary depending on the product to be sold by weight and legal revisions, so check with the public health center in charge before introducing a scale.
Attractiveness and advantages for restaurants to engage in bulk sales
The following is an explanation of the attractions and benefits of selling by weight for restaurants. By being one of the first to adopt the selling by weight method, restaurants will be able to differentiate themselves from their rivals.
Can promote zero-waste and SDGs initiatives
Weighing is connected to the “zero-waste” approach of reducing waste as much as possible toward the goal of zero waste, and to the SDGs’ concept of sustainable production and consumption.
The introduction of a weighing system would be effective PR for restaurants if it communicates that they are reducing waste and making conscious efforts to address environmental issues.
In addition, as awareness of the SDGs grows worldwide, some overseas companies are having their shareholders evaluate the way they address environmental issues. In Japan, companies are expected to follow this trend and promote more and more initiatives.
Reduce packaging costs
Weighing eliminates the need to package products, thus reducing packaging labor and material costs.
Another advantage is that reduced packaging costs can be allocated to other costs, such as product development and labor costs.
However, some companies sell individually packaged products by weight. In such cases, it should be noted that this is not environmentally friendly because of the waste generated by the packaging.
We can expect to adopt Generation Z
In the current situation where there is concern about a shortage of human resources, employment of young people is essential for corporate growth.
Generation Z tends to be more aware of environmental issues such as the SDGs than other generations. As a result, they have a favorable impression of companies that are committed to the SDGs and are more likely than other generations “to want to work for such companies and use their products and services.”
If the company can show that it is committed to zero-waste and the SDGs by selling by volume, it can expect to recruit Generation Z.
What restaurants need to know about selling in bulk
Inform customers to bring their own containers
When selling by weight, customers should be asked to bring their own containers or purchase deposit containers.
If customers purchase a deposit container every time they do so, they are out of line with the intent of waste reduction. Let them know that repeated use of containers leads to zero-waste and encourage them to bring their own containers.
act in a sanitary manner
When selling food by weight, it is necessary to maintain hygiene. Particularly when selling cooked or fresh foods such as raw meat, great care must be taken to prevent food poisoning.
Below is an example of what to check when weighing food products.
- Is the menu suitable for selling by weight
- Is it sufficiently heated
- Appropriate temperature control
- Do you make it known to eat immediately
Please make sure that the food is hygienically safe to put in containers brought by customers.
Pay attention to the labeling of foods that can cause food allergies
There is no obligation to label foods that may cause food allergies when selling by weight. However, it is advisable to provide information to customers with food allergies to prevent health hazards.
It is important to take measures such as placing stickers on foods that contain food allergy-causing substances at the time of sale that indicate these items.
Recognize the difference between “bulk sales” and “refills”
A quantity sale is the sale of the desired product and amount in a container brought by the customer. On the other hand, “refilling” under the Liquor Tax Law refers to the sale of alcoholic beverages purchased by a liquor distributor, etc., in small quantities in advance in different containers.
It should be noted that the legal treatment of selling by weight is different from that of refilling, in which products are sold in small portions in advance, because it is a sales method in which products are placed on the spot in containers brought by the customer.
Eight examples of bulk sales are presented
This section introduces some examples of selling by weight that restaurants can also engage in. In Japan, there are very few examples of restaurants selling by weight, so if they are quick to introduce it, they will be able to distinguish themselves from other restaurants.
1. TRIODE
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“TRIODE” is a bulk cake café in Gangnam, Korea, where customers can order the amount they want to eat from 100 grams or more, thus reducing food loss.
Arrange the cakes divided by scoops with toppings of your choice. Fruits and herbs are sprinkled on the cake, making it very photogenic.
Bulk cake cafes are expected to increase in Japan in the future, as “cakes by weight” was ranked in the café/gourmet category in the “Trend Predictions for 2024 by Gen Z Girls” published by SHIBUYA109 lab.
2. OIL & VINEGAR Restaurant Mizuho
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OIL & VINEGAR Restaurant Mizuho, located in Meguro-ku, Tokyo, is a restaurant based on the concept of extra virgin oil, flavored oil and vinegar.
For cooking, extra virgin oils, flavored oils and vinegars that meet the global standards set by the IOC (International Olive Council) are used.
Oils and vinegars that are liked during a meal could be purchased by the bottle by weight. This would be easy to introduce in restaurants that serve dishes that take advantage of oils and vinegars.
3. Totoya Inc. Kyoto Main Store
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Totoya Inc. Kyoto Main Store, located in Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, is a supermarket specializing in selling a wide variety of foodstuffs by weight. Its zero-waste management policy of producing no waste is also helpful for restaurants.
Totoya Inc. offers a “Zero-Waste Restaurant,” which uses ingredients from the store to reduce food loss, offering them as recommended dishes or creating new preserved foods for sale. There is also an online training course for zero-waste stores, which is recommended for those who are interested in sustainable management.
4. Liquor Shop NIGHT OWL
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Liquor Shop NIGHT OWL, located in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, sells craft beer and other alcoholic beverages by weight. Products available for sale by weight from the keg server include various craft beers, ciders, and wines.
The store takes hygiene into consideration by always cleaning and alcohol sanitizing the carbonated compatible containers that customers bring with them before filling them. The store also sells containers for craft beer by volume and servers that can be used in private homes.
Selling alcoholic beverages such as beer, sake, and wine, which are also served in restaurants, by volume would be a relatively easy approach. If customers purchase sake for drinking at home, it is possible to expect an increase in sales per customer.
5. Shokuninshoyu Matsuya Ginza Store
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Shokuninshoyu Matsuya Ginza Store in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, sells 100 varieties of soy sauce selected from all over Japan.
Three types of soy sauce are sold by weight, freshly pressed at the brewery without being heated. The key point is that they are rare and “can only be purchased here”. Customers are reminded that the soy sauce must be refrigerated and used up within a month.
Restaurants could offer in-store menus using local specialty soy sauce, which, if people like it, they could purchase as souvenirs.
6. Groovy Nuts Nakameguro Store
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Groovy Nuts, located in Meguro-ku, Tokyo, specializes in nuts, selling rare varieties and top-quality nuts by weight.
The wide variety of nuts, which come in 40 varieties, are all priced at a flat rate of 400 yen per 50 g, making it easy for customers to select from a wide range. This is an example of how a clear price setting is more likely to lead to purchase when customers pack their own bags.
7. L’ABEILLE Ogikubo Main Store
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L’ABEILLE is a honey specialty store located in Suginami-ku, Tokyo, that sells carefully selected honey from Japan and abroad. L’ABEILLE’s sustainable management philosophy is to “preserve and pass on the beautiful flower fields and forests where bees fly about.”
Honey can be sold by weight, starting at 100g. Plastic containers are available for a fee, but the company encourages customers to bring their own containers to reduce the amount of plastic. If you use honey to serve sweets and drinks at cafes and other places, and if people like it, they will buy it by weight.
8. Ecostore atre Ebisu Refill Station
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The Ecostore Atre Ebisu store, located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, is a store of a long-established natural total care brand from New Zealand. Sixteen types of products, including laundry detergent, hand wash, and body wash, are available for sale by weight. From the viewpoint of waste reduction, the store does not sell containers.
If it is a restaurant, it may set up a corner of the restaurant to sell daily necessities and sundries by weight. However, some customers are sensitive to smells, so care should be taken to choose products that are fragrance-free.
Create a zero-waste restaurant by weight!
If restaurants engage in weighing, it will lead to zero-waste and help toward a sustainable society.
As of March 2024, there are still not many restaurants that offer weigh-in quantities, so If introduced early, it will help differentiate the restaurant from others. In addition, branding the restaurant as a restaurant that is working toward zero-waste will help attract new customers and recruit Generation Z.
Create sustainable restaurants by proactively adopting a weighing system that can contribute to zero-waste.
[Related Article]
[Reference Site] Tokyo Metropolitan Government: “A new ‘business license system’ and ‘business notification system’ will begin on June 1, 2021.”
[Reference Site] Hachioji Public Health Center: “To all restaurants newly starting take-out and delivery services”
[Reference Site] Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Public Health and Medical Services: “Food Allergy Measures for Restaurants”
[Reference Site] SHIBUYA109 lab. trend forecast 2024
[Reference Site] TRIODE
[Reference Site] OIL & VINEGAR Restaurant Mizuho
[Reference Site] Totoya Inc. Kyoto Main Store
[Reference Site] Liquor Shop NIGHT OWL
[Reference Site] Shokuninshoyu Matsuya Ginza Store
[Reference Site] Groovy Nuts
[Reference Site] L’ABEILLE
[Reference Site] Ecostore atre Ebisu Refill Station
