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AKIBA-HOBBY is currently recruiting part-time staff for the Akihabara and Ikebukuro stores.
【Click here for the recruitment page】
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Hello, everyone!
This is the AKIBA-HOBBY public relations team!
Have you ever wondered, “What do AKIBA-HOBBY staff usually do besides handling the register?”?
In order to answer that question, this time...
“A Real Day in the Life of an AKIBA-HOBBY Store Clerk”
We’d like to introduce it specially!!
What does it mean to “run a store”? We’ll show you exactly what it looks like! Brace yourself and take a good look!
■10:00～11:00 Before opening
1. Arriving at work
Of course, since the lights are off and the in-store BGM isn’t playing, the store becomes a quiet space. For everyone, it’s a rare scene you don’t usually get to see!
Put on the apron and switch into work mode! We start preparing for opening!
2. Register inspection (opening the register)
We thoroughly check whether the amount in the register is aligned with not off by even 1 yen, and whether peripheral devices such as the printer, scanner, and cashless payment terminal are working happily!
If after opening the store you ended up with “The register won’t work!”, that would take away valuable time from our customers...
3. Handover and work confirmation
For us, who run the store on a shift system, sharing information is “life”. Are there any unfinished tasks? What are today’s featured arrivals? ...We read through messages from the staff from the previous day and picture the flow of the day in our heads.
By the way, when it’s been a while since you last came in, it’s a bit of “training” (lol). You dig through a mountain of accumulated logs and give your brain an instant mental update with several days’ worth of information! Once you’ve got the latest AKIBA-HOBBY information down perfectly, you’re finally ready!
4. Morning meeting
Here, staff from the Akihabara store, Ikebukuro store, and Gunma headquarters all gather online!
“Akihabara is likely to be crowded with events today,” “We’ll ship this item from the warehouse,” “We had a register trouble yesterday, so make sure to check the item count thoroughly,” and so on—we coordinate real-time information between distant locations.
Our work changes drastically every day. That’s exactly why it’s no exaggeration to say this morning meeting determines the course of our day! At the end, everyone greets each other cheerfully over the screen with a lively hello, then heads to their respective posts. It’s the moment when the switch flips: “All right, let’s do this today too!”
5. Opening preparations
Now it’s the final finishing touch before welcoming customers!
The lights suddenly come on inside the dark store, and when the familiar BGM starts playing, the atmosphere of the shop instantly switches to "AKIBA-HOBBY"!
6. Opening
The moment it turns 11:00, we open by unlocking the entrance door! Let's do our best today too~! Welcome~!
■Open from 11:00 to 20:00
1. Register Service
In customer service, handling the register, where you interact most closely with customers, is an essential job that cannot be separated from the work itself! It is also the path every new part-time staff member must take as their first step!
Our store accepts not only cash, but also credit cards, various electronic money services, and QR code payments. It is a little difficult until you learn how to use them, but once you can handle them well, it feels like you have become a "payment pro" (lol).
AKIBA-HOBBY is not a supermarket-style checkout with a "speed race". The AKIBA-HOBBY way is to stay close to each customer coming to pick up their precious goods and carefully process the payment!
2. Store Patrol
We walk around the store and check whether any stock is running low or whether the layout has gotten disorganized! Because we are a small shop, the staff can keep a close eye on everything—that is our strength! While noticing the movement, like "Oh, someone just picked up this figure a moment ago," we straighten the shelves with care for the next customer!
3. Shelf Cleaning
The key to attractive displays is the daily, steady work of cleaning!
Actually, this is a fairly intense job that involves taking all the displayed products off the shelves at once and polishing them up (lol)
The sight of the neatly cleaned shelves and the products lined up again in perfect order is truly impressive! Physically, it is pretty tough, but being able to show customers a sparkling clean sales floor gives us a sense of accomplishment that is second to none!
4. Social Media Posts
Have you ever seen AKIBA-HOBBY posts coming through on X (formerly Twitter) and elsewhere?
Actually, that is... there isn't a dedicated PR person; the staff on the front lines run it in real time every day!
The biggest appeal is that the selection of products introduced by each staff member, and even the style of writing is completely different! "Haniyasushin Keiki is godlike!" "I absolutely want everyone to know about this new Kiketsu Medley release!" Being able to introduce products chosen by our own intuition is honestly one of the most fun parts!
5. Product Inspection
The moment we open the packages that arrive at the store, our work as "eyes for quality" begins!
We carefully check not only the count, but also whether the box has any dents or whether the package is dirty!
Only products that pass inspection earn the right to be displayed on AKIBA-HOBBY's shelves! By thoroughly following this process every day, we quietly protect the store's quality so everyone can shop with peace of mind and enjoy it!
6. Packing and stocking products
To put it simply, newly inspected items are in a “naked” state. They can't be put on the shelves as-is!
We貼 the price tags in the correct positions one by one, carefully protect the exterior with OPP bags, and only then can we finally put them on the shelves as “products”! We call this process “productization”!
Especially during busy seasons, the register area turns into a mountain of cardboard boxes! There are times when it feels like, “Maybe I spent the whole day packing...” (lol)
7. Promotional work
After 18:00, when the sun has set, the AKIBA-HOBBY staff's “creative time” begins!
The unique POP displays that decorate the sales floor are actually all staff-made!
“We want you to look at this part of the product!” “This character's appeal is this!” We put all that overflowing passion into words and design to give it form!
8. Closing preparation
When the clock points to one hour before closing, it's finally time for the day's final wrap-up! In particular, for store cleaning, we carefully clean every corner, from the gaps between shelves to the edges of the floor! At the same time, we also handle gacha machine sales collection and the final organization of the register!
9. Handover entry
At the end of the day, the last big task is writing the “handover”.
We carefully put down in writing things like the progress of tasks that didn't get finished today and small incidents that occurred while serving customers! Accurate sharing among staff is the lifeline that supports the store's quality!
■20:00-20:30 After closing
1. Closing
At 20:00, the store closes! Thank you for visiting today too~ We look forward to seeing you again~! The work continues, but we're almost there!
2. Cash register closing
Let's calculate today's sales! Since the money counting is done by hand, double-checking is essential!
3. Final check
After finishing all tasks, it's finally time for the last sprint! We check whether the store lights are off and whether the trial units and BGM power are turned off!
Starting with the same “silence” as in the morning, we make one last lap around the store and FINISH!!
4. Clocking out
Locked up and we're wrapping up! Everyone, good work today!!
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【About AKIBA-HOBBY】
A store in Akihabara and Ikebukuro with big speakers! We mainly carry Touhou Project, Girls' Frontline, overseas game goods, and other items, along with a wide selection of figures, music CDs, games, books, and more. We also carry goods for Touhou old works characters.
・AKIBA-HOBBY Mail Order Department
https://shop.akbh.jp/
・AKIBA-HOBBY Akihabara Store
3-14-6 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0021 Senju Building 7 6F
https://shop.akbh.jp/pages/shop-akihabara-info
・AKIBA-HOBBY Ikebukuro Store
1-15-1 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0013 Mashita Building 2F
https://shop.akbh.jp/pages/shop-ikebukuro-info
・AKIBA-HOBBY Taipei Syntrend Store
Taipei City, Zhongzheng District, Section 3, Civic Boulevard No. 2, 6F
https://shop.akbh.jp/pages/shop-taipei-info