Hannan Ribiyo, Japan's Top Hair Salon Chain by Revenue (*1), Decides to Implement Conversational Voice AI SaaS 'IVRy' Across All 599 Stores

IVRy Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director/CEO: Ryoga Okunishi; hereinafter "the Company") announces that Hannan Ribiyo Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fujiidera-shi, Osaka; Representative Director and President: Yudai Hamaya; hereinafter "Hannan Ribiyo"), which operates 599 "PLAGE" hair and beauty salons nationwide, has decided to introduce the conversational voice AI SaaS "IVRy". The rollout is scheduled to proceed sequentially starting in April 2026.

In a Proof of Concept (PoC) conducted at 18 stores prior to this full-scale introduction, the AI successfully handled 78% of phone inquiries automatically. It is estimated that expanding this to all stores will realize operational efficiencies equivalent to approximately 89.62 million yen annually, aiming to build an environment where store staff can focus on the essential value proposition of "treatments."

*1: According to the Nikkei MJ newspaper published on October 22, 2025.

Background and Challenges Amid a severe labor shortage in the hairdressing and beauty industry, "answering the phone during treatments" has become a significant burden on stores. Picking up the receiver while shampooing or cutting hair physically forces the customer currently being served to wait, making it difficult to maintain service quality. To promote the rebranding initiative "Individuality, Faster." announced in October 2024, Hannan Ribiyo will use technology to solve these issues and build a "next-generation salon model" that maximizes both customer experience and employee satisfaction.

PoC (Proof of Concept) Results The verification at the 18 stores where the system was introduced in advance yielded the following results:

1. AI Automated 78.0% of Phone Responses IVRy handled the vast majority of routine inquiries such as "current congestion status," "reception hours," and "pricing information." This reduced the number of times staff had to stop their work.

2. Annual Operational Efficiency of Approximately 89.62 Million Yen (All-Store Equivalent) Calculated at 5 minutes per call (including post-processing), deploying the system to all 599 stores will lead to an operational efficiency equivalent to approximately 89.62 million yen per year for the entire organization. The company succeeded in reducing the time staff "had to step away from attending to the customer right in front of them."

Future Outlook: "The 'New Customer Experience' Realized by Hannan Ribiyo" Starting in April 2026, the introduction of IVRy will be gradually expanded to all 599 stores nationwide. The implementation of IVRy will go beyond mere efficiency to create a "new normal" for both customers and staff. For customers, it provides the peace of mind of "always connecting" 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The AI responds instantly even to inquiries at night or during busy periods. It prepares an environment where communication is completed without stress at the exact moment a customer wants to confirm something. Meanwhile, on-site staff are freed from interruptions caused by answering the phone, making it possible to concentrate on the essential value proposition of "treatments." As a result, based on the core rebranding concept of "Individuality, Faster.", the environment will evolve to pursue the provision of speedy, high-quality service tailored to each individual's personality.

Comment from the Representative of Hannan Ribiyo Co., Ltd. Our mission is to fulfill the "beauty" of each and every customer and to fill this town and this world with "beauty." By introducing IVRy this time, we will minimize the time staff spend putting down their scissors to answer the phone, allowing them to devote more time to the "skills" and "heart" that attend to the customer right in front of them. We will add further "quality" to our strength of "speed" and continue to provide satisfaction that exceeds customer expectations. IVRy is the new...