Buddycom Adopted for Avatar Customer Service Demonstration Experiment at Hankyu Umeda Main Store ~Enabling Seamless Customer Service Collaboration by Connecting Remote Avatar Operators and In-store Specialist Staff via Voice~

Science Arts Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Ryutaro Hiraoka), provider of "Buddycom," a live communication platform that connects frontline workers, is pleased to announce that Buddycom has been adopted for the "Avatar Customer Service Demonstration Experiment Phase 2" launched on March 18, 2026 (Wednesday) at Hankyu Umeda Main Store by H2O Retailing Corporation (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka; President & CEO: Naoya Araki) and Pasona Group Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Chairman & CEO: Hirotaka Wakamoto).

Background of Introduction and Overview of the Demonstration Experiment

At the baby and children's clothing section on the 11th floor of Hankyu Umeda Main Store, there is a high demand for customer service regarding pregnancy preparation, childcare, and gifts. However, a challenge existed where customers would leave without sufficient guidance due to a psychological barrier of feeling hesitant to consult sales staff.

This demonstration experiment aims to verify a new customer service model that leverages the "approachability" of avatars to increase consultation opportunities as an easy-to-talk-to contact point, and then seamlessly hands over to "category specialists" with expert knowledge. "Buddycom" will be utilized as a communication tool to achieve this smooth collaboration (handover) between avatars and in-store staff.

Related Press Release: March 18, 2026 H2O Retailing, Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores "Phase 2 of Avatar Customer Service Demonstration Experiment Starts at Hankyu Umeda Main Store" https://data.swcms.net/file/h2o-retailing/ja/news/auto_20260318584220/pdfFile.pdf

Reasons for Buddycom's Adoption and Collaboration Method in Avatar Customer Service

In this experiment, Buddycom was adopted due to its high security and the ability to receive information hands-free via earphones, even while working in a noisy sales floor environment.

The specific collaboration flow is as follows:

・ Catching Needs (Avatar) Avatar staff, from a remote location (e.g., Awaji Island), engage customers in casual conversation to identify potential needs such as "concerns about pregnancy preparation" or "gift budget."

・ Immediate Sharing (Buddycom) The avatar staff directly transmits customer characteristics and consultation details via voice through "Buddycom" to the earphones worn by category specialists on the sales floor.

・ Seamless Customer Service Handover (Category Specialist) Category specialists receive information hands-free via earphones without operating a smartphone, even while working. They immediately rush to the customer and provide highly accurate specialized customer service based on the information received from the avatar.

About Buddycom ( https://buddycom.net/ )

Buddycom, a live communication platform that connects frontline workers, is a service that enables simultaneous communication with multiple people, like a transceiver or radio, by installing an app on smartphones and tablets using internet communication networks (4G, 5G, Wi-Fi). It supports communication via voice, text chat, video, location information (IoT), and AI-powered digital assistants.

It has been used in various industries such as aviation, railways, construction, welfare facilities, and distribution as a means of communication.

About Science Arts Inc.

Science Arts is committed to the mission of "providing future DX to frontline workers and contributing to a society where they can work brightly and with smiles." We develop and sell "Buddycom," a live communication platform that connects frontline workers. Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Mothers in 2021 (now transitioned to Growth Market), we have achieved the No. 1 share for five consecutive years*. Moving forward, we aim to create a society where frontline workers can work brightly and with smiles by beautifully connecting not only staff-to-staff communication but also staff-to-customer and staff-to-AI communication.

* Voice (video) communication tool shipment value and number of companies (for non-desk workers) Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Mick Economic Research "Deskless SaaS Market Status and Outlook FY2025 Edition"