There are numerous businesses that would like to acquire products, services, and goods from the UK but are unable to do so due to language barriers, distance, the lack of business partners, as well as challenges posed by logistics, overall. With its bespoke brand of service, Eikuru Ltd. makes it all happen. Emina Barnes, the company’s founding owner, speaks to Bridges.
Tell us what service means to you and the extra mile your company goes to ensure that every customer is satisfied?
For Eikuru, service is “the significance of the existence of Eikuru as a Japanese company, in the UK.” This refers to how the existence of Eikuru can help customers.
The service our company provides is individualized and varies widely, depending on the customer; we provide service that suits each customer, based on their needs. For instance, we never use auto-reply emails; all emails are read properly and individually replied to by our employees. We have a system in place to meet the detailed needs of our customers.
Established in 2009, Eikuru started as an export company for customers who want to purchase British products. We started our business as a company that handles shipping arrangements and customs declaration procedures. From there, in response to customer requests, we increased the menu of our services—adding solutions such as agency ordering, business negotiations, and support for contracts—and we also began visiting trade exhibitions and conducting market research. After that, along with the expansion of the office, we also increased the number of services that make use of the space, such as product storage and inventory management.
There is no limit to the nature of the trade services we provide. As the requests from our customers have become more diverse, we have taken all the opportunities, resulting in a wide range of business activities. Eikuru is an ever-evolving company, and we will continue to make constant progress in order to fulfil the needs of our customers.
Emina Barnes, Founder of Eikuru
As our business connections for both countries became stronger and wider, the number of requests for support from Japanese companies wishing to expand into the UK also increased. In addition to exporting, we have also gone into providing import services. I feel very grateful and fulfilled to be able to introduce wonderful Japanese products in the UK. So far, we have introduced various Japanese products to many buyers and a variety of UK department stores.
There is no limit to the nature of the trade services we provide. As the requests from our customers have become more diverse, we have taken all the opportunities, resulting in a wide range of business activities. Eikuru is an ever-evolving company, and we will continue to make constant progress in order to fulfil the needs of our customers.
With two decades of expertise in trading, how has your company continued to expand your areas of expertise in order to provide full service solutions to your customers?
Recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, all of our employees were certified to handle dangerous goods, according to the regulations of the Aviation Law. This started as hand sanitizers became popular due to the coronavirus; but there are restrictions in place, as to their handling and shipping abroad, and we wanted to overcome the hurdles and be ready for difficult situations that might arise in a future. We can now arrange shipment of other combustible items—such as perfumes and car wash panel wipes—that cannot normally be shipped by air. In addition to combustible items, customers can contact us to handle other delicate and hazardous items that are difficult to ship normally. We may be able to find the solution for them.
In many cases, even if a problem arises when importing products from the UK to Japan, it can be resolved by consulting with Eikuru. For example, gun parts regulated by the Swords and Firearms Law, animal bones, and large machines for sports training. We will assist you with confirming and acquiring the necessary documents on the Japanese side, and help you achieve smooth customs clearance.
What do your customers typically perceive as issues or challenges concerning trade between Japan and UK, and how does your company address these concerns?
The first challenge in trade and transactions between Japan and the UK is language; although this is fine for Eikuru, as we have team members who are fluent in both Japanese and English. Beyond language, time zones and cultural differences pose challenges, too. There is a nine-hour time difference between the UK and Japan, and the days and nights are almost reversed. Our office is based in the UK, so we are able to have meetings and negotiations with UK businesses without worrying about time lag. The most significant difference, however, is culture. The politeness, accuracy, and speed required by customers differ greatly between Japan and the UK. Eikuru employees are always aware about how best to convey the services and the requirements between Japanese customers and British companies, and vice-versa. We strive and make efforts to help our Japanese customers to better understand British culture for smoother business transactions.
A big concern these days is the increase in international shipping costs due to surging surcharges. To solve this problem, Eikuru holds accounts with numerous shipping companies and we will quote the best value and most suitable shipping method for each customer. We can offer significant discounts on shipping fees to our clients because we constantly negotiate for better rates with the shipping companies and also maintain good relationships with them.
As a result, and despite the rising costs of international shipping, the number of new customers using Eikuru is on the rise.
At Eikuru, we set the level of service according to the needs of our customers. Some customers entrust everything from quotations and ordering to shipping with Eikuru, while others use only shipping, ordering, and necessary services, alone. With an emphasis on cost reduction, Eikuru is able to provide individualized services that customers need, resulting in maximum benefits for customers with minimum costs.
Tell us how Eikuru can be an ideal trading partner for large companies in Japan?
At Eikuru, we can become a “UK branch” of a Japanese company, just as we have done in the past, as a European sales agent for Imabari towels, for instance. Even without setting up a local subsidiary in the UK, without setting up a branch office, and without hiring people, you can establish a UK branch in one day, with us. They say ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’, but setting up a branch in the UK can be done with Eikuru.
We can handle everything from negotiating with buyers, managing orders, responding to customers by phone and email, managing inventory, and shipping products.
Another big advantage we offer is exhibiting at trade shows. At the exhibition, where hundreds of buyers gather, we can introduce products of Japanese manufacturers and brands and have business negotiations, on the spot. It is a great opportunity to showcase the products, and we also offer substantial follow-up services after the exhibitions.
As explained above, Eikuru’s services are available at different levels, depending on your needs.
We will consult with you from the beginning about everything there is to know about importing goods from the UK or expanding into the UK market. We would be very honoured if you could make the most of Eikuru as the overseas business department of your company.
