g.u. Coordinates with Children’s Home in Kobe to Eliminate “Experience Gap

　On January 28, g.u. (Minato-ku, Tokyo) held an event at Kobe Shinseijuku (7 Nakayamate, Chuo-ku, Kobe) to donate used clothing to children at an orphanage. The event was co-sponsored by Mirai Kodomo Foundation (Chuo-ku, Osaka City).

g.u.’s “Osharistas” who came to the event

　Since 2011, g.u. has been collecting clothes no longer worn by customers and reusing and recycling them in its stores, based on the concept of “taking responsibility for clothes after they are sold. By providing children with the opportunity to choose their own clothes and learn how to coordinate them, rather than simply donating used clothes, the company aims to eliminate the “experience gap” that exists between the experiences children have in different environments.

　On the day of the event, a one-day store, “g.u. Kobe Shinseijuku Store,” was opened. A variety of clothing, hats, shoes, and other items in sizes 90 to XL were displayed in the gymnasium, welcoming more than 20 children. Headquarters staff members, who selected each piece of used, unworn clothing for the day, were joined by “Osharistas” from nearby stores, who offer coordinating suggestions according to customers’ concerns and requests at the actual store. In addition, three of the facility’s elders also served as “Osharistas” for the day, supporting the children’s “coordination experience” after preliminary meetings and customer service training.

　A fourth-grade boy who chose a white hat and jacket for the event said wryly, “Everyone called me ‘Tora-san. A 4-year-old girl said, “It was so much fun,” and a first-year junior high school girl said, “I’ve never had such a fun time picking out clothes.

　Toru Uesugi, president of Kobe Shinseijuku, said, “We have donated clothes in the past, but if we only receive them, the children don’t appreciate them as much. This is a small act of self-determination for the children to be able to choose their own clothes, and it will help them grow,” he said. Shoei Taniyama, president of the Mirai Kodomo Foundation, expressed his hope that “the clothes selected through today’s coordination experience will be treasured by the children in the future.

　We have held sample donation events in the past, but this is the first time we have had professional salespeople, the ‘Osharistas,’ participate and offer the coordination experience,” said Takeharu Iiboshi, in charge of sustainability at the company’s Management Reform Division. We hope to communicate g.u.’s sustainability not only through our recycled polyester initiatives, but also by providing opportunities for people to wear the clothes as clothes,” said Joji Iiboshi, in charge of sustainability at the company’s Management Reform Division.