Looking back on 2017

January: Agreement reached on business partnership in the inbound market with Pia, publisher of JAL's in-flight magazine "Japan Expert."

We have agreed to a business partnership in the inbound market with Pia Corporation, which publishes the JAL in-flight free magazine "Nihon Tatsujin" for tourists visiting Japan.
The plan is to utilize our strengths in "internet customer acquisition" and Pia's strengths in "media" to support companies and organizations conducting inbound marketing both online and offline.

February: Launch of "Customer Attraction Capsule PRO," an O2O app creation platform that allows for flexible customization similar to that of a proprietary development.

We have launched "GMO App Capsule PRO," an O2O app creation platform that can be flexibly customized to meet the needs of stores and facilities, just like developing your own apps.
The app's design can be freely combined, and it can be displayed for different user segments. In addition, the app is equipped with unique and highly scalable functions, such as linking with customer data held by companies and multilingual support in anticipation of inbound tourism. This makes it an ideal service for store and facility operators who are considering using the app as a main tool for sales promotion and attracting customers.

March: GMO App Capsule, a production app that allows users to easily create O2O apps, surpasses 2 million downloads.

The company has actively worked to expand its convenient features, such as push notifications to encourage store visits, coupon issuance targeting specific users, digitalization of stamp cards, and integration with Toreta, a restaurant reservation and customer ledger service, which has led to the apps it has created having a total of over 200 million downloads.

April: 2017 New Employee Induction Ceremony

A fresh new friend has joined us.
After the induction ceremony for the entire group, each employee was presented with their appointment letter by President Suzuki.

May: Launch of "GMO SmaAFFi," a completely performance-based affiliate service with no initial or monthly fees.

GMO SmaAFFi is a completely performance-based affiliate service for websites (compatible with PCs and smartphones) that requires no initial or monthly fees.
We act as an intermediary between advertisers and media owners (affiliates), selecting the most suitable media, handling submission work, and providing web consulting for media owners. In addition, we also have fraud prevention functions implemented, so we have a high return on investment, and can expect to attract more customers and increase sales for advertisers and maximize revenue for media owners.

June: "GMO Store IT Conference 2017" held

We held an event to support marketing activities using IT tools for brick-and-mortar stores, with the support of the GMO Internet Group, which is centered around our company and GMO Commerce Inc., as well as companies that develop support tools for the ITization of stores, such as Toreta Inc., LINE Business Partners Inc., Retty Inc., and Ubiregi Inc.
At this conference, specialists from the organizing and supporting companies took to the stage and gave presentations on seven themes essential for attracting customers to stores, including "apps," "CRM," "media," "SNS," "reservation management," and "POS registers."

July: Chinese version of corporate website (simplified and traditional characters) launched

In order to expand business opportunities in the O2O field in Greater China and to widely publicize our company's expertise in promoting ourselves in Greater China and other major Asian countries, we have launched the Chinese version of our corporate website (in both simplified and traditional characters)!

August: O2O app creation "GMO App Capsule" x next-generation IoT sales promotion tool "Smart Plate" - Started demonstration experiment to promote store app installation

GMO App Capsule was used to create a store app for SkyDream Shonan Beach Lounge, a beach house that is open for a limited time until Thursday, August 31, 2017, in Enoshima, Kanagawa. SkyDream Shonan Beach Lounge is a beach house that utilizes various IT tools such as a cloud business system, digital signage, and security web cameras, and this experiment was conducted by installing a Smart Plate inside the store.
By the way, the results were announced in November, and the number of app installations was approximately 380% higher than the same month last year!

September: Company information session for individual investors held in Osaka

Company information session for individual investors held in Osaka
Yesterday, in September, a company information session for individual investors was held in Osaka, and Director and CFO Someya attended.
This is an IR seminar for individual investors hosted by the Japan Analysts Association.
Nearly 170 individual shareholders gathered at the venue.
Thank you to everyone who participated.

October: Release of the official Sotetsu Fresa Inn app, "FRESA CLUB app"

The Fresa Club App, created using GMO App Capsule PRO, includes a room reservation function, a function that allows you to check in by holding your smartphone over a dedicated terminal at the front desk, and a room key function that allows you to unlock your room using your smartphone (available from early November 2017, only available at some stores).
The app also has an exclusive stamp card feature, where you can collect one stamp per night and if you collect 10 stamps you can receive a 5,000 yen cashback (a benefit for staying overnight). It also has a rank-up system that allows you to move up to a higher membership level depending on the number of nights you stay, and it supports the distribution of discount coupons. With so many great features, this app is sure to increase the repeat customer rate.

November: Internship held for new graduate recruitment in 2019!

We are holding an autumn internship where you can learn about the possibilities and excitement of internet business by experiencing advertising proposals through workshops!
New graduate recruitment page has also been renewed★

December: Promoting omnichannelization by linking physical stores and online stores! Release of official app for Kyushu interior shop "SAKODA Home Furnishings"

We have created the official smartphone app, "SAKODA App," for "SAKODA Home Furnishings," a large interior shop in Kyushu!
This service allows you to earn points by shopping at physical stores and checking in, and by unifying your membership ID across the physical store, online store, and app, you can exchange coupons (point rewards) between the physical store and online store. You can also view your purchase history and point history. This promotes "omni-channelization"!