AYUPAN business falls
 

Original:


Translated article:

Ayu is full of confidence, last year was the opening of her AYUPAN store, and there were even rumours about opening AYUPAN stores nationwide, however recently the business has dropped drastically, and the store could even close anytime soon!

Last year Novemeber Ayu was in West Shinjuku for the opening ceremony of the AYUPAN store, and at that day there were 300 people queuing up, a day which we cannot forget. However, after 5 months or so, AYUPAN customers have dropped sharply, anyway, most of the customers only bought cheaper items like stickers etc., has resulted in a danger for AYUPAN.

EXPENSIVE GOODS TURN INTO CHEAP GOODS

Naitai Sports has reported that, even though AYUPAN is located in a busy area, on most occasions the shop only has about 3 or 4 customers, and the salesperson yawning is not an uncommon sight. From Naitai Sports' understanding, the early period of AYUPAN had good sales for ayupans, and also a doll based on Ayu's Chihuahua dog's face sold in the a quantity of 2000 in one day. But these good times still has not revived. The store's salesperson says "Now the best selling item, is actually ayupan stickers." So the all the highly priced goods have changed to be sold cheaply. Relying solely on the selling of stickers simply cannot continue for the store's business, making people worried that AYUPAN might have to close.

FASHION SHOP NOT YET AFFECTED

Another report from Naitai Sports, last year's popularity for Ayu has dropped sharply, her the number of records sold while compared to the year before is less than half, and the AYUPAN goods using a cartoon version of Ayu as the selling point, her popularity has directly affected the sales of the AYUPAN goods. As for the other store MATERIAL GIRL which is partly shared to Ayu, because Ayu is not the main selling point on these goods, rather it is more general fashion retailing, it is not yet as badly affected.

Source: Newsgroup news://news2.3home.net/3idol.japan.ayumi_hamasaki

Original source: The Sun (Hong Kong) http://the-sun.com.hk/channels/ent/20030429/

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I found this quite funny, especially the yawning bit! :D

Whoa... thats too bad... Ayupan store closing down.:( well they have to keep selling those stickers!

That's interesting. Thanks a lot Surreal! I think it'd be very difficult for a store to stay open selling nothing but Ayupan and related items. :shrug

hmmm....if ayupans already had those sad/anger faces to them, I wonder how will it be if the AYUPAN store goes bankrupt.:laugh

I've yet to buy an Ayupan, and even now, I see no need to... sure, they're supposed to look kinda like Ayu, but to be, they look a bit cheap... and as you've stated, there's not much else you can sell if you've only got Ayupan stuff... if that were true, McDonalds wouldn't be where it's at now if it just sold hamburgers... always look at the bigger picture and analyze the potential audience.

thanx for the info!
as for the ayupans.. they'll come bac in style!

ARGH! That article made it seem like Ayu is just losing popularity, and that since MTRLG products don't have her name on it, they're still selling. They're trying to make people think everyone hates Ayu.

where you got that information from? was it from a chinese website? if its like that they maybe not saying the true...

wow.. i reallie lyke ayu pan thoe!! but imo, i knew dat ayupan ish gon end up like this in the beginning.. kuz i think its a fad.. cmon.. i reallie dun thinkk that the store is gon get 3000 costumers everdayee for the rest of the centurie.. peepz who have all the ayupan wouldnt go bakk to the store.. shoo i thinkk that itz all a fad.. but with mtrl cloth its a totallie different thing.. they come out wif new stylez n stuffz.. n sumtimez yooh juss have to wunder where all the gurlz get all those monie:D

Dangit, why not make a new Ayupan line, with them smiling instead of frowing? :( They should open nationwide stores! 'Specially in the US.. I'd be glad to buy some Ayupans with my allowence and stickers too! The stickers would make a good addition to my binder!

Are Ayupans that expensive?

wooow so dramatic! Too bad....

that's sad to hear, but people do get tired of the same thing

I think if the store was filled with Ayupan and tons of Ayu merchandise at a reasonable price, they'd be in good business :/

i think they are quite expensive, but i guess if new ayupan products come out, it can still sell

Japan is so expensive, but the yen is really down right now, so lots of things are cheap there.

Maybe people are getting tired of Ayu? I dunno. I'd go on a big debt and craze to buy all the Ayupans I could.

wahs.... hope it wasn't true~~~~~

ooohhh.....i'm sooo sad...and scared....cuz i dun want that to really happens....i think they should revise back the prizes....and new line of design...and new idea to diversify the merchandise....

btw who knows does the ayupan idea originally came from ayu or other people????


thncxzealot surreal....hope this wont be real...

Awe that isn't any good :/
But i guess if it did happen..then stuff would become limited addition..That'd be good for collectors..Still it's a shame.