Shopping was like this, and the next item carefully arranged by Ning Weimin - a haircut, made Zou Guodong feel even more like a dream.
You know, in this era, the most high-end barber shop in Beijing is still recognized as the "Silian Barber Shop" in Wangfujing.
If we had to find another barbershop of similar quality in the capital city, there would be only one high-cost place that is not well known to outsiders.
It is the internal barber shop between Buildings A and B of the Capital Hotel, which is dedicated to serving the upper-class people from China and abroad.
In addition, the other state-owned barber shops in Beijing are actually not ranked high, and they are all popular barbershops.
The so-called personalized hairstyle can only be a perm for women and big sideburns for men.
As for the small hair salons from Huacheng, after all, they have just emerged in the capital and do not have much time to develop.
Both the scale and equipment are quite limited, and the hardware conditions are still far behind those of state-owned large stores.
Although the so-called fashionable hairstyles in the current society, such as Huo Yuanjia's hair, Sachiko's hair, Afro... were all introduced to the capital by Huacheng masters in these hair salons.
In terms of craftsmanship, they are somewhat newer than the old masters of state-owned barber shops.
But the problem is that whether it is beauty and hair salon products or a series of "washing, cutting and blow-drying" services, these hair salons are all following the routines of Hong Kong City.
But Hong Kong City learned from Japan.
It is Zheng Mingming who has just signed a cooperation agreement with Pierre Cardin to jointly run a school in Beijing, the future godmother of beauty and hairdressing in Beijing.
She also started studying beauty and hairdressing at the famous Yamano Aiko School in Japan.
So, if the hair salons in Beijing were to be compared with the hair salons in Tokyo, it would be like second-hand Li Gui meeting the real Li Kui, and they would not be on the same level at all.
The fact is that contemporary Japan is indeed the fashion leader in Asia.
The beauty and hairdressing industry here in Tokyo is highly mature and the most developed.
It has always been imitated, never surpassed.
So don’t look at Zou Guodong, he can still afford to spend twenty or thirty yuan in foreign exchange coupons in the capital to experience the special class treatment of foreign guests in the barber salon of a hotel in the capital.
But this top-notch domestic experience, with its absolutely high consumption, cannot be compared with the experience of Tokyo’s mature hairdressing industry.
To be honest, after the two got their things back to the apartment, Zou Guodong was taken to a hair salon called "Alika" near Akasaka by Ning Weimin.
As soon as he entered the store, he was dumbfounded.
Because it is nearly 200 square meters and the open space created with glass curtains makes people feel comfortable and relaxed just by looking at it.
What’s more, this shop not only has hairstylists who are more fashionable and eye-catching than the customers, but also has melodious background music.
It also provides a variety of thoughtful and considerate services that are completely unimaginable.
While waiting, the dedicated reception staff will even thoughtfully prepare a drink for the guests on the spot at the customer's request.
Cappuccino and hot chocolate are the most popular varieties in the cold winter.
In addition, there is a wall of bookcases filled with fashion magazines in the store, allowing customers to choose and read at will to pass the boring waiting time.
All in all, being in such a barber shop is more comfortable than staying in the lobby lounge of a five-star hotel. It is very different from domestic barber shops
Not to mention Said, another key point is that in this store, all the staff can speak English.
Your English proficiency is not just about answering words and phrases, but also to a level where you can easily chat with customers.
Even the price list and descriptions of promotions are in English.
Therefore it is widely loved by foreign customers.
Not only are many foreigners who stay in Tokyo long-term customers of this store, but in front of him, Zou Guodong also found that half of the customers were blond, blue-eyed, and pink-faced.
And when Zou Guodong and Ning Weimin finally sat down at the barber's seat, what happened next surprised Zou Guodong indescribably.
Because first of all, he discovered that in this store, people wash their hair while lying down, not the traditional way of washing their hair by sitting by the shampoo basin and rubbing their heads.
Secondly, this store also has original massage and stress relief technology.
Integrating the techniques learned from professional acupressure masseurs into hair washing and head massage can make people experience unprecedented comfort.
It must be said that this is the first time Zou Guodong has experienced this feeling, and the fatigue from today's trip has been completely relieved.
What is even more convincing is that the barber’s skills are indeed excellent, and his work attitude is extremely serious, responsible, gentle and patient.
An hour later, both Zou Guodong and Ning Weimin appeared in the mirror with a completely new look.
Looking at it themselves, they felt that their hairstyles didn’t seem to have changed much.
But he just looks a lot more fashionable and younger.
Especially Zou Guodong, the rusticity he brought from mainland China has completely disappeared after such a move.
For this reason, the more he thought about it, the more magical it became.
Even when he saw Ning Weimin taking out 21,000 yen to pay the bill, he didn't show much surprise.
I don’t know if it’s because Ning Weimin paid for it, but I don’t feel any pain, or if it’s because I think it’s really worth the money.
Anyway, as soon as he went out, he couldn't wait to communicate with Ning Weimin about his feelings after the experience.
“I said, this shop is the highest level in Tokyo, right? It’s amazing! Not only is the environment good, the service is good, but the hairdressing skills are also good. Don’t tell me, if you hadn’t brought me here for such a trip, like I really can’t imagine a barber shop with such a high standard. It would be shocking if we were to open it in China!”
Ning Weimin responded with a smile.
"Haha, as long as you are satisfied. But it is not at the highest level. Although Tokyo is developed, the rent of each plot is different. Compared with Ginza, which has a lot of gold and land, Akasaka is not that interesting. This store can be considered a mid-range one.”
Zou Guodong’s eyes widened immediately after hearing this.
"What? Upper-middle-class? How is that possible! I think the barbers here are magicians. Through communication with customers, they can actually complete the look that anyone dreams of. It is simply a fantasy dream factory! And the people here can speak English. According to your words, if this place is not even the best, then the quality of the Japanese is too high!"
"No, no, this is not the same as Japan! The quality of the person has nothing to do with it. There are not many people in this country who can speak English fluently."
Ning Weimin didn't want Zou Guodong to have any misunderstandings, so he hurriedly explained to him.
"Although many of the hairstylists here are named by celebrities and supermodels. Although the service staff in this store all speak fluent English. But this only shows that this store has considerable profits. Only high-end talents can be hired. Nothing else can be explained. The biggest difference is that Japan has become richer than us. The overall society has strong demand for beauty and hairdressing, and the industry has also developed rapidly. It matures very quickly. Unlike in our country, most people still have high requirements for haircuts. This leads to the fact that the overall hairdressing industry in our country is underestimated and everyone thinks that haircuts are not required. Being a craftsman is not a good job.”
“Well, I understand your explanation. It seems that it’s money.”
Zou Guodong agreed.
He suddenly thought of the cost issue and couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Yes! Twenty-one thousand yen is two hundred yuan. If we were to leave this in China, a haircut would cost a hundred yuan. How many people could afford it?
I am afraid that even ministerial-level cadres will find it difficult to cope with this kind of consumption.
Such a high-end barber shop can only be afforded by real foreigners in China, and only foreigners from developed countries can afford it.
Only employees of foreign companies with high wages like him, or those self-employed people in China who got rich first, can have this condition.
“Hey, if you put it this way, then you originally advocated forming a joint venture with that woman from the port city to jointly run a school, and you were so persistent in occupying the commanding heights of the domestic beauty and hairdressing industry. Are you taking the lead in filling the gap in the domestic high-end market? Are you planning to open one just like the store we visited today in Beijing? Not only will it complement our company’s main clothing business, but it will also be able to meet the needs of many foreigners. , seeing that Maxim's current business situation is on the right track, opening such a store again may not necessarily result in loss..."
It saves effort to talk to smart people.
Ning Weimin was very happy to see that Zou Guodong understood his intentions so fully and agreed with them.
"That's right! You're absolutely right! But it's not that you may not lose money, but you will definitely make money! Mr. Zou, don't forget that the operating costs in China are much lower than in Tokyo. Not to mention that we still have We have to build a building by ourselves. When the building is really built, we can put this barber shop on the ground floor of the building, then..."
"That's like killing multiple birds with one stone. It's really useless. The deal is done!”
Zou Guodong took the words excitedly and looked at Ning Weimin with a look of joy.
He also felt that only now did he truly understand Ning Weimin's full vision.
"Okay, you are really good at planning. In this way, not only will our building have its own characteristics in the capital, but it will also be easier to become famous in the capital and set a benchmark. It can also Isn't this just a small trust that will create good interactions among its various industries? We need to move the Maxim restaurant there and set up a joint venture factory... Needless to say, your plan must be able to do it. It’s done, our Huaxia Company really looks like a group company.”
Ning Weimin had nothing more to add at this time and only responded with a smile.
For a time, an atmosphere that can be called "nothing against the heart" appeared again in the hearts of these two people who had always bumped into each other in China.
I really have to say that the fate between people is so magical.
Even people with naturally contradictory temperaments and extremely different attributes can turn enemies into friends because of their common ambitions.
Needless to say what happens next, whether in terms of time or process, it’s time for dinner.
But since Zou Guodong said that it was up to the host and guests, Ning Weimin made the arrangements and did not make any special requests, so Ning Weimin really didn't pay much for this meal.
Although there are many high-end restaurants near Akasaka, there are many Italian, French, and Spanish restaurants, and there are also many good Japanese restaurants and sushi restaurants.
There is even a lot of Japanese style here, with a narrow entrance, elegant entrance hall, wooden door with beams, and sparse trees behind the door. A lantern sign with the name of the store is hung outside the door, and there are A high-end restaurant where geishas serve you.
But Ning Weimin didn't invite anyone, and just took Zou Guodong to eat a cheap and high-quality foreign fast food.
Why?
Actually, it’s not that this kid is stingy, it’s mainly because she is doing it for the benefit of Pierre Cardon Company.
Who makes Pierre Cardon still run a French restaurant? Zou Guodong can't stay in Japan for more than a few days.
Ning Weimin still wanted to let Zou Guodong see what he saw and see the business model of foreign fast food in the limited time.
It would be a good idea to discuss with them the improvements and ideas for the layout of the domestic western food industry.
So this matter really needs to be explained clearly.
Eating fast food is eating fast food, but Ning Weimin did not take Zou Guodong to eat at McDonald's, Kentucky, or Yoshinoya or Matsuya.
First, because there are also those American fast food port cities. Zou Guodong has already seen them, so there is no need to go there again.
The second reason is that the content of these fast food operations is too simple, with only a few main varieties in each store.
It is inconsistent with the business model and positioning of Pierre Cardon's restaurants, and there is basically nothing to learn from.
As for Ning Weimin's insistence on taking Zou Guodong to see the place, it was a high-quality template he carefully selected to effectively promote the development of the company's catering brands.
An Italian restaurant that will be known as "Shaxian Snacks in the Western Food Industry" and "Poor People's Western Restaurant" in our country in the future.
That is, "Salia" was founded in Japan.
The founder of Salia is named Masahiro Yasuhiko.
As a wage earner who grew up in post-war Japan, he has always been obsessed with "authentic Western food".
It is said that when he was in college, he vowed to open an Italian restaurant.
Sure enough, the dream turned into reality. After he saved a small amount of money, Salia, branded as "authentic Western food", was born.
In 1967, Masagaki Yasuhiko founded this magical Italian restaurant in Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture, twenty kilometers away from the center of Tokyo, Japan.
But soon, Masagaki Yasuhiko's faith suffered a major blow.
Because at first Salia was not only limited in area, just a small restaurant with thirty-six seats,
but also due to the obsession in the early days of opening the store and the inertial understanding of "high-end Western food", Salia always Getting started isn't cheap.
For the Japanese people at that time, an inexpensive Western food was not as attractive as the ramen shop on the corner.
So in order to keep the store going, Masagaki Yasuhiko thought about a lot of "localization" strategies.
For example, extending the store opening hours to four o'clock in the middle of the night, or adding Japanese skewers' favorite skewers to the store.
But he sadly discovered that no matter how hard he tried, the only customers he could attract were young and Dangerous guys who came to drink, fight, and cause trouble.
In 1969, a devastating fire broke out because these gangsters caused trouble in the store.
Half his life's hard work was destroyed in a fire, and Masagaki Yasuhiko fell into confusion.
But having said that, he also took this as an opportunity to change his thinking about opening a store.
Before, he always thought that "cheap products are not good".
But after working in the catering industry for several years, he finally discovered his true path - focusing on cost-effectiveness and lowering prices.
In this way, in 1973, Salia launched a sales strategy of 30% off on all dishes.
As a result, Saria, with its small profits but quick turnover, became the most popular Western food chain brand in Japan in a very short period of time.
The average daily passenger flow has increased crazily from about 20 people before to 600 to 800 people. Later, even in the 1980s and the Japanese economic bubble burst, Salia was still able to maintain a high growth momentum.
As time went by, the restaurant he ran became a signature with its low prices.
It even successfully opened up the market with this low-price strategy, entered Tokyo, and opened a branch.
Later, even in the 1990s, when the Japanese economic bubble burst, Salia was able to maintain a high growth momentum and even opened branches all over Asia, becoming a veritable "price store". Killer"!
Masagaki Yasuhiko has completely proved one point with his actual actions - even Western food can be both cheap and delicious.
This is the future path planned by Ning Weimin for Menimus, the brother of the luxurious Maxim restaurant, which specializes in French simple meals.
This was also the main purpose of bringing Zou Guodong to experience it.