#Japan #Ishikawa #Shufoo! #ONE COMPATH #PlanT

Revolutionizing In-Store Promotions: Shufoo! and AI Collaboration

In a transformative move for the retail industry, Shufoo!, an electronic flyer service operated by ONE COMPATH, has partnered with SUPER CENTER PLANT to initiate an ambitious pilot project. This initiative harnesses the power of Generative AI to automate the creation of promotional content, particularly for digital signage and flyers, aiming to enhance efficiency and boost customer engagement.

Background: Rising Challenges in Retail

In recent years, the retail sector has faced numerous structural challenges, including soaring raw material costs and a labor shortage. Alongside these issues, the complexity of digital marketing strategies has intensified, demanding higher efficiency and results in promotional activities. Given the limited workforce, retailers are compelled to manage multiple channels—such as flyers, apps, social media, and in-store signage—simultaneously. This transmedia management often leads to significant operational burdens due to the differing requirements for creative production across platforms.

In response to these needs, ONE COMPATH aims to leverage the extensive consumer data of Shufoo! along with advanced AI technologies to streamline promotional operations. Therefore, the recent experiment focuses on automating the creative process for promotional content using a beta version AI tool.

The Automated Promotional Creative Tool

The beta version of the promotional creative automation tool allows users to register product information and select templates, enabling quick and automatic generation of promotional material. The tool uses AI to also determine themes and product placements. After the AI outputs the content, additional editing features provide users the option to refine the final product. With regular flyer distribution, this technology efficiently fills information gaps and encourages customer visits without necessitating additional labor.

Pilot Project Overview

Conducted at PLANT's Kawakita store in Ishikawa Prefecture, this project provided real-world insights into the practical deployment of this AI-driven tool in promotional operations. More than a function verification exercise, the pilot sought solutions to pressing issues faced by retailers:

1. Pursuing Full Automation in Creative Production: The goal was to create a seamless process where even staff without design skills could generate visually appealing and platform-optimized promotional materials simply by inputting product data. By pre-registering popular items specific to each store, it became possible to create flyers in 10 to 15 minutes by merely selecting templates.

2. Maximizing Customer Visits Through Digital Flyers: Concerns about resource allocation and budget constraints previously made it challenging for PLANT to produce digital flyers alongside regular promotions efficiently. The introduction of the Shufoo! AI tool allowed for a streamlined workflow where existing regular flyer content could be reorganized for digital-exclusive promotions using AI. This innovation not only maximized relevant content delivery but also drastically reduced production time, increasing customer engagement and visits.

Results of the Experiment

The findings from the pilot show significant improvement, with the average number of flyer views increasing by 1.3 times. Meanwhile, the average store visit rate after viewing these flyers surged to 1.8 times. Notably, certain newly launched digital flyers attracted a higher number of views from the 20-30 age demographic than traditional flyers, highlighting the potential to capture younger audiences effectively.

Moving forward, this digital tool is poised to bridge information gaps while adapting promotional strategies tailored to departmental or product goals, simplifying the creation of targeted digital content.

Comparative analysis with other stores revealed that products featured in AI-generated digital flyers maintained a higher Purchase Intent (PI) index, suggesting a strong correlation between digital flyer exposure and purchase interest in these items.

Project Implementation Details

Location: SUPER CENTER PLANT Kawakita Store (Ishikawa)
Implementation Duration: July 5, 2025 - September 27, 2025
Process: Store staff could select product information and templates, allowing the AI to generate catchy headlines, adjust layouts, and create images autonomously. Generated content was instantly distributed to Shufoo! and store digital signage.

Impact of the Implementation

The pilot project confirmed that minimal resources could yield highly productive promotional initiatives outside of regular flyers, measuring significant engagement growth among younger demographics.

Feedback from PLANT Management

• - Mr. Koany, Marketing Department Director: We have struggled to effectively distribute promotional content across various media due to resource limitations. The Shufoo! AI technology presents a breakthrough in reducing our internal workload, potentially expanding our media utilization in future campaigns.
• - Mr. Nishioka, Marketing Manager: The ease of use provided by Shufoo! AI can significantly decrease creative production time without needing specialized software or skills. As we advance through POC, we look forward to evolving functionalities that could optimize advertising strategies further.

Future Developments

As ONE COMPATH analyzes insights from this pilot, it aims to develop universally applicable tools. Future iterations of Shufoo! AI will integrate analytical data—such as views and visit metrics—to create data-informed promotional creatives, ultimately enhancing marketing effectiveness by resonating with consumer preferences. The company remains committed to harnessing AI technology to support the digital transformation and effectiveness of promotions in the retail sector.

Learn more about Shufoo!:
With 16 million monthly users across 120,000 stores in Japan, Shufoo! stands as the leading electronic flyer service, offering information on supermarkets, home improvement stores, and more for convenient shopping.
Shufoo! Official Website

About ONE COMPATH:
Located in Minato, Tokyo, this technology provider began operations in 1997 and specializes in services like Mapion, Shufoo!, and aruku& (walking app).
ONE COMPATH Official Website