ITOCHU Corporation, headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, and led by President & COO, Keita Ishii, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Nagoya Railroad Co., Ltd. (Meitetsu), headquartered in Nagoya-shi, Aichi, and under the leadership of President Hiroki Takasaki. Together, they are set to introduce a groundbreaking digital marketing solution that bridges railway stations and stores along railroad lines, streamlining the delivery of personalized and beneficial information to consumers in the Chubu area.

ITOCHU Corporation and Meitetsu have formalized an agreement to collaboratively develop a new marketing solution designed to deliver tailored information to residents along their daily travel routes within Meitetsu's service areas. This strategic alliance leverages the deep industry knowledge and direct consumer interactions of both organizations to explore and implement cutting-edge marketing strategies based on consumer data.

ITOCHU Corporation has been at the forefront of retail media^*1 development within the ITOCHU Group. Working in tandem with its subsidiary, FamilyMart Co., Ltd., as well as Data One Corp. and Gate One Corp., ITOCHU has successfully established digital advertising and signage advertising businesses driven by purchase data. In recent years, the company has expanded one of Japan's largest retail media networks in partnership with its alliance retailers. This network enables ITOCHU to refine a business model that delivers advertisements with maximum effectiveness and minimal friction, both within stores and along consumers' daily travel routes, both pre- and post-store visits. The impact of these advertisements on consumer purchasing behavior is meticulously assessed across various retail businesses.

Meitetsu, a significant player in the transportation sector, owns a 444.2-kilometer railway network that primarily covers Aichi and Gifu prefectures. Beyond its core transportation services, Meitetsu is actively engaged in lifestyle and tourism offerings, playing a pivotal role in the Chubu area's transportation network. The company operates transportation advertising services, including signage within stations, the regional MaaS App CentX^*2, and other related services. These efforts contribute significantly to public transportation utilization and the revitalization of the regions they serve. Meitetsu collaborates closely with local commercial facilities, municipal governments, tourist attractions, and other organizations. Moreover, Meitetsu employs advanced marketing analysis techniques, leveraging data from various Meitetsu Group companies.

With a primary focus on consumers' daily travel routes, encompassing railway stations as integral transportation infrastructure and commercial establishments as essential elements of everyday life, ITOCHU and Meitetsu are poised to implement initiatives aimed at delivering timely and relevant information to Chubu area consumers. Key strategies include the deployment of beacons^*3 at FamilyMart stores within the ITOCHU Group and Meitetsu's station facilities. This technological advancement enables the delivery of push notifications showcasing various products and services, including the CentX app and Meitetsu μ’s Card^*4, owned by Meitetsu, as well as coupons offering savings at FamilyMart stores. Rigorous evaluation of this service's impact on customer store visits and overall marketing effectiveness will be conducted. Furthermore, the organizations intend to gain a comprehensive understanding of consumers' shopping journeys, purchasing behaviors, and activities before and after shopping trips. This insight will empower them to deliver information that aligns better with consumers' interests at optimal locations along their daily travel routes and at the most opportune times.

This initiative is expected to drive increased customer traffic to FamilyMart stores, bolster the adoption of Meitetsu services, and attract customers to locations owned by various local partners. Through the culmination of these verifications and considerations, the ITOCHU Group and Meitetsu aspire to seamlessly connect residents within Meitetsu's service areas with providers of transportation, lifestyle, tourism services, and local partners. This ambitious initiative aims to contribute significantly to regional revitalization in the Chubu area.