Fukagawa Oil & Fat Co., Ltd., a confectionery manufacturer in the city of Fukagawa in central Hokkaido, has been enjoying favorable sales of its potato chips shipped direct from its factory, which began manufacturing them on a made-to-order basis in November last year. For the first batch of production, the company received orders for 400 boxes, over 100 boxes more than expected. As of March 5, the company will start producing and delivering the chips to the Fukagawa Bussan-kan (local specialty store) in JR Fukagawa Station, so that locals can enjoy them without having to pay delivery charges.
　
The company began selling the product as it “wanted people to savor the freshly made potato chips in which the flavor of the ingredients remains.” The chips contain no additives or preservatives, and the Hokkaido-grown potatoes are deep fried in domestic-produced rice oil. The freshly-made potato chips are shipped on the same day they are made, and can be delivered the next day anywhere within Hokkaido, except the remote islands. Currently, the company establishes a monthly shipping date and sets a deadline for orders each time.
　
Sales between November 2021 and January ’22 via the company’s online store, which accepts orders, increased fivefold over the same period one year ago. A total of 200 boxes of the coarsely-cut type were sold at the time of the second shipment in December, and 150 boxes of the thickly-cut type were shipped in January.
　
The new in-store sales were introduced in response to requests from local residents, who wanted the products to be sold in Fukagawa. The potato chips to be sold are the thinly-cut flat type, which were produced for the very first batch, and 14 orders have already been received. According to Yamazaki Keiichiro, the company’s general manager, “Although the supply of potatoes is unstable, we would like to continue production. We hope that people will purchase our products on a regular basis.”
　
The minimum order is one 1,000-yen box (four 100-gram bags). Orders can be made via the company’s shopping site (https://www.kumachan.co.jp/kojyoutyokusoubin).