History of
Office Glico
1922
Roots of Idea from a Virtuous Vending Machine Setup at Foundation
In the summer of the year Glico launched its “Glico” nutritious candy, founder Ri-ichi Ezaki installed a virtuous vending machine at the Hamadera Beach in Osaka. Those who want to buy Glico put a five sen coin into the payment slot and took out one of the Glico products in the box. Eighty years later, the idea was reborn as “Office Glico” in which users put money into boxes set up in offices to purchase the snack of their choice whenever they wanted. The system subsequently spread to various locations.
1990’s onwards
Advocacy of Strategy to Exit Conventional Confectionery Distribution
In the 1990s, rather than relying on conventional existing distribution channels, President EZAKI Katsuhisa directed the development of new sales channels to deliver products directly to consumers, calling it the “distribution of confectionery exit” strategy. One of the ideas that emerged from this process was commercialized as Office Glico.
1997
Launch of a Project to Materialize “Distribution of Confectionery Exit” via Offices
Seeing the potential of the office as a new point of contact with consumers, the company embarked on a commercialization project based on the concept of “offering refreshment services to workers in the workplace by supplying confectioneries and ice cream.” The following year, in 1998, the company began testing the placement of refreshment boxes containing Glico products in approximately 40 offices in Osaka.
1999
Opened First Sales Center in Kita-ku, Osaka
Full-scale operations began with the opening of the Osaka North Sales Center. In May, Glico installed freezers at 10 locations and began test sales of ice cream with the goal of increasing sales, especially in summer, and to develop new locations. By the following March, the number of offices with a “Refresh Box” increased to about 300, and the sales structure was almost complete. In the same year, test sales of the beverages began in parts of the Kinki region.
2002
Started Business in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area and Further Expanded to Other Regions
In March 2003, a year after entering the Tokyo metropolitan area, the company expanded sales based on the deployment of refrigerator-freezers that contain beverages. In June of the same year, services were launched in Nagoya, followed by Kobe in December, Fukuoka in February 2004, and then Kyoto in April 2006.
2004
Refresh Boxes Installed in Approximately 40,000 Locations
Office Glico has 250 sales staff at 27 centers nationwide, and monitors Refresh Boxes and 2,100 refrigerators installed in about 40,000 locations. Furthermore, in January 2012, 10 years after its entry into the Tokyo metropolitan area, the number of Refresh Boxes installed in various locations reached 112,000.
2007
Office Glico Receives Business Model Patent
Office Glico obtained a patent for a computer-based management system for product placement management and office visit planning.
2016
Control of Office Glico Transferred to New Company
Office Glico and directly managed store operations were transferred from Glico with the establishment of Glico Channel Create, Inc.
Office Glico Cart circa 2020
2023
Support for Various QR Payment Methods
No introductory or annual membership fees are required, and products can be purchased using a variety of services including PayPay, d-pay, au PAY, in addition to cash.
Office Glico delivery truck as of 2023
Example of a Refresh Box as of 2023
