Ribbons are essential for confectionery shops. We recommend high quality products because these are always in demand.

Confectionery Marronnier is a confectionery shop that has been operating in Kunitachi, Tokyo for over 60 years, and has five shops in the West Tokyo area. Today, to discuss the role of wrapping in confectionery shops, we spoke to Osamu Oishi, the company’s second-generation representative director, and the person in charge of wrapping, about the pleasure of using ribbons, and their interactions with Tokyo Ribbon.

A confectionery shop that has been adored by the local community for over 60 years.

– What kind of confectionery shop is Marronnier?

Marronnier is a confectionery shop that opened in Kunitachi, Tokyo in 1950. Our founder was a baker, so when we first started, we offered bread and roll cakes. We also made bread and delivered it to schools until the start of school lunches. In 1964, we opened a branch at the north exit of Kunitachi Station selling only western style cakes and pastries. In 1967, we quit making bread and converted our business into a shop specializing in French pastries. Since then, we have opened five shops in the western Tokyo area, mainly in Kunitachi, where I was born, and are offering western style cakes and pastries.

We have been in business for almost 60 years, which is a long time for a confectionery shop. As a traditional confectionery shop, we value traditional manufacturing methods and the quality of our sponge and fresh cream. Our selection includes strawberry shortcake, Mont Blanc, and roll cakes. These are basic cakes, but I love making and eating such things that have a nostalgic sense, so this is a product we recommend. Since we use locally-grown wheat, it’s very time consuming to make, but it has a sponge that melts in your mouth.

Recently, we have been focusing on not only fresh sweets but also baked sweets and gift sets. For a pastry shop like us that is rooted in the local community, it is important for baked goods and gift sets to be not only good in terms of taste and price, but also to be chosen due to the wrapping by local people as gifts for acquaintances. In order to become such a brand, we believe that in addition to ribbons and wrapping services, the hospitality of our sales staff is also crucial.

Our relationship continues naturally because they always provide us with what we need.

– Please tell us about your interaction with Tokyo Ribbon

Looking back, we have had a long relationship with Tokyo Ribbon. When you have long been running a confectionary shop, you will inevitably use ribbons for a long time. During that time, we used other domestic manufacturers and even overseas products, but in the end we settled on Tokyo Ribbon.

When we ask the wholesaler to fill our requests, such as the number of items, colors, shapes, and materials, they bring us items from Tokyo Ribbon. That fits exactly what we’re looking for. It wasn’t because the wholesaler recommended it to us or because Tokyo Ribbon was working on it, but rather that what we wanted ended up being from Tokyo Ribbon.

When I tried overseas-made ribbons before, I found that they are fine for seasonal or temporary use, but when it comes to something that you have to keep on hand on a daily basis, I felt that the quality was lacking. Due to this history, it’s natural for us to always have Tokyo Ribbon’s ribbons and wrapping materials in our stores.

Just like cream and flour, which are the deciding factors in the taste of sweets, the main items used in store management must always be on hand, and because they provide us with those, our relationship with them has naturally become longer. Besides, when we later found out that Tokyo Ribbon had been purchasing sweets from us for a long time, that reinforced our certainty about them (laughter).

The beauty of ribbons and wrapping and with speed that never keeps customers waiting

– What has been good about ribbons from Tokyo Ribbon?

Wrapping staff : It has just the right amount of stiffness, making it easy to tie and create shapes, and since both sides are glossy, there is no front or back, so you can make things without worrying about the sides when tying. These are two key points that allow you to create beautiful wrapping without much effort. I usually choose the color of the ribbon to match the design of the box, or use a combination of multiple colors and materials. For example, in summer, I use blue colors for a refreshing image, and since this box design uses two colors, dark blue and light blue, I also use two colors of ribbons.

Of course, we want to create a beautiful finish, but since we are wrapping while serving customers, we can’t keep customers waiting for long, so speed is also important. Therefore, it is quite convenient that it be easy to shape and tie. I sometimes feel the difference in the dryness of my hands and air and the stiffness of the ribbon and paper in summer and in winter, and my job when wrapping is to strive for both beauty and speed, but since it’s a fun job for me, I can do it without complaining. (laughter)

– Please tell us about what you want from Tokyo Ribbon in the future.

Wrapping staff: If you do ribbons and wrapping every day, you tend to end up tying them in the same way, and you end up with a fixed pattern, so I search online, but there are videos that only show basic tying techniques, so there are many different ways to tie them. I would be happy if there were something I could see and imitate, such as how to tie a knot or design patterns. Also, although it’s not a ribbon, it’s nice to have something that can be attached like a tag to make it a focal point.

Mr. Oishi:  I’ve been to wrapping classes, and the wrapping that the instructors do is wonderful, but it’s not something you can do in a normal store. If you think about store management, it might be possible to create a new service for customers who require special wrapping that we don’t normally do by asking them to give us extra time or charge a small fee.