The appeal is the one-stop system that allows you to request everything from package design to manufacturing

OSP, which can run everything from planning to printing, is a strong ally for confectionery manufacturers.

Please tell us how your business with OSP began.

Tanaka: About 15 years ago, we had an opportunity to completely renew the materials we used, and since then we have been asking OSP to produce various materials. What was particularly attractive was not only the price and delivery date, but also the fact that we could collaborate from the design stage onwards. Since we did not have an in-house design department at the time, it was very reassuring to have them create the design from scratch and work alongside us until printing. The one-stop ordering system has benefits in terms of both cost and workflow.

Has the OSP's role changed now that you have an in-house designer?

Tanaka: Previously, we had meetings almost every week, including with OSP's designers. Being able to communicate the concept from the planning stage allowed us to quickly produce a large number of satisfactory packages. Nowadays, we have more opportunities to use designs created by our in-house designers, but we still get advice from a printing professional's perspective. Packaging requires many considerations, such as: does the visual convey our vision? Can it even be reproduced in print? What are the best materials and methods? Furthermore, working together allows us to work out details that we might not notice, such as readability when printed and the adhesiveness of the glue used, so we can proceed with peace of mind.

Attractiveness is key to success. Some products have seen sales increase by 269.5% compared to the past.

What role does packaging play for your company?

Tanaka: Sweets, even at low prices, are luxury items, so to speak. The starting point is to make customers in the sales area feel like they want to try them and pick them up. How delicious they look and how appealing they are is key - packaging is an important element in this presentation. On the other hand, there aren't many variations in the shapes of cups and other containers for sweets. Within these limitations, we need to be creative with labels and film to appeal to customers. For example, this "Coffee Shop Style Firm Pudding" previously only had a label on the top, but following OSP's suggestion, we changed it to one that wraps around to the side, which makes it look better when displayed on the top shelf, closer to customer eye level.

Can packaging affect the sales of a product?

Tanaka: We've seen examples where a redesign boosted sales. Our "Cut Baked Cream Cheese Tart" is one of our most popular products, but our buyers complained that the previous, simple packaging felt a bit bland. So, we consulted with OSP and undertook a redesign. Product photos were taken in their studio, and the glossy finish and other improvements made the tart look even more delicious. We also adopted a background design for Clear Wrapping (film hanging paper) that made the tart stand out, resulting in a stunning package. During our initial meetings, we were shown multiple design proposals, which I found impressive, allowing us to move forward smoothly. Our current product's monthly sales in March 2025 were 269.5% higher than in May 2018, before the packaging change. While we've redesigned the product multiple times and made improvements to the tart itself, we believe the redesign also had a significant impact.

"Cut Baked Cream Cheese Tart" has become a popular product after repeated improvements

When planning and manufacturing a large number of products, speed of package development is a necessary condition

You are constantly planning and bringing new products to the market. Why is this?

Tanaka: In addition to our own products, we plan and manufacture private-brand products for supermarkets and convenience stores. Product turnover is short, with supermarkets' lineups changing almost monthly. We create over 30 new products every month to match seasonal ingredients and events, and we rely on OSP to keep up with this speed. Their design capabilities are also excellent; for example, they suggested using holograms for Halloween-related products. Like us, they approach their production with the same focus on how to entertain customers. Many of our products are seasonal, and sometimes demand suddenly increases due to special events, but we feel reassured knowing they can flexibly accommodate even sudden requests.

What do you expect from OSP in the future?

Tanaka: Customer demands are diversifying in the confectionery industry. Our company is developing new genres of products, including cream puffs, which are functional foods. Although they have been well received for capturing health needs, they require small-lot production because the shipping volume is limited compared to the scale of standard products. In that respect, OSP, which can produce high-quality materials in small quantities, is indispensable, and recently there has been a movement to utilize this advantage for test sales of new products. In addition, they provide samples that are almost the same as the actual production at an early stage, which is useful for sharing the image with business partners during business negotiations. We would like to continue to challenge ourselves together, with OSP demonstrating their abundant know-how and technology.

Mr. Tanaka (left) and Mr. Takamura (right), who cooperated with the interview