Sports Retailer Appoints AI as Assistant Store Manager: Himalaya Deploys 'Aida Tsunagu' Across All Stores

Himalaya Co., Ltd. (President: Manabu Oda, Headquarters: Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture) has deployed an AI assistant store manager named 'Aida Tsunagu' across all its stores, utilizing the 'AI President' service provided by THA Inc. (Representative: Asako Nishiyama, Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo). The AI, which has learned the company's 'Customer First' philosophy, accumulated field knowledge, and unique operational procedures, will communicate with staff to convey the company's core values. This initiative aims to improve operational efficiency, create a better working environment, and strengthen next-generation training to further enhance customer satisfaction. By integrating 50 years of history and tacit knowledge into a 'practical AI,' the company aims to pass on both mindset and operational skills. 'Aida Tsunagu' is an interactive AI accessible via business terminals, providing appropriate advice to field staff. Based on vast know-how, including manuals, regulations, company history, and uncodified knowledge, it engages in dialogues that incorporate the mindset of 'providing the best service from the customer's perspective.' This reduces the burden of complex tasks and training that previously relied heavily on individual experience, leading to the standardization of service across all stores. In the future, the company aims to support more personalized customer service by learning product knowledge and integrating with inventory and customer data. To ensure staff can rely on the AI as a colleague and interact with it with a sense of humanity and warmth, it was named 'Aida Tsunagu' and officially announced via a personnel notice, just like a new employee. The name signifies its role in 'connecting the gap' between store managers and staff, and 'connecting the 50-year history and Customer First mindset across generations.' In services involving counseling and consulting, such as product fitting, the support of 'Assistant Manager Aida' goes beyond mere efficiency; it allows staff to focus more on customers, providing a higher-satisfaction shopping experience and ensuring that Himalaya's unique service capabilities are passed on to the next generation. The company is promoting AI utilization as part of a 'serious field reform for the next 50 years.'